Many people don’t know much about the quadriceps. In fact, the quadriceps are the thigh muscles. There are many ways to exercise the quadriceps, but many people don’t know how to exercise the quadriceps. Of course, some people do. So, what are the four heads of the quadriceps? What are some quadriceps exercises? Let’s take a look below.
What are the four heads of the quadriceps?
What does the quadriceps refer to? The thigh muscles of the human body are located in front of our thigh muscles. If you want to make your thighs strong, the first thing to develop is the quadriceps, because the quadriceps are the largest and most powerful muscles in the human body. Generally speaking, It is said that friends who exercise regularly will never miss the exercise of this part of the muscles.
Quadriceps exercise method
1. Bare-handed squats
Instructions of action: 1. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, in a splayed shape. Place your hands on both sides of your body, with your palms on your thighs, straighten your back and tighten your abdomen. 2. Bend your knees and squat, imagine that there is a stool behind your buttocks to sit on, your elbows are attached to your knees (you can even raise your arms parallel to the ground), keep your knee joints no higher than your toes, squat as deep as you can, and stop for 5 seconds. Second. During the process, keep your arms straight and your back straight, and use your waist, abdomen and legs strength to control your body and squat slowly. 3. Push your thighs upward hard and return to the ready position. Note: 1. Squats are the trump card exercise for training thigh muscles. Squats with bare hands are the simplest and most suitable quadriceps exercise for novices. 2. Squat is an action in which the knee joint and hip joint work simultaneously (flexing the hips and knees to squat down at the same time, extending the hips and knees to stand up at the same time). 3. Beginners should start training with bare hands to master the correct movement patterns, and then transition to weight-bearing training and use dumbbells and barbells to train.
2. Supine leg press
Instructions of action: 1. Sit on the leg press, place your hips against the inclined pad, and place your feet shoulder-width apart The distance is on the foot platform. Grasp the handle and apply pressure from your heels to release the safety catch. Your knees should be slightly bent at the beginning of the movement. 2. Inhale and slowly lower the weight until the knee joint reaches 90 degrees and stop. Pause, then forcefully press the weight up through your heels to return to the starting position, exhaling as you press past the midpoint of the movement. Note: 1. This action is a classic action for concentrated training of the quadriceps, especially the medial head, followed by the lateral head. 2. Supine angleGenerally not less than 45 degrees. 3. During exercise, do not push your knees to use force or cross your arms in front of your chest to limit the distance of the movement.
3. Dumbbell squats
Instructions for action: 1. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, hold the dumbbells in both hands and let them hang naturally, straighten your back and tighten your abdomen. 2. Bend your knees and squat. The action is similar to squatting with bare hands, except that you hold the dumbbells in your hands and hang them by your sides. When you reach your maximum squat, pause for 5 seconds. 3. Push your thighs up hard and return to the ready position. Note: 1. During the movement, always keep the angle between the spine and the horizontal plane not less than 45 degrees, so that the stimulation of the quadriceps muscles can be effective. 2. During the movement, always keep the natural curvature of the back, keep the spine neutral, and do not bend the back.
4. Barbell Squat
Action essentials: 1. Raise your head, straighten your chest, straighten your back and straighten your back; after contracting your scapulae, place the bar on the bulging trapezius and deltoid muscles , can be padded with sponges, towels and other cushioning materials; raise your arms sideways and hold the bar with both hands for stability; the distance between your feet is generally the same as shoulder width. 2. After getting into the ready position, take a deep breath while slowly bending your knees to control the squat. When squatting, the direction of the knee joint is in the same direction as the toes. Squat until the thigh is parallel to the ground or slightly lower than the knee. 3. Squat down to the lowest position and hold for 1-2 seconds, and then squat back up. There is an obvious time effect after the muscle is stretched. The longer the time, the more the muscle strength decreases. Pause for 2 seconds and squat. 4. At this stage, focus on exerting force on the legs and exhaling at the same time; lift the head and imagine kicking the legs so that the head can be pushed upwards, instead of lifting the buttocks first and then straightening the waist; keep the center of gravity stable throughout the squatting process, and keep the feet Unable to move; after the body is upright, continue to exert force on the quadriceps to keep the knee joint hyperextended for 1-2 seconds. Note: 1. Barbell squats are a common exercise in the gym to exercise the quadriceps muscles of the legs. 2. The angle of the soles of the feet: This also varies from person to person. Generally speaking, it is best to point the toes forward. However, abduction of the soles of the feet can make you squat deeper and squat heavier. It is recommended that the abduction should not exceed three feet. Ten degrees.
5. Lunge
Action essentials: 1. Stand naturally, put your hands on your hips or on top of your head, look forward, tuck your chin slightly, tighten your abdomen, and keep your trunk upright. . 2. Take a step back with your left foot, keeping your right foot and knee in a straight line. 3. Bend your right leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground. 4. Maintain the above position for 2 seconds, then slowly rise back to the initial position, repeat this 15 times, and then change legs. Note: 1. During this process, the body must always remain upright without any shaking to be considered perfect. 2. When practicing lunges, the quadriceps muscles can be well stimulated when squatting, and regular practice can give them a good workout. 3. If you want to increase the difficulty, you can do dumbbell or barbell lunges.