The “show muscles” are known as the biceps, triceps, and pectorals. Even a novice individual to weightlifting knows that it’s not hard to get a six-pack worthy of praise. But many overlook the importance of firming up the quads, the large muscles at the front of the thighs.
Building muscles is straightforward, once you understand two things. First, you must commit time and energy. And secondly, you need to keep your body-fat percentage low to show off the hard work.
When it comes to the quad muscles, most people think that squats are the only way to enhance this area. There’s not much common knowledge on how to utilize fat-busting repetitions for this lower muscle group.
Anatomy 101
The quads are the muscles on the front of your thigh. They are not only long, but they are also immensely powerful. They are used to help you perform maneuvers like a squat or a lunge.
As you age, these muscles will weaken from not being used as much or from an injury. Thankfully, you can get these areas back in shape with some intense knee-dominant exercises that will target this region.
However, it would help if you chose the right exercises for the job. Before you begin to work on this area, you need to know that you have four quadriceps, which all attach to your knee.
Without these muscles, you wouldn’t be able to make your leg stretch outward or bend your knee. Knee-dominant maneuvers require you to significantly curve your knee, and most of the strength comes from your quads.
If the muscles in this area are weak or become constricted, then you can target them to increase strength by using specific maneuvers. If you don’t use directed exercises, then they won’t grow in strength.
When these areas are tight, you need a plan to give the region more range of motion. You will be strengthening your quadriceps as well as lengthening them. The squat is a hallmark for targeting this region, and it’s considered a double-leg exercise.
Your muscles will grow bigger and stronger when you lift more weight. Try to combine both single and double-leg quad workouts so that you can effectively enhance this big group of muscles.
Getting Started with Six Fat Busting Moves
Are you ready to get rid of unsightly fat and increase the range of motion in your quads? You will need to learn some specific maneuvers other than the squat to work in this area effectively. Thankfully, it’s not a difficult task to do. Here are the six best exercises for building your quads.
1. Easy Quad Stretch
If you want to start with something easy and basic, then the easy quad stretch is the place to begin. You should commence by standing on one leg, but you must make sure that you keep your knees touching. Don’t worry; you will need to hold onto a chair or wall to support your body weight initially.
Now, take your right hand and reach for your left foot. Pull your foot upwards towards your rear end. The tricky part will be to keep your chest in an upright position, but it’s essential to keep your center square.
If you can’t get your foot all the way to your butt, it’s okay, just do the best you can. You will feel the burn in your quadrilateral muscles if you’re doing this correctly. Now, hold this position for about 30 seconds before you switch to the other leg. Try to do ten reps or five on each side.
2. Kneeling Quad Stretch
You must pay special attention to the muscles right above your knees, so the kneeling quad is what’s best for them. You should start by getting into a high lunge position.
Next, place your right foot in the forward stance as you slowly bring your left knee toward the floor. Try your best to hold this position for 20-30 seconds.
Now, gently release the hold you have on your left foot. Bring your body back into the high lunge position as you switch sides and place your left foot in the forward stance to do this maneuver on your right quad. Strive to do five reps on each side.
3. Pigeon Twist
The pigeon twist is a yoga pose, but this maneuver is great for stretching the quadricep muscles. Not only will this move open your hips, but it will also give your spine a good twist.
Start by the downward-facing dog pose that’s so popular in yoga. Now, carefully bring your right knee until it rests between your hands and form the pigeon.
Your right hand should be resting on your right shin as you bend your left knee slightly. Now, reach for your right foot using your left hand. Slowly press the sole of your foot towards your left hip. It’s okay if you feel some uncomfortable sensations here as your moving things in directions that they usually don’t move.
Next, put your right hand onto your left foot as you slowly twist your upper body towards the left-hand side. You should wrap your left hand towards your lower back. If possible, grasp the upper areas of the right thigh directly in front of the hip.
Okay, this may seem confusing, but you need to stay with it. Using your hands, you want to press into your body to become more entangled into the twist. Try your best to hold this position while you breathe for 5-7 breaths, then release your hands as you straighten out the left leg.
Now, twist your body back and to the right while planting the palms of your hands on the sides of your right knee. Take a step backward with your right leg until you can come into the downward-facing dog position.
Hold this pose for one breath and then bring your left knee to the front and place it between your hands to do this pose to the other side. You may need to brush up on some yoga since the fat-busting properties of this exercise form can be utilized to strengthen the quads.
4. Frog Pose
Working the quads with the frog pose is easy as it will help you stretch the front of your thighs. Additionally, it will give you a good stretch in the shoulder and chest area too.
To begin this stretch, you want to lie on your stomach and prop your upper body up on your elbows like you are about to do a push-up. Now, bend your knees as you reach your hands backward. You want to grasp your feet.
Now, the goal is to make sure that your fingers are pointing in the same direction as the toes. Gently lift the elbows in an upward motion until they are pointing towards the ceiling area. Take a deep breath and lift your chest just as high as possible.
If you start feeling pain in the knees at any time, then release some of the pressure on your feet. You should do one side at a time while holding the pose for five breaths. See, isn’t yoga great for working the quads?
5. Lying Side Quad Stretch
If you want to work your quads, but you have knee issues, then this position allows you to recline instead of standing up. Start by lying down on the floor on your side.
You need to prop your head up using your hand. You should be in a position like you would if you were to do a leg lift. Now, take the right foot and pull it upwards towards your butt.
Now, if you find that you’re not steady and having issues, you can bed the bottom of the knee slightly. Hold this maneuver on the right f0r 30 seconds before switching to the left.
6. Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split squat sounds complicated, but it’s a rather straightforward maneuver that will work your quads. Unlike the traditional squat, this one allows you to go deeper and work on your front leg for an even more intense quad stretch.
Start by placing your back foot up on a bench or a workout box. Now, lower your hips towards the ground by squatting backward and downwards. Ensure your back knee doesn’t touch the floor, but you want to let your weight be on the front leg.
You want to do about two sets of ten reps per side, but make sure that you allow at least 30 seconds to rest in between each set.
Final Thoughts on Trying These Fat-busting Maneuvers to Shape Your Quads
There are many exercises that you can utilize to target this area. While there are six listed here, you can find dozens more online. If you need to lose weight and strengthen the knees, you might want to work with a personal trainer.
If you’ve had surgery or an injury to the knee area, you might need to use specific maneuvers to strengthen the region without challenging it too much. You should start to see results within 2-4 weeks.
