outer quad exercises
Basic exercises to increase leg muscle mass, what are they?
If you are at least somewhat anatomically oriented, then you are aware that the legs are the largest muscle layer in the human body, in theory about 45% of the total body weight should fall on it. Basically, it is this muscle group that is the thinnest. And the point here is that it is most often clogged up (at least by the male population of the gym) due to its poor visibility.
The latter means that very often, when they take off their clothes, they look at their shoulders, arms, abs and why. the legs are at the bottom, so things sometimes just don’t reach them. Also, the legs can always be hidden behind baggy pants, which in most cases is done by guys, due to the reluctance to pump them, because you see, it’s convenient when you can hide the most heavily pumped behind a piece of cloth ( and thus late) muscle layer. It is much easier to grab a dumbbell and sip it on the biceps – and the work is not difficult, and dividends in the form of a large “can” are good.
For women, legs are, perhaps, their calling card, it is no secret that the main mission of the fair sex is to please others (men). And our brother very often rates a young woman right from the bottom up, i.e. first the gaze falls on the legs, then on the hips, on the waist, and then higher and higher. In connection with this fact, the legs become important in the primary evaluation of the attractiveness of a female subject.
The inner part is activated to the maximum through various variations of horizontal leg presses and hack squats with less weight when the knee angle is below 70 degrees and with more weight when the knee angle is above 70 degrees.
The relative EMG activity of the outer quadriceps during barbell squats and variations of single squats, compared to squats with a 90 degree knee angle, is as follows.
Exercises for the quadriceps of the thigh
The thigh muscles are one of the largest muscles in the human body. The more these muscles are developed, the more resistant the person is and the higher the degree of physical preparation in general. Exercising with the legs, a person directly affects the hip joints, having a positive effect on the general condition of the genitourinary system, unloading the knee joints. This happens if the classes are held in the gym. Classes in the gym are interesting because you can only load certain muscle groups by choosing one or the other sports equipment.
Anatomy and purpose of the quadriceps
1 on all muscle groups, i.e. on the entire quadriceps. This muscle group performs the following main functions:
The structure of the quadriceps
1 The femoral part of the muscle is its lateral surface and takes part in all forms of movement in which the legs are involved. It is the most circular component of this muscle bundle. It is also called the lateral muscle.
2 The inner thigh is formed by the broad medial muscle. In shape, it resembles a certain roundness on the inside of the knee. The medial muscle is also designed to allow for normal knee flexion and extension.
3 Between the medial and lateral muscles is a large intermediate muscle, which partially extends beyond the edges of these two muscles at their junctions with the knee. It is mainly used during jumping and running, as well as during squatting.
4 On the front of the thigh is the rectus muscle, which is part of the quadriceps complex. It is longer and forms the anterior semicircular part of the thigh. It is interesting in that it is not attached to the femur, while actively participating in the flexion and extension of the legs.
The quadriceps consists of several muscle groups, which are characterized by the speed of execution of various exercises: slow and fast muscle fibers. Consequently, the exercises should have both power and aerobic loads.
Basic exercise for the quadriceps
The development of this muscle group is based on the use of core exercises that contribute to the development of an athlete’s strength and endurance associated with an increase in the volume of muscle fibers.
Squat
Squat Refers to one of the basic exercises widely used by athletes. This exercise increases the function of the quadriceps and also helps to strengthen the muscles of the glutes. At the same time, the muscles of the back, abs and back of the thigh are involved in the process. The effectiveness of the exercise depends on the optimality of the loads, otherwise the exercises can lead to serious injuries if you do not start training with a low weight, practicing the squat technique. The technique is as follows:
the bar should not be in the neck area, but should be on the back of the deltas and trapezes.
The back should be kept straight and the shoulder blades together so that the weight of the bar is evenly distributed. The chin points up to prevent forward bending, which puts strain on the lower back and can cause injury.
To maintain balance, the feet are wider than the shoulders and the socks look to the sides.
The exercise begins with the movement of the pelvis backwards, as if you were to sit down.
The knees of the legs should be fixed when the back of the thigh is parallel to the floor, but can be lower. It all depends on the degree of preparation of the athlete and the task. The lower the seat, the more efficiently the muscles are trained.
Getting up from a session should be without sudden movements, while maintaining balance. When reaching the highest point, the legs do not straighten completely, but remain slightly bent, to avoid injury to the knee joint.
Doing these exercises, you should not get carried away by the maximum loads. For proper quadriceps training, it may be best to replace the barbell squat with a normal front squat, but also with a barbell.
Front squats
This exercise is similar to the previous one, but the bar has a slightly different position, which strengthens the quadriceps more. The technique for performing this exercise is as follows:
The grip is performed on straight arms, positioned slightly wider than the shoulder.
The neck is located on the front of the shoulders.
The arms are folded and their upper parts are parallel to the floor.
After fixing the bar in this position, a squat is performed, the technique of which is similar to the previous one.
Hack squat Hack squat
Gakk – the simulator is designed to strengthen the quadriceps, while exercises on it reduce the load on the spine. The lower back is located on a movable base, the hands are held on the handrails, and the legs are on an inclined plane. By changing the width of the feet, you can shift the load relative to the side of the thighs.
-When doing the exercise, do not rush and do not make sudden movements.
-Reaching the maximum load, it is not recommended to fully extend the knees.
The entire load should fall on the quadriceps.
-You shouldn’t push your knees past the sock line.
Leg press on the simulator
The main exercise that actively trains the legs, but at the same time takes all the strain off the back. If the feet are placed as close to each other as possible, the quadriceps also take part in the work.
To avoid the appearance of stress in the back area, the lower back must be pressed firmly against the seat.
In this case, it is necessary to check that the knees do not bend completely and also touch the chest in the final stage of the exercise.
If the feet are slightly wider, the inner radii of the thigh muscles will work more.
Lunges
Lunges can be performed with various sporting items, such as a barbell or dumbbells. This exercise is also performed with the Smith machine. If the options are constantly alternating, you can achieve the maximum effect. The effect will increase even more if this exercise is alternated with other exercises, such as squats.
The feet should be parallel, but slightly wider than the hips.
At the same time, wide steps are taken and the leg, bent at the knee joint, should form a right angle to the floor.
The position of the knee must be controlled: it must be immobile and not “walking” from side to side.
The knee of the rear leg is as close to the floor as possible but does not touch it.
When exiting a lunge, your quads work as much as possible.
When using a barbell, it is necessary to strictly follow the technique of working with a barbell, described above in the text, in the subtitles of “squat with a barbell”. If dumbbells are used, the arms are parallel to the body and are immobile.
Isolation exercises for the quadriceps of the thigh
This type of exercise is applied to a single muscle to make it more attractive, but they are unable to gain muscle mass and develop strength and endurance.
leg extension in the simulator Leg extension exercises in the simulator
If it makes sense to work the front of the quadriceps, then this is exactly the exercise. Since most of the load is on the knees, you shouldn’t be setting a lot of weight.
The legs are not bent until they assume a position parallel to the floor.
The loin is held directly on the seat.
The movements should be played at a slow pace, without the appearance of inertia, which will minimize all effort.
You should do the maximum number of repetitions.
After the exercise, there should be a burning sensation inside the muscle.
To perform an isolated load on the quadriceps, you can perform a one-legged bench press. When performing this exercise on the simulator, one leg is removed.
