Quadriceps

About the Quadriceps

Your quads straighten your knee joint and help you stand up from sitting. They work opposite to your hamstrings. When you walk up stairs or do a squat, your quads are working hard.

Rectus Femoris: Runs down the middle of your thigh. It's the only quad that also helps bend your hip.
Vastus Lateralis: On the outside of your thigh. It's the largest quad muscle and helps keep your kneecap tracking properly.
Vastus Medialis: On the inside of your thigh. It's crucial for the last few degrees of straightening your knee.
Vastus Intermedius: Deep muscle under your rectus femoris. It helps straighten your knee when you're sitting down.

Best Quadriceps exercises

Quads extend the knee. Squats and lunges load them with the hip involved; leg extensions isolate the last degrees of extension. Both have a place.

Dumbbell Squat To A Bench (dumbbell)
Narrow Stance Squats (barbell)
Barbell Squat To A Bench (barbell)
Front Barbell Squat To A Bench (barbell)
Barbell Side Split Squat (barbell)
Barbell Squat (barbell)
Barbell Walking Lunge (barbell)
Bodyweight Squat (body only)

Common mistakes

Shooting the hips up out of a squat so the back takes over.
Letting the knees cave in on lunges.
Only doing quarter-depth squats and calling it quad work.

Log Quadriceps work in Easy Reps

Open the lift in the app library, log weight and reps, and PRs update when you earn them. No account and no subscription. Download Easy Reps or browse the full exercise library.