20 Quad Exercises That Will Seriously Work the Top of Your Legs
.jpg)
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If you’re strength training regularly, there’s a good chance you’re already working your legs to some extent. Adding a few dedicated quad exercises to the mix, though, can ensure you’re maximizing this major muscle group. And that can really make a difference in your lower-body strength—which will benefit you in more ways than you may think.
That’s because the quads are kind of a big deal. You use these muscles, which are located in your upper thighs, pretty much every time you do any full-body movement. Walking, running, biking, squatting, lunging, climbing stairs, even just getting in and out of a chair—your quads have to fire to make it all happen. So, giving these muscles a little extra attention can help you move throughout life (and your workouts) more efficiently and comfortably.
Fortunately, there are tons of quad-strengthening exercises out there, including basic moves that you can do at home without weights and some more advanced ones that can build serious muscle. Read on for everything you need to know.
What are the quadriceps muscles, and what do they do?
Your quads (technically known as quadriceps femoris) are a group of muscles in the front of your thighs, Ava Fagin, CSCS, assistant director of sports performance at Cleveland State University, tells SELF. They’re called quadriceps because they include four different muscles: the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.
Together, your quad muscles are the primary drivers of knee extension, which is what’s happening when you straighten your leg—say, when you kick a ball. (If you have achy knees, weak quads could be a contributing factor, since they also support that joint, as SELF has previously reported.) The quads also play a big role in hip flexion, or when you bring your leg up toward your chest, Fagin explains (like when you pedal on a bike).
Your quads can weaken if you spend a ton of time sitting and otherwise don’t challenge them through regular strength work. But in general, most people tend to overuse their quads and underuse their glutes, says Fagin, simply as a result of typical daily movements: We’re usually moving forward, which uses the front of the legs more than the back. So while it’s important to address weak quads with strengthening exercises, just make sure you’re also spending some time training the back of your legs, including your glutes and hamstrings. (Because #balance.)
What’s the best way to strengthen your quads?
Pretty much any exercise that involves bending your knee will target your quads, says Fagin. If you’re a beginner, sticking to bodyweight leg exercises can be challenging enough, she says. But if you’re a more advanced exerciser, you’ll need to add external resistance like free weights—dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells are all great options—to really build strength.
When it comes to the best quad-strengthening exercises, both squats and lunges are high up there on the list, says Fagin. That’s because they involve both knee extension and hip flexion. They’re also easy to do both in the gym or at home with minimal equipment.
But you certainly can strengthen your quads without squats if you’re not a huge fan of them: There are plenty of other exercises you can do to target that area, including the lunge, step-up, leg extension, and leg press. Keep in mind, there are also many variations of these—like walking lunges, kneeling leg extensions, step-ups to knee drive—so you don’t need to do the same leg exercises every single workout. (On that note, there are also lots of different squat variations too, so you may find that you’re into some and not others.)
How do quad exercises fit into a fitness routine?
Since most exercises that target the quads also hit other lower-body muscles—like the hamstrings and glutes—you can plan to work this area during a full-body strength routine or on lower-body day (if you choose to split your workouts).
If your goal is to build significant strength, the general rule of thumb is to use a weight you can lift for about six reps per set with proper form, as SELF previously reported, and to shoot for three to five sets of each exercise. If you’re relatively new to lifting or are just interested in the general health benefits of strength training, you can aim for 6 to 12 reps and one to three sets, choosing a weight that’s appropriate for that.
If you’re able to do way more reps and sets than these recommended ranges, that’s a sign you may need to increase the difficulty of your quad exercises. Adding more weight is an easy way to crank up the intensity of a leg workout, but there are other options available if you are strength training at home and don’t have access to tons of different weights. In that case, you can make your quad exercises harder by increasing your range of motion, slowing down, and incorporating more single-leg work to add an extra balance challenge.
Before we get into our list of must-try moves, a quick caveat: While strengthening those muscles can help support your knees, if you are dealing with actual knee pain, chat with a doctor or physical therapist first before trying the following movements. They can advise you whether quad-strengthening exercises like the ones below are right for you.
Now, without further ado, here are 20 great quad exercises that you can add to your routine for stronger legs.
Katie ThompsonGoblet Squat
- Stand with your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of you so it hangs vertically.
- Engage your core and keep your chest lifted and back flat as you shift your weight into your heels, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower into a squat.
- Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep.
It may sound counterintuitive, but this weighted squat variation is actually an ideal exercise for beginners, since the specific way you hold the load can help with proper squat form and achieve a greater range of motion.
Katie ThompsonBulgarian Split Squat
- Stand with your back to your step or bench. With your right foot on the floor a few feet in front of the bench, place the top of your left foot on the bench, shoelaces down.
- Place your hands behind your head and engage your core. (If it feels more comfortable, you can also clasp your hands in front of your chest as pictured or place them on your hips.)
- Bend your knees to lower down into a split squat. Your right knee should ideally form a 90-degree angle so that your thigh is parallel to the ground, and your left knee is hovering above the floor.
- Driving through your right heel, stand back up to starting position. This is 1 rep.
Also known as a rear foot elevated split squat, this advanced squat variation really works your quads as well as your glutes and core. Make it harder by holding dumbbells at your sides.
.gif)
Kelsey McClellanEccentric Squat
- Start with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hands clasped at chest height. (You can also hold a dumbbell in front of your chest or two racked on your shoulders for an extra challenge.)
- Over the course of three seconds, slowly lower into a squat by sending your hips back and bending both knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then press through your heels to quickly return to standing. The longer you pause at the bottom, the harder it will be. That’s 1 rep.
This move emphasizes the eccentric part of a squat (the downward movement), which is when your quad muscles lengthen under load. Eccentric training is one way to amp up the difficulty of a move without adding weight.
Katie ThompsonKneeling Leg Extension
- Get into a kneeling position with your knees hip-distance apart, torso tall, core and legs engaged, and hands on your hips. This is the starting position.
- Keeping a flat back and hips extended, slowly tip your torso backwards until your butt is a few inches away from your heels. Pause, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
This bodyweight move requires you to raise and lower your torso using primarily just the strength of your quads.
Katie ThompsonStep-Up
- Stand in front of a sturdy box or step, hands at your sides and feet hip-width apart.
- Step onto your box with your left foot, then follow with your right foot. Pause for a moment when both feet are on top of the box, hip-width apart.
- With control, return your left foot to the floor, then step your right foot to the floor to return to your starting position. This is 1 rep.
Step-ups primarily target your glutes, but they also engage your quads because the movement incorporates both knee extension and hip flexion, explains Fagin.
Katie ThompsonJump Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out slightly. Clasp your hands in front of your chest. This is starting position.
- Bend your knees, hinge forward at your hips, and push your butt back to lower into a squat. Keep your chest lifted, core engaged, and back flat.
- Push through your heels and jump up, bringing your arms down for momentum. Land with your feet in the starting position and lower immediately into the next squat.
This plyometric squat variation challenges your quads and glutes and trains explosive power.
Katie ThomsponForward Lunge
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and core engaged.
- Step forward with your right foot and bend both knees to 90 degrees to sink into a lunge.
- Push off your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. This is 1 rep.
Like we mentioned, a lunge is one of the best moves you can do to target your quads. The forward lunge variation tends to work the quads a little more than the glutes, compared to the reverse lunge.
Katie ThompsonWalking Lunge
- Stand with both feet together, hands clasped at your chest. (To make it harder, you can hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides.)
- Step forward (about two feet) with your right foot into a lunge, and plant it firmly on the floor.
- Bend both knees to create two 90-degree angles with your legs. Your chest should be upright and your torso should be slightly forward so that your back is flat and not arched or rounded forward. Your right quad should be parallel to the floor and your right knee should be above your right foot. Your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through your right foot as you lift your left leg, stepping forward in a lunge with your left foot in front. This is 1 rep.
The walking lunge is a more dynamic variation of the classic stationary lunge. Since you’re moving, you’ll also work on balance and core stability.
Katie ThompsonBox Jump
- Stand about a foot from a box or sturdy step on the balls of your feet with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees to lower into a squat and extend your arms straight behind you.
- Swing your arms forward and press through both feet to jump up on top of the box.
- Land with both feet fully on the box, hip-width apart, knees soft.
- Stand up, then step down one foot at a time to start another rep.
This plyometric movement can help you develop lower-body power, including in your quads. It’s an advanced move, so make sure you’ve nailed proper form for the arm swing and landing stance on the floor before you try it on a box, NASM-certified personal trainer Keith Hodges, CPT, founder of Mind in Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles, previously told SELF.
Katie ThompsonWide Squat to Narrow Squat
- Hold a dumbbell by both ends horizontally at chest-level and stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged.
- From this more narrow stance, do a squat by sending your hips back and bending both knees. It’s okay if this squat is not as deep as your other squats typically are.
- Return to a standing position. Now step out wide to the right with your right foot.
- Squat again by sending your hips back with your feet wide apart. You may find it comfortable to adjust your toes by turning them out slightly.
- Stand and return to your starting position, and do a narrow squat again.
- On your next wide squat, step out wide with your left foot.
- Continue to alternate the foot you step out with for your wide squats.
In a narrow stance squat, you rely on your quads to do most of the work, Sarah Otey, CPT, a registered yoga teacher, previously told SELF. This exercise alternates between narrow stance squats and wide stance squats, which target more of your backside muscles.
Katie ThompsonLateral Lunge
- Stand with your feet together and hands either on your hips or clasped at chest height. (To make this harder, you can hold dumbbells racked at your shoulders.)
- Take a big step out to the right with your right foot. Hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and bend your right knee to lower into a lunge.
- Pause for a second, and then push off your right foot to return to the starting position.
This lunge variation, which involves side-to-side movement, targets your quads as well as your butt, hamstrings, core, and inner thighs.
Katie ThompsonSplit Squat
- With your feet underneath your shoulders and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, step your left foot forward as if you were doing a forward lunge; keep your left heel firmly planted. This is the starting position. (You can also do it with just your bodyweight to make the exercise easier.)
- Bend both knees to create 90-degree angles with your legs. Your chest should be upright and your torso should be slightly forward so that your back is flat and not arched or rounded forward. Your left quad should be parallel to the floor and your left knee should be above your right foot. Your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through your left foot to return to the starting position.
This squat variation is extra challenging thanks to the addition of dumbbells and the emphasis on single-leg strength. Because your feet are planted, though, there’s less of a balance challenge than you get from a lunge.
Katie ThompsonReverse Lunge to Knee-Up Jump
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and engage your core.
- Step backward with your right foot, landing on the ball of your right foot and keeping your right heel off the ground.
- Bend both knees to 90 degrees as you sink into a lunge. Swing your right arm forward, elbow bent, and your left arm slightly back, elbow bent. Focus on keeping your core engaged and your hips tucked (don’t stick your butt out).
- Push through your left foot to jump up as high as possible, driving your right knee toward your chest.
- Land softly on your left foot and then immediately sink back into another lunge. That’s 1 rep.
This move is a plyometric version of the reverse lunge. It works the major muscle groups in your lower half—including your quads, glutes, and calves—and trains speed and power, thanks to the jump at the end.
Katie ThompsonSingle-Leg Squat to Chair
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other, with your back facing a sturdy chair. Clasp your hands together to make a fist and hold in front of your chest. Your back heel should be close to the chair legs. This is the starting position.
- Brace your core, shift your weight into your back heel, push your hips back, and bend your back knee to lower into a squat. As you lower your butt to the chair, straighten your front leg and raise it in the air. Touch your butt in the chair and sit down.
- Pause at the bottom of the squat, and drive through your heel to stand, squeezing your glute at the top. This is 1 rep.
Focusing on one leg at a time lets you work on balance and stability, and can even help you discover any strength imbalances you have between your two sides. Added bonus: You'll work on ankle stability, too.
Katie ThompsonSumo Squat
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out about 45 degrees. Hold a kettlebell by the horns with both hands. (You can also do this with a dumbbell.) This is the starting position.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back as you lower down into a squat.
- Drive through your heels to return to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top. That’s 1 rep.
The sumo squat works your quads as well as your glutes and inner thigh muscles. Think about pressing your knees slightly out to prevent them from caving in. If you want to do this with a dumbbell, you can hold it horizontally at arm’s length in front of your body.
Katie ThompsonCurtsy Lunge
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips or clasped together in front of your chest. This is the starting position.
- Step your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee until it almost touches the floor. Your front knee should bend to about 90 degrees.
- Drive through your left heel to stand back up and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. This is 1 rep. Continue alternating.
Like other lunge variations, the curtsy lunge targets all of the major muscles in the lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. It also activates the smaller muscles that stabilize your hips—the ones in the inner and outer thighs—and your core.
Katie ThompsonBarbell Front Squat
- To set up for the front squat, stand directly underneath the bar, with your feet parallel and the bar resting on your collarbone and gently pressing against your throat.
- Grab the bar with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, elbows bent and facing forward, palms facing up and your fingers by your body.
- Stand up tall and walk yourself backward and away from the squat rack. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and turn your feet out a little, 20 to 30 degrees.
- Then, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, pushing your knees slightly out to the sides. Only squat as deeply as your mobility allows.
- Push through both feet to stand back up. That's 1 rep.
Perhaps one of the most well-known quad exercises, the barbell front squat targets the front of the legs more than the barbell back squat, because that’s where the majority of the load is resting—though the latter still involves the quads! A barbell also makes it easy to add more resistance as you get stronger, since you won’t be limited to how much weight you can squat based on how much you can hold in your hands (like with a dumbbell). Just make sure you have proper form down pat first.
Katie ThompsonWall Sit
- Stand with your back against a wall or door frame and engage your abs to push your lower back against the wall.
- Walk your feet out until you lower enough that your knees are bent to 90 degrees, your thighs are parallel to the floor, and your back is still completely pressed against the wall.
- Hold this position with your core engaged. Your hands can rest on your thighs or you can place your hands on your hips. For more of a challenge, extend your arms straight forward at chest height, making sure to keep your shoulders pressed down. You can also hold dumbbells or a weight plate.
- Hold for 15 to 20 seconds.
Think of a wall sit as simply hanging out in the hardest part of a squat. Unsurprisingly, that’s great for strengthening your quads. The move can even help beginner exercisers learn how it feels to activate that muscle group properly.
Katie ThompsonSplit Squat Jump
- With your feet underneath your shoulders and hands at your sides, step your left foot forward as if you were doing a forward lunge; keep your left heel firmly planted.
- Bend both knees to create 90-degree angles with your legs. Your chest should be upright and your torso should be slightly forward so that your back is flat and not arched or rounded forward. Your left quad should be parallel to the floor and your left knee should be above your right foot. Your butt and core should be engaged. This is the split squat position.
- Push through your left foot to jump as high in the air as possible, bringing your arms together in front of your chest. Land softly and immediately sink back into the split squat position. That’s 1 rep.
You’ll really feel the burn in your quads with this split squat variation that gets you moving quickly and explosively. The bonus cardio work is a nice added touch too.
Katie ThompsonSeated Leg Extension
- Sit on the seat of a sturdy chair with your torso upright and your back up against the back of the chair. This is starting position. To make this more challenging, you can wrap an ankle weight around the working ankle.
- Engage the muscle in your right quad and raise your right leg until it is extended straight in front of you. Pause at the top.
- Slowly and with control lower your right leg back to starting position.
This move works your quads similarly to the leg extension machine at the gym—but all you need is a chair, and added weight if you need more of a challenge.
Demoing the moves are Francine Delgado-Lugo (GIFs 1, 11); cofounder of FORM Fitness Brooklyn; Alex Orr (GIFs 2, 8), a non-diet NASM-certified personal trainer and CNC, and host of The Birdie and the Bees podcast; Nathalie Huerta (GIF 3), coach at the Queer Gym in Oakland; Nikki Pebbles (GIFs 4, 18, 20), a special populations personal trainer in New York City; Amanda Wheeler (GIFs 5, 7), host of the Covering Ground podcast; Gail Barranda Rivas (GIFs 6, 12, 15), a certified group fitness instructor, functional strength coach, and Pilates and yoga instructor; Jowan Ortega (GIFs 9, 13, 16, 19), a personal trainer, sports performance coach, and partner at Form Fitness in Brooklyn; Amanda Gilliam (GIF 17), a super-heavyweight athlete competing in both open and masters divisions of Olympic weightlifting; and LaToneya Burwell (GIF 10), a New York City native, powerlifter, and strongwoman.
Related:
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
