Squat from a kneeling position

Knee squats are great exercises for lateral muscle hips. Functional stretching helps not only to get rid of fat, but also to further stretch the muscles, which will protect you from muscle pain during unusually difficult workouts. Difficulty is medium, emphasis on concentration.

Technique:

1. Starting position - rest on a mat laid on the floor, knees straight, arms at your sides;
2. As we inhale, we move our pelvis back a little, and then to the right and try to sit on the floor near our feet;
3. As you exhale, we return to the starting point and perform the actions on the other side.

More details in the video:

We do the exercise on each side 8-12 times on the right and left sides in several passes with an interval of 30 seconds.

Front thigh stretch

High-quality muscle relaxation– the basis for getting rid of sore throat and additional breakdown of fat. Stretching also helps you become more flexible, resilient, and perform your usual exercises at a completely different level.

We present to you effective stretching exercises for the front of the thigh.

Bend forward while sitting on the floor

Let's land with our fifth point on the floor, straighten our legs, stretch them forward, and pull our toes towards ourselves. While inhaling, let's bend forward, hover for 20-30 seconds, gradually exhaling and inhaling and relaxing the muscles even more. After the time has passed, we return to the starting point.

Frog in front position

We sit on the floor, back straight, feet moved towards the groin area. As you inhale, with muscle effort, we try to lower your knees as low as possible, while you exhale, we relax, and on the next inhalation, we try to put your knees as low as possible.

Kneeling

Let's get into the starting position: emphasis on bent legs and straight arms. Inhaling, we take one leg back, raising the toe to the ceiling and grab it by the ankle with our hand, stretch the front surface of the thigh to a characteristic tension and freeze for half a minute. Exhaling, shake the muscles and move on to working the other leg.

Combine loads on the front thigh with other areas of the body, supplement the efforts with massage and proper nutrition and after the first 2 weeks of work, a completely unfamiliar, but so alluring girl will look at you from the mirror.

Good day to you, dear readers! Not everyone likes to train their legs, because it is so tiring and difficult. Meanwhile, we, as erect walking creatures, owe it to the leg muscles for the ability to move, sit down, stand up and climb stairs. This is especially true for the quadriceps, although you shouldn’t forget about them.

So training with weights can serve as an excellent tool for improving not only appearance, but also ease of movement! And in some cases physical exercise for the quadriceps femoris muscle they are simply irreplaceable, for example, during postoperative rehabilitation.

The knee joint is the most injured joint in our body. After all, it is constantly at work, experiences shock loads, and in sedentary people it suffers from a lack of nutrients.

It is precisely because of its special importance that strict rules must be followed if you want to maintain the health of your knees for a long time.

Now about the exercises and nuances:

• . An important role in this.

Therefore, before you start squats, make sure that your muscles in your legs, buttocks and back are flexible enough. Otherwise, you won't be able to squat with proper form!

What tests can you use to determine your stretch marks? Watch the video:

• The type of squats determines the load on the quadriceps. The extensors receive the greatest load. Then . Use them in your programs.

• Many people don't know how deep to squat. There is no definite answer, since the amplitude depends both on the flexibility of the joints and the elasticity of the muscles, and on the condition of the knee and hip joints.

If you are healthy and have no problems with stretching, then do deep squats. If there are problems with the joints and their mobility is limited, then half squats are suitable. But we'll talk about problems later.

• Since we are for the full development of the quadriceps femoris muscle, in addition to squats, it is effective to perform extensions in a sitting machine. It is this exercise that evenly distributes the load between the four quadriceps muscles (lateral, intermediate, medial and rectus)

• Lunges are a variation of squats. They differ only in that the quadriceps of the other thigh experiences a stretch. It is effective to complete this exercise.

• At the end of your workout, perform a set of stretching exercises. It can consist of elements that you pick up from the video. But don’t try to repeat everything exactly like in this video. and with a small range of motion.

Exercises for health problems

Not all sports are safe and allow you to control your body every second to avoid injury. For example, team sports, especially contact sports: hockey, football, rugby. Yes, this also happens in fitness, but, as a rule, due to violation of the basic rules of training!

Having damaged the knee joint, people are forced to give up their usual loads and undergo a rehabilitation course. And if the injury was serious, then undergo surgical treatment, and then engage in the already mentioned rehabilitation.

To speed up the postoperative recovery process, a surgical procedure with minimal tissue trauma - arthroscopy - is often performed. After it, the very next day the patient can perform physical therapy. Then the patient is discharged, and further rehabilitation actions fall on his shoulders.

And this is where the main thing is not to harm yourself! It is necessary to return to training gradually, dividing the entire recovery phase into several parts.

Stage No. 1

As a rule, it can be done at home, but it is better to contact experienced rehabilitators! The goal of the stage is to return the joint to its usual mobility.

The exercises are performed slowly, without weights, and often while sitting or lying down. The stage can be considered complete when joint mobility is restored by more than 60%.

Stage No. 2

Here the emphasis is on strengthening muscles and ligaments that may have been significantly weakened after injury and surgery. The exercises can still be done at home, but with light weights. Can be used as a weight rubber bands or tubular expanders.

Exercises for two stages are presented in the video.

Stage No. 3

Return to training in the gym. Joint mobility is restored, muscles and ligaments are strengthened. It's time to start training with iron!

If you dream of quickly returning to heavy squats, then I have to warn you that it is better not to do this! Since injuries do not go away 100% and you are now constantly at risk.

Start your workouts with exercise machines. It is best to include leg extensions and flexions while sitting in a machine, and leg extensions and flexions on block exercise machines.

Be healthy!

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the importance of regular training. They not only strengthen the muscles, but also provide nutrition to the joints. And in the postoperative period, recovery will be accelerated.

Be healthy, friends! Subscribe to article updates, share useful information with friends on social networks. See you soon!

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Strength training of the lower body is a mandatory component of a bodybuilder's program. The fact is that they can handle serious weights. In response to heavy loads, the body responds with increased production of testosterone and somatotropin - hormones that affect muscle growth throughout the body. Therefore, in order to progress in bodybuilding, athletes diligently train their leg muscles and, in particular, their quadriceps.

The quadriceps are made up of four “heads”:

• Rectus femoris muscle. The longest of the four. Located on the front of the thigh. The upper edge is attached to the ilium, the lower edge passes into the common quadriceps tendon. Purpose: hip flexion, shin extension;
• Medial vastus muscle hips. Located in the anteromedial part of the thigh. One edge is attached to the upper part of the femur, the other goes into the common tendon of the thigh. Purpose: leg extension;
• Vastus lateralis muscle. Located on the anterolateral surface of the thigh. The upper edge is attached to the trochanter of the femur, the lower edge passes into the common tendon of the thigh. Purpose: leg extension;
• Vastus intermedius muscle. Located directly under the rectus femoris muscle. One edge is attached to the upper part of the femur, the other goes into the common tendon of the thigh. Purpose: shin extension.

Features of quadriceps muscle training

To maximally load the muscles of the anterior thighs, we recommend using the following tips:

• Add variety. Classic squats use everything bottom part bodies. To prevent your muscles from having time to adapt to them, change the program every 10-12 weeks. Include unusual exercises in your plan, for example.
• Increase the number of repetitions. Many periodically use the technique of performing 20-30 repetitions per set. This also adds variety to the training and allows you to load the muscle fibers of the thighs in a different way;
• Squat “within” the amplitude. At the bottom point, do not sit below the parallel of your thighs with the floor; at the top point, do not straighten your legs to the end. This method of performing squats creates a powerful, long-lasting load on the quadriceps femoris muscles;
• Try training with supersets(working in one approach). For example, do 12 barbell squats. Then immediately, without rest, lie down on the hamstring machine and do 12 calf curls;
• Use the regression method. For example, do a set with the maximum weight you can handle for 5-6 reps. With each subsequent approach, increase the number of repetitions and gradually reduce the weight of the projectile;
• Don't forget about pumping. At the end strength training For the anterior thigh muscles, perform 1-2 exercises with light weights for a high number of repetitions. For example, do 3 sets of 25-30 reps on a leg extension machine.

The best exercises for quadriceps

Note that it is not possible to pump up voluminous quadriceps at home. This requires serious weight loads. Therefore, all the exercises discussed below are suitable only for gym. Girls can also perform such techniques, but the loads should be moderate: 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions without failure.

Squats

The exercise fully engages the quadriceps muscles, but the main load falls on the medial and lateral heads.

1. Raise the racks on the power frame to chest level and place the barbell on them;
2. We grab the bar tightly, “dive” under it and, rising, press top part back to the projectile;
3. Take the weight off the racks and take a couple of short steps back;
4. While inhaling, we squat until our thighs are parallel to the floor;
5. As you exhale, we rise with a powerful effort.

• When performing, make sure that the knees do not converge inward.
• We also keep our back slightly arched until the end of the set.

Leg press in the simulator

1. With standard foot position on the platform (at shoulder level), the load falls evenly on all four heads of the quadriceps.
2. If bring your feet close(15-20 cm), then the emphasis will shift to the lateral beams.
3. If, on the contrary, spread your feet wide(closer to the edges of the platform), then the medial muscles will do the main work.

1. We sit in the leg press machine;
2. Press your lower back tightly against the back;
3. We place our feet on the platform and remove it from the supports;
4. As you inhale, bend your knees and lower the load;
5. As you exhale, press the carriage up.

• When performing, make sure that the lumbar region remains on the seat.
• In the upper position of the carriage, do not straighten the knee joints completely, so as not to damage them.

The exercise uses the entire anterior thigh muscle group, but the main emphasis falls on the medial heads.

Please note that due to the fact that the center of gravity in the exercise is shifted forward, The weight of the bar should be less than with classic squats.

1. Raise the racks on the power frame to chest level and place the barbell on them;
2. We sit slightly under the bar, then, rising, we press the upper chest and front delts to the bar;
3. Cross our arms and place our palms on the bar;
4. We remove the weight from the racks, take a step back;
5. As you inhale, we squat, as you exhale, we rise.

• When doing this, keep your back straight and avoid bending forward.
• We move slowly, without jerking. Otherwise, the risk of losing balance, falling and injury increases.

Lunges with weights

The exercise evenly loads all four quadriceps muscles. The option with a barbell is recommended only for experienced athletes. Beginners should do lunges with dumbbells (kettlebells), girls - with. Let's consider the technique with a barbell on the shoulders.

1. We lift the bar onto the supports of the power frame and assemble the barbell;
2. We grab the bar, sit up slightly and take the projectile onto our shoulders;
3. We move back 1.5-2 meters;
4. We inhale, step widely forward with one leg and lower ourselves into a lunge;
5. With exhalation we return to a vertical position;
6. We repeat the movement, starting with the other leg.

• We move slowly so as not to lose balance.
• In the lower position, the exposed knee should not go beyond the line of the toe.
• We do not tilt the body forward too much; we avoid rounding the spine.

Leg extension

The exercise evenly engages the quadriceps muscles. It is performed in a special “seated” simulator.

1. We sit down in the machine, press our lower back tightly to the seat;
2. Select the required height of the leg bolsters;
3. Press your shins against the bolsters;
4. We take hold of the handles located on the sides of the seat;
5. We exhale and raise the emphasis up, while inhaling we lower it.

When performing, we try to move evenly, without jerking. Avoid throwing up the support with your feet.

Sample workout program for quadriceps

1. Warm-up part: , or (5-7 minutes);
2. (3/20-25);
3. Barbell squats (4/6-8);
4. Leg press in the simulator (3/10-12);
5. Lunges with weights (3/10-12);
6. Leg extension in the simulator (3/10-12);
7. Lying leg curls in the simulator (3/10-12).

The quadriceps, or quadriceps muscle, is the largest muscle fiber in our legs. For this reason, it is quite difficult to effectively pump it up at home, since this will require special simulators. Where is this muscle located? What should be the optimal load on the quadriceps for men and women? What do you need to know about exercise technique? And which of them should be included in a comprehensive training?

Let's start with anatomy. As the name suggests, the quadriceps consists of four interconnected anterior thigh muscles.

Basic functions of the quadriceps

What function does the quadriceps femoris muscle perform in terms of human motor activity? The main task of the “quadriceps” is to ensure the extension of our legs in knee joints. In addition, together with other muscles and ligaments, it partly contributes to the bending of the legs, and to a lesser extent, to maintaining balance when bending forward in the pelvic region.

Obviously, pumping up the quadriceps will make the hips more powerful (both physically and visually), and will also allow a girl or guy to squat and straighten the body if necessary, even with a significant load.

Features of working with quadriceps

The main thing that beginners need to remember even during their first visits to the gym is that quadriceps exercises should not be “postponed for later.” Why? Because uneven development of the upper and lower body is not only unattractive. It makes it extremely difficult to “even out” such imbalances in the future. In other words, powerful biceps with legs that resemble toothpicks are evidence of:

• or professional unsuitability of the trainer;
• or the excessive independence of a person who has taken responsibility for building his own body at home with an absolutely amateurish level of knowledge about the essence of the issue.

For this reason, strength gymnastics for quadriceps must be built according to a clearly developed plan, and include the development of each of the 4 muscles separately.

1. Hyperextension, which allows you to simultaneously train the lower back. This is necessary to protect against injury when moving on to heavier exercises.
2. Leg presses. They have a beneficial effect not only on the quadriceps, but also on the ligaments.
3. Leg extensions in specialized simulators.

Adding power squats to this list usually begins only after 5-6 months of training.

What else is important to remember when working with quadriceps? Since the strength and reaction speed of the muscles included in its composition are not the same, strength exercises it is also necessary to add aerobic ones. First of all, this is running, swimming, cycling and, if possible and according to the season, skiing.

It is enough to conduct training sessions once a week. At the same time, choosing from 2 to 3 exercises (with three to four approaches of 10 repetitions each).

Exercises for quadriceps

Extend your legs in the exercise machine

Basic exercise. The main load is on the anterior rectus tibialis muscle.

Technique:

1. Sit on the machine and fix your legs, the bend in your knees should be 90°.
2. Raise your legs with effort until they are fully straightened.
3. Return to starting position.

Nuances:

• feet with toes forward - uniform load on all quadriceps muscles;
• legs with toes inward - the maximum load will be on the vastus medialis muscles;
• legs with toes outward - the maximum load will be on the vastus lateralis muscles;
• narrowly set feet - the outer sides of the thighs are mainly loaded;
• wide-set feet - the inner thighs are mainly loaded.

A few important rules:

Squats with a barbell

Basic exercise. The main load is on all the muscles of the quadriceps and gluteal muscles.

Technique:

1. Take the starting position - standing, with your legs spread shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower the barbell onto your shoulders.
3. Do a smooth squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Straighten up just as smoothly, returning to the starting position.

Nuances:

• When performing the exercise, the toes of the feet should be slightly turned outward;
• to emphasize the load specifically on the “quadriceps” and reduce it on the gluteal muscles, you can wear shoes with flat heels or place a special stand about 2–3 cm high under your heels;
• and, on the contrary, to pump up the buttocks, the position of the bar changes to lower and shifted back;
• Instead of shoulders, it is possible to place the barbell on the upper chest, but this will significantly complicate the exercise and will require reducing the weight of the sports equipment.

A few important rules:

Performing leg press

Technique:

1. Take the starting position - reclining in the exercise machine, with your feet on the platform.
2. Smoothly lower the load until the bend angle of your legs reaches 90°.
3. Then reverse the movement until the legs are completely straightened.

Nuances:

• feet placed on the lower edge of the platform - the load is almost exclusively quadriceps;
• feet placed on the upper edge - part of the load will shift to the muscle groups of the buttocks and back of the thighs;
• legs set wide - the medial muscles of the thighs, as well as the adductors and sartorius muscle fibers are mainly loaded;
• legs placed shoulder-width apart - uniform load on all quadriceps muscles;
• legs placed narrowly - the maximum load will be on the vastus lateralis and abductor muscles.

A few important rules:

• to shift the load from the buttocks and rear surfaces hips almost entirely on the quadriceps - adjust the seat angle so that it is significantly greater than 90°;
• the same effect can be achieved by leaning on the platform only with your toes, without your heel, when bending your legs (in addition, this will reduce the pressure on your knees).

Note! An important advantage of this machine over the barbell is its complete safety for the spine.

Squatting in the gym

Basic exercise. The main load is on all the muscles of the quadriceps, as well as on the muscle groups of the buttocks and the back of the thighs.

Technique:

1. Take the starting position - stand on the machine with your legs spread shoulder-width apart, press your back to the back support plane, adjust the pillows with the barbell so that they rest against your shoulders.
2. Do a smooth squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
3. Straighten up just as smoothly, returning to the starting position.

Nuances:

• legs placed shoulder-width apart - uniform load on all quadriceps muscles;
• legs placed narrowly - the maximum load will be on the vastus lateralis and abductor muscles;
• legs set wide - the inner sides of the thighs are mainly loaded, as well as the adductor and sartorius muscle fibers;
• feet placed closer to the rear edge of the platform - the load is almost exclusively quadriceps;
• feet placed closer to the front edge - part of the load will shift to the muscle groups of the buttocks and back of the thighs.

The toes of the feet should be slightly turned outward when performing the exercise.

Doing lunges with dumbbells

Basic exercise. The only thing that does not require visiting the gym.

Technique:

These TOP 5 exercises should definitely be considered the most important when working with quadriceps. And yes, before performing the exercises, it won’t hurt to carefully study the corresponding video lessons.