The quads are a powerful muscle group needed for sports and functional activities like balance and walking.
For effective, equipment-free moves you can do anytime, try these quad exercises at home, outdoors, or while traveling. You don’t need a gym to do leg workouts and build thigh muscles. These bodyweight quad exercises improve strength and endurance with simple, functional moves.
In this article, we cover techniques and programming recommendations to help you get the most out of your quad workout. So, if you are ready to fire up the legs, grab your water bottle, and let’s get started!
7 Bodyweight Quad Exercises
Try these seven quad exercises at home to build lower-body strength and endurance.
- Bodyweight squat.
- High knees.
- Single leg wall sit.
- Burpees.
- Front kicks.
- Bodyweight lunge.
- Jumping jacks.
Bodyweight exercises make an effective and economical workout that can be done anywhere.
Top 7 Quad Exercises At Home
Perform these seven quad exercises at home with minimal space requirements and no equipment. We target the quads using bodyweight resistance training and plyometrics.
Bodyweight Squat
Bodyweight squats are a multi-joint exercise that works the hips and knees together. They target the quads and hip flexors, as well as the hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Muscle activation rates tell us how hard a muscle works during a given exercise. In a squat, the rates for two quadricep muscles are 50% for rectus femoris and 48% for vastus lateralis.
We use squatting movement patterns in everyday life to lift objects and get in and out of chairs. Studies show that bodyweight exercises improve strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Squats’ benefits also include improving bone density.
How to do
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Point the toes straight ahead.
- Extend the arms straight out in front of at shoulder height.
- Hinge from the hips, sending the glutes backward and downward.
- Keep the upper body tall and the spine straight as you lower.
- Lower as far as you can or until there is a 90-degree bend in the knees.
- Press into the heels and straighten the legs.
- Return to a fully upright position.
Tips
- Keep the knees over the ankles as you lower. Allowing the knees to jut out over the toes stresses the knee joint.
- Point the kneecap and toes in the same direction. Letting the knees cave inward can strain the knees.
- Maintain a straight spine and keep your gaze forward. A rounded back or tucked chin compromises spinal alignment.
- To modify the exercise for greater quad activation, elevate the heels. Place a sturdy block or book of equal height under each heel.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
High Knees
High knees target the quadriceps, hip flexors, and abdominals but also work the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. The quads and hip flexors act on the hip joint and are responsible for hip flexion (bending). During the high knee exercise, the quads pull the knees toward the hips.
High knees are also a HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, exercise. This style of training can increase lower-body strength and power, plus improve cardiovascular fitness. It is an effective, time-saving method of exercise ideal for those seeking results with minimal time commitment.
How To Do
- Stand up tall with a straight spine.
- Keep the ears, shoulders, and hips stacked throughout the exercise.
- Place upper arms next to the ribcage. Bend the elbows at 90 degrees.
- Forcefully drive the right knee up to hip height or above.
- As you lift the bent knee, lift the opposite elbow to chest height.
- Push the right knee down and lower the left elbow.
- Hop to the left foot.
- Forcefully drive the left knee to hip height or above. Lift the right elbow to chest height.
- Push the left knee down and lower the right elbow.
- Hop to the right foot.
- Alternate knee lifts as quickly as you can.
Tips
- Actively think about engaging the quads and abdominals to pull the knee up. Mind-muscle connection further activates the muscles.
- Keep the upper body tall. Leaning forward can stress the back and reduce abdominal engagement.
- Modify the exercise by making it low-impact. Place one foot back on the floor before lifting the other.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 60–90 seconds |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 30–60 seconds |
Single Leg Wall Sit
Single leg wall sits are a great bodyweight quad exercise that will make you feel the burn. Holding the wall squat position causes an isometric contraction in the balancing thigh, working the muscles without movement. Straightening the opposite leg specifically targets the quadriceps as they perform knee extension.
In a typical isometric wall squat, the muscle activation rate for the vastus lateralis in the quadricep is 47.5%. This percentage gives us an idea of how hard the quads work in a wall sit. The single leg extensions would increase the muscle activation rate.
How To Do
- Stand with your back pressed against a wall.
- Step your feet out in front of your body hip-width apart. Point the toes straight ahead.
- Extend both arms out to the side at a 45-degree angle. Press the palms into the wall.
- Slide your back down the wall until you are in a squat.
- Bend the hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. Line up the knees over the ankle.
- Engage the abdominals by slightly pulling the belly button toward the spine.
- Press firmly into the left foot.
- Lift the right foot off the floor and straighten the right leg.
- Hold for a second.
- Return the right foot to the floor.
- Press firmly into the right foot.
- Lift the left foot off the floor and straighten the left leg.
- Hold for a second.
- Return the left foot to the floor.
Tips
- Consciously press into the heel of the balancing foot. This intensifies muscle activation.
- Press your lower back into the wall to further activate the abdominals. This also prevents lower back strain.
- Take steady breaths. Holding your breath can dangerously increase internal pressure.
- To modify the exercise, remain higher in your squat position. This decreases the intensity of the exercise and the balance required.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 12–15 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–5 |
Burpees
Burpees are known for working the whole body and elevating the heart rate. They use bodyweight resistance and plyometrics to strengthen the legs, shoulders, and core. The squat works the hamstrings, glutes, and calves, while the plank works the shoulder and core.
In a burpee, the quads stabilize the knee and extend the knees during the up-phase of the squat. They are also active in the plank and jumping aspects of the exercise. In a plank, the rectus femoris muscle of the quadriceps has a 20% muscle activation rate.
Burpees are a plyometric exercise that uses explosive movements to improve muscular strength and power. This training style benefits a variety of sports as it can increase vertical jump height, agility, and throwing velocity. Studies show that plyometrics strengthen the quads and increase muscle thickness in the lower body.
How To Do
- Stand with the feet together.
- Hinge from the hips. Lower down in a squat until your hands touch the floor.
- Place the palms flat on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Engage the abdominals by drawing the belly button toward the spine.
- Jump both feet straight out behind you, coming into a plank position.
- Push off the balls of the feet. Jump the feet forward toward the hands.
- Land with the feet together in a deep squat.
- Press into the feet, driving the body upward in an explosive jump.
- Straighten the legs and reach the arms overhead as you push out of the squat.
- Land with soft knees and return the arms to your sides.
Tips
- Look straight ahead and avoid rounding the upper back as you squat. Proper neck and spinal alignment prevent back strain.
- Keep a straight back in the plank position. Arching the back and dropping the hips stresses the lower back.
- Point the kneecaps and toes in the same direction during the squat to prevent knee strain. Don’t let the knees fall outward or inward.
- To modify the exercise, eliminate the jumping. Step your feet in and out of the plank one at a time. Press up out of the low squat to a standing position. This lowers the exercise intensity as well as shoulder and lower-back stress.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 60–90 seconds |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 30–60 seconds |
Front Kicks
Front kicks are a simple move that effectively targets the lower body. They activate the quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and abdominals.
Improving quadricep strength and conditioning can improve sports performance and prevent injuries. Quad strength is associated with jumping ability in soccer and explosive actions, like sprinting. It also improves cycling economy, which is the amount of effort needed at a specific cycling intensity.
How To Do
- Stand with the feet hip-width apart.
- Clasp the hands together at chest height.
- Maintain a neutral spine with the shoulder aligned over the hips.
- Engage the abdominals by drawing the belly button slightly toward the spine.
- Lift the right knee to hip height.
- Straighten the right leg in front of the body.
- Bend the right knee and lower the foot to the floor.
- Lift the left knee to hip height.
- Straighten the left leg in front of the body.
- Bend the left knee and lower the foot to the floor.
Tips
- Maintain proper upper-body alignment for better balance and to protect the back. Don’t lean forward or backward when kicking.
- Actively concentrate on driving the leg forward and pulling it back toward the body.
- Exhale as you extend the leg forward. Inhale as you pull it back down.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 60–90 seconds |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 30–60 seconds |
Bodyweight Lunge
The bodyweight lunge is a classic lower-body strengthening exercise. It works the quads, hamstrings, glutes, gastrocnemius, and adductors. In a forward lunge, the muscle activation rate for the rectus femoris in the quadriceps is about 65%.
Quadricep strength improves static (still) and dynamic (moving) balance. This benefits athletic performance and functional tasks in everyday life. Improving strength and balance also decreases the risk of falls, especially as we age.
For more ways to build strength in the lower body, try this dumbbell leg workout.
How To Do
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
- Step the right foot forward.
- Lower the body by bending the front knee to about 90 degrees.
- As you lower, bend the back knee, lowering it toward the floor.
- Keep the upper body tall as you lower down. Center your weight evenly between the front and back legs.
- Press into the front foot. Straighten the legs.
- Push off the front foot and step the foot back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the left side.
Tips
- Keep the upper body tall, with shoulders stacked over hips. Leaning forward affects muscle engagement and can also misalign the knee.
- Align the front knee over the ankle as you lower. Allowing the knee to pass over the toes can strain the knee joint,
- Engage the abdominals to support the back and aid in balance.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 12–15 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks use body weight for resistance training. They are a straightforward move, ideal for those looking to do quad exercises at home. Jumping jacks give you a full-body workout, activating the lower body, core, chest, shoulders, and latissimus dorsi. They make a great workout addition for anyone seeking to lose weight and build strength.
How To Do
- Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
- Jump the legs out to the sides slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- At the same time, reach the arms out sideways. Raise them over your head.
- Push off the balls of the feet. Jump the feet together.
- Pull the arms back down to your sides.
Tips
- Avoid letting the knees cave inward on the wide jump. This strains the knee joint.
- Maintain soft knees (slightly bent) when you land. Locking the knees stresses the joints.
- To modify the exercise, remove the jump and do low-impact jacks. Step one foot at a time out to the side and back to the center.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–6 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 2–3 | 60–90 seconds |
| Power Training | 5 | 30–60 seconds |
Best Bodyweight Quad Workout Routine
These bodyweight quad exercises are easily adaptable to any fitness level. With body-weight resistance and interval training, this workout improves strength and cardiovascular fitness. It can be done as a circuit, running through the rotation of exercises 2–3 times.
Exercise | Sets x Reps | Duration | Rest (between sets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single leg wall sit | 2–3 sets x 8–12 reps | 30 seconds | |
| High knees | 2–3 sets | 30–60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Bodyweight squat | 2–3 sets x 8–12 reps | 30 seconds | |
| Bodyweight lunge | 2–3 sets x 8–12 reps | 30 seconds | |
| Burpees | 2–3 sets | 30–60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Anatomy Of The Quads
The quadriceps are a large, powerful muscle group at the front of the thigh. They are made up of four muscles: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.
The three vastii muscles originate on the upper thigh bone and insert at the kneecap. They straighten the leg at the knee joint. These muscles also stabilize the knee.
The rectus femoris connects to the pelvis and inserts at the kneecap. As the only quad muscle that connects to two joints, it works on the knee and the hip. The rectus femoris performs hip flexion (bending) and knee extension (straightening).
Benefits Of Bodyweight Quad Exercises
Bodyweight resistance training is an easy, inexpensive way to improve strength, endurance, and balance. Perform bodyweight quad exercises to gain some of the benefits we discuss below.
Improves Balance
Bodyweight exercises, like lunges and squats, build strength in the quadriceps. Quad strength plays a key role in both static and dynamic balance. Whether you are standing still, walking, or jumping on one foot, the quads help prevent you from falling over.
Increasing lower-body strength reduces the risk of falls and injuries, which is especially important in aging populations. Better balance aids us in everyday activities like bending or reaching for something and walking over uneven surfaces.
Rectus femoris strength is associated with balance performance in athletes. One study showed that the quadriceps’ role increased with the intensity of the activity’s balance demands. Strengthening the legs with bodyweight quad exercises can enhance balance and sports performance.
Reduces Knee Pain
One of the primary jobs of the quadriceps is to move and stabilize the knee. Therefore, it is no surprise that there is a relationship between quadriceps weakness and knee pain. Cartilage loss in the knee is also linked to weak quads.
Increasing quad strength may reduce knee pain in some cases. Research shows building quadriceps strength helps manage patellofemoral pain syndrome (kneecap pain). Furthermore, improving quad strength was found to decrease knee pain in those with osteoarthritis.
Bodyweight exercises, like wall sits and lunges, target the quadriceps. They build muscular strength and endurance that may aid knee pain management.
Improves Functional Training
Bodyweight quad exercises are functional moves that translate to actions in daily life. Lunges and squats mimic movement patterns for simple tasks we do every day. Examples include lifting objects off a low surface, crouching to tie our shoes, or getting out of a chair.
Functional training improves strength, balance, and coordination, which reduces the risk of injury. This style of training aids in mobility and is particularly useful in preventing falls in older adults. Functional training was also found to benefit fitness and sports performance.
Expert Training Tips
To maximize muscle activation in bodyweight resistance training, use the mind-muscle connection. Actively focus on the muscles you are targeting and think about contracting the working muscle.
Another way to make your muscles work harder is to decrease your pace. Go through the exercise’s range of motion slowly and with control. Moving quickly decreases the work the muscle has to do because momentum assists the body in moving. Slow and deliberate movements stimulate muscle activation.
Conclusion
Bodyweight quad exercises are easy to add to your workout regime and can be done anywhere.
Try these seven quad exercises at home to gain lower body strength, power, and endurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Completing 10 sets of quad exercises per week is sufficient to build strength and hypertrophy. This is easily achieved by training your legs 2–3 days a week. Perform 2–3 quad exercises with 2–4 sets per exercise.
Building muscle requires progressive overload, incrementally increasing the stress placed on the muscle over time. Gradually increasing the difficulty of your quad workouts will continually challenge the muscles. This stimulates ongoing muscle growth.
Exercise guidelines indicate 2–3 days of resistance training with 2–3 days of recovery in between is ideal. Working the legs three days a week is an appropriate amount to get results without overtraining.
There isn’t one best hypertrophy quad exercise. Various effective exercises, like squats, lunges, and leg extensions, target the quads. The key factor is how the quads are trained.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
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About the Author
Tammy Hogan, PT, BA Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor
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