Your quadriceps and hamstrings are the largest muscle groups in your legs. Your quadriceps consist of four different muscles: the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius. Your hamstrings are made up of only three muscles: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. You can work these muscles with exercises that target the specific muscle groups or use compound exercises that work both muscle groups at once. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each quadriceps and hamstring exercise on three nonconsecutive days a week.
Leg Extension
Leg extensions are the best exercise for isolating your quadriceps muscles. This exercise helps develop the strength that beginners need to move on to more difficult exercises. Sit at a leg extension machine and grasp the handles or the bottom of the seat to keep your torso immobile. Bend your knees and place your shins and ankles beneath the roller pads. Press your shins into the pads to raise your legs to horizontal, and then carefully lower back to the starting position.
Leg Curl
Leg curls can be performed lying, standing or sitting depending on the type of machine you choose. This exercise works the hamstring group and the gastrocnemius muscle of the calf. Lie face-down on the machine with your legs extended and your ankles positioned under the roller pads. Grasp the handles to stabilize your torso. Press the back of your ankles into the pads to bend both legs at the same time, trying to touch your gluteal muscles with both heels. Pause here, and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Barbell Squat
This compound movement exercise works many muscle groups at once, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, back and gluteal muscles. Place a barbell on a squat rack so that it is just below shoulder-height. Slide under the bar, positioning it across your upper back and shoulders, and hold it in place with an overhand grip. Stabilize your back muscles and contract your abdominal muscles. Maintain these contractions and lift the bar off the rack, taking a couple of steps away from the rack. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend forward from the hips slightly while bending your knees to lower into a squat. Continue down until your thighs are horizontal, and then press through your heels to return to the upright standing position.
Forward Lunge
The forward lunge is another compound exercise that works your quadriceps and hamstrings simultaneously. You can add weight to this exercise to increase the intensity and strengthen your legs even more. Begin with your feet slightly apart, and then contract your abdominal muscles and stabilize your spine. Take a large step forward with your right foot and slowly drop your hips toward the floor to lunge into your right leg. Lower down until your right thigh becomes parallel with the floor, and then push through the heel of your front leg to step forward and return to the standing position. Repeat the exercise with your left leg.
References
- "Anatomy & Physiology, Second Edition"; Elaine N. Marieb; 2005
- "Strength Training Anatomy, Second Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2006
- American Council on Exercise: Forward Lunge
Member Comments