If you didn't catch our first article, be sure to check our our top 5 exercises for quad growth.
Once you have those dialed, don't underestimate these next five exercises for quad gainz! We highly recommend trying all of them out, especially if you have never performed them. A rule of thumb for these exercises – move slow, don’t rush the motion, maintain tension in your quads the entire time, and feel the burn!
6. Single Leg Squats On A Wedge
Using a wedge or something else to elevate your heel is a nice trick to hit the quads more. Sometimes trainers and health care professionals may use this for limited ankle mobility. With the intention of hitting the quads, you want to allow the knee and shin to travel forward as far as you can tolerate.
*With this video and the ones below, you will notice some reps performed with the arms reaching overhead. This promotes an upright trunk with the chest up, again promoting what is coined a ‘knee strategy’ to increase the demand on the knee extensor muscles, aka more quad gainz*
7. Spanish Squats
An exercise coined by a Spaniard (educated guess), Spanish squats are typically programmed for weightlifters dealing with patellar tendon pain. However, that doesn’t mean the average person can’t perform this squat variation. Get a band set-up behind your knees (find the right spot for comfort), back up and get enough tension on the band, then slowly squat down, hold the bottom position with your chest up, and repeat. You’ll notice with the band it is easier to keep your chest up and sit back into the squat.
8. TKEs (Terminal Knee Extension)
An exercise often prescribed in rehab programs after knee surgery, TKEs are another awesome isolated quad exercise. For the average healthy individual, try the 2nd variation shown performing TKEs with single leg squats. Get a strong enough band, load it up, and you’ll feel your quad burning along with the rest of your leg! This is a nice finisher to a leg workout similar to the leg extensions.
9. Forward Step Down
Don’t underestimate this small movement. Think of this as going downstairs in slow motion, however you work the same leg over and over. As demonstrated with kettlebells in a front rack position or chest hold variation, this is legit way to burn out your quads!
10. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
A staple within most comprehensive lower body training programs. However, be mindful of the variation here with the arms overhead. It allows for the knee to travel forward over the toes to increase the demand on the quads as much as possible. This will be a glute burner, but also a quad burner!
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙗 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮.
