Quadriceps or in short, Quads is the largest muscle group of our whole body. Just like biceps consists of 2 muscles, triceps consists of 3 muscles, quads consist of four muscles which are the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. It is located in the anterior portion of our thigh. A big muscular quad makes the legs strong and helps you with various activities. If you are focusing on bodybuilding or muscle building, you have to focus on the legs especially quads as it is the most attractive muscle group of the lower body. So without further ado, let’s know which are the best exercises for quads to make some big, thick, and muscular quads that don’t fit into your jeans.
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Leg Press
If you want some really good muscle size and thickness in your quads then very few can match with the leg press. Although leg press is used for working all leg muscles together as it is a compound exercise, it is still the master of quads if you utilize it properly to target quads. If you are new to the leg press then use the shoulder-width distance between your feet.
But, if you already perform leg press in your leg days and habituated with the standard leg press then you can target your quads particularly by reducing the distance of your feet so that only quads can be targeted. Anyhow, if you can perform leg press properly, you will be rewarded with a big muscular leg with especially quads and glutes. That makes leg press one of the best exercises for quads as well as the whole lower body.
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Front Squat (Barbell)
Front squat is the type of squat that targets the anterior muscle groups of your lower body and which is the anterior muscle group of lower body? Yes, it is quads. So, that means, the front squat primarily targets the quads muscle. If you are new to the front squat, first work on the form. Without proper form, you can be injured badly.
For this reason, place an empty bar on your front shoulders, place your feet shoulder-width or less and practice it until you master the form and then, you can go for your needed weight to perform the front squat with barbell. Lift weight with which you can perform hardly 8-10 reps per set in order to put the maximum pressure on the quads. Front squat is one of the best exercises for quads and if you can master it well, bigger and muscular quads is pretty much guaranteed.
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Leg Extension
After two major compound movements for quads, we have turned our attention to the best isolation exercise for quads which is leg extension. Leg extension is the best when it comes to gain lean muscle mass on your quads. As it is an isolation exercise, it only targets the quads muscle group, not any other.
Target for 10 to 12 reps per set of this resistance training with proper form to put maximum tension on your quads. Remember, always focus on your form otherwise if somehow your knees get pressurized instead of quads, it can lead to major injuries later in your life.
Hack Squat
While barbell back squat or traditional barbell squat is considered the best for building muscles, it may not bet the best for targeting specifically the quads. That is why we have to perform other variations of squats such as front squat and hack squat. We have already discussed about front squat so now, time for hack squat. It is a unique type of squat which helps you to target primarily quads and nothing else because you have a fixed torso position while performing this exercise unlike standard barbell squat.
As it is a tough exercise and demands advanced lifting capability, you should better avoid it if you are a novice in bodybuilding journey and rather focus on the other best exercises for quads that we have listed here. If you are an advanced lifter, you should try hack squat with an experienced spotter and you should go for 8-10 reps per set to put maximum pressure on your quads to make them more muscular. There is thus no doubt hack squat is an outstanding exercise for quads to get big and muscular quads fast.
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Dumbbell Side Lunge
Lunges are always special in our list of best leg exercises, right? But, not the standard barbell lunge is good enough to crack our top 5 best exercises for quads. That’s why we have the best variation of lunge for building muscular and thick quads easily. Dumbbell side lunge is the exercise that we are talking about here. Side lunge is already pretty hard to master if you are a novice or beginner.
With the resistance of dumbbells, it is a heck of a workout for quads if you can master it. If you don’t know about this exercise then first work on the form and practice with bodyweight side lunges. Then after mastering the form, go for dumbbells from small to big depending on your lifting capability. Go for at least 8 repetitions for one leg per set to get the maximum results.
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The Bottom Line
Therefore, these are the best exercises for quads from which you can include 2 or 3 exercises mixing with your other leg exercises in your leg day to make a perfect workout routine. All of these exercises are outstanding when it comes to target specifically the quadriceps muscle group. With proper diet and nutrition and by following these exercises, you can easily build strong, big and muscular quads in no time. As quads are the largest muscle group in the whole body, it demands heavy weightlifting and resistance training to put under tension. So, make sure you are lifting heavy and lifting in the right way. Anyway, hopefully, you have found this article about best exercises for quads helpful enough. If it really so then don’t hesitate to express your valuable thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting and appreciating our work.