rectus femoris exercises
Muscle description
It starts from the anterior inferior iliac spine and the ileum above the acetabulum.
Between the bone and the beginning of the muscle is a synovial bursa. Further, the muscle passes in front of the hip joint, goes to the surface of the thigh between the tensor fascia lata muscle and the sartorius muscle, located in front of the vastus intermediate muscle of the thigh.
It ends with a tendon that attaches to the base of the patella.
Muscle functions
Flex the hip.
Participate in the extension of the lower leg in the knee joint.
The best exercises for the thigh muscles
Consider what exercises should be performed to achieve ideal shapes and pronounced muscle relief.
Squat
The barbell squat is a basic exercise to strengthen the hips, it works all areas of the muscles of the legs and buttocks and many torso muscles as stabilizers.
Depending on the width of the legs and the range of motion, you can emphasize the load on the priority zone for you. Deep squats (below parallel to the floor) engage the glutes more. Squats in parallel and slightly higher – quadriceps. The tighter you place your legs, the stronger the lateral quadriceps bundle will work, which forms the muscles of the outer thigh. A wide stance shifts the focus to the adductors of the thigh (inside).
It is extremely important to keep your back straight during the exercise. This will not only allow you to better focus on working your muscles, but will also save you from injuries. When working with heavy weights, use an athletic belt and knee bandages
When squatting, look forward and slightly up rather than down, this can cause injury and loss of balance. It is extremely important not to bring the knees together when lifting, they must move in the same plane.
If you’re new to the gym and find it difficult to squat even with an empty bar, doing Smith’s squats is also an effective exercise for slim hips.
Also, many athletes perform front squats (with a barbell on the chest). In them, the biceps of the thigh, buttocks and extensors of the spine work much less, the entire load goes to the quadriceps.
leg press
The most important exercise for slim hips.
The biomechanics of movement are similar to squats, but in the platform leg press there is almost no axial load on the spine. Great for beginners for whom the squat technique is too complicated.
By placing your feet close and parallel to each other at the bottom of the platform, you will force the outside of your quads to work harder. If you put them loose and spread the socks on the sides, the load will transfer to the inner surface of the thigh. Feet shoulder-width apart at the top of the platform – the load falls on the hamstrings and gluteal muscles.
The most important feature of this simulator is the amplitude. You should feel comfortable throughout the whole movement. Do not lower the platform too low – most machines are designed in such a way that at the lowest point the lower back rounds and lifts off the surface of the machine. This is fraught with injury. At the highest point of the amplitude, it is not necessary to fully bend the knees, let the leg muscles be constantly in tension.
Strength records in this movement should not be set, it is best to work in a comfortable rep range, 10 to 15.
Hack squat
Not all gyms have this simulator, but with it it will be easier to achieve the desired goal – to get slim athletic hips.
The trajectory of the movement is strictly fixed, so it will be easier to focus on contracting and stretching the thigh muscles. The lower back rests on a special support, so in this movement there is practically no axial load on the spine. Use different foot positions to work the full range of thigh muscles. Similar to the leg press, do not fully extend your legs at the top of the movement.
Leg extension sitting in the simulator
This is an isolation exercise for the thighs. In it, the load completely falls on the quadriceps femoris muscle. Athletes often use this exercise as a warm-up before core strength work or put it right at the end of a workout to finally “finish” tired muscles.
The working weight here does not play a fundamental role, it is much more important to feel the work of the quadriceps and take a short break at the highest point, straining the muscle as much as possible to “burn” it properly. This training technique works great during the drying period
