# Quadracep muscles



## jfarnsworth (Feb 1, 2003)

What exercises do you preform to give a good quad. work out? I use leg extensions, then leg presses, move on to squats. After that I usually finish the workout with walking lunges. Usually I warm up with some time on the stairmaster and cool down on there as well.


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## muayThaiPerson (Feb 1, 2003)

RUNNING IS THE BEST. In my opinion, running is the only way to work out the entire leg without imbalance. Machines work out certain muscles (obviously). also swimming is good


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## white belt (Feb 2, 2003)

HINDU SQUATS!

white belt


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## Elfan (Feb 2, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> * I use leg extensions, then leg presses, move on to squats. After that I usually finish the workout with walking lunges. *



Leg extensions, leg presses, squats AND lunges? Can you even walk for the rest of the week?


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## white belt (Feb 2, 2003)

HINDU SQUATS WITH A WEIGHTED VEST.

white belt

p.s.
The Hindu Squats have helped repair my Judo related knee injuries.  Had an ACL reconstruction and Meniscus repairs.  My knees were irritable after that.  The Hindu Squats have slowly given me back full function.


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## Jill666 (Feb 2, 2003)

I try to do weighted squats religiously- and I hate every single one of them. Grrr. Lunges, machines. I tend not to use the stairmaster 'cuz I overdo it on that thing.

I find a good hamstring conditioning routine is harder to come up with- suggestions welcome.


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## jfarnsworth (Feb 3, 2003)

I'll put up a hamstring thread in the next couple of days. Unfortuantely I was gone all of yesterday.


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## jfarnsworth (Feb 6, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Elfan _
> *Leg extensions, leg presses, squats AND lunges? Can you even walk for the rest of the week? *



Only sore for a couple of days anyhow. If you do 3 sets of each your only looking at a total of 12 sets. A couple of leg ext. warm ups then only 14 sets total. Going 8 -10 sets each set that's really not a whole lot.


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## bahenlaura (Feb 11, 2003)

You may want to give pistols a try!

extend one leg parallel to the ground. grap your toes. now bend the knee of the leg that you are standing on and try to go down as far as possible without bending forward too much.
put a chair behind you and do the same thing and try to sit on the chair and then get up.
3 sets of 10 on each site 3 times a week till you get the hang of it. when you get real good at it and can go down to the floor. hold a dumble 25 to 50 pounder in your arms close to your chest and try to do the same drills again. 
you soon find out that your kicks have got a new zing to them.
burt.


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## jfarnsworth (Feb 13, 2003)

Another good idea. It sounds like it'll really burn.


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## RCastillo (Feb 13, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *I'll put up a hamstring thread in the next couple of days. Unfortuantely I was gone all of yesterday. *



Just don't go near the gluts. I'm getting ill.:barf: 

HIT THE KENPO!


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## jfarnsworth (Feb 14, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RCastillo _
> *Just don't go near the gluts. I'm getting ill*




Ahem. 
Squats, lunges, & stiff leg deadlifts.


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## jfarnsworth (Aug 8, 2004)

Thought I would revive this a little for the newer people. I would some various ways to building the quad. and hamstring together. Since I like to mold my workouts around circuit training but still keep the superset principle. One series I put together was doing these lifts one right after the other
Squats
Leg extensions
Stiff leg deadlifts
Leg curls
After one set the legs are burning. I also found (for me personally) putting squats and leg presses immediately after one another is extremely tough on the quad. muscle.


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## Cruentus (Aug 8, 2004)

Squats need to be the "core" of your quad workout, unless you have an injury of some kind. That's my opinion.

Jeff, your workout sounds like a good one.

For an increase in size, a good one to try is an all squat workout for the quads. You want to keep things different, so this one  might be a goods one to do for a month or two. Pyramid, or increase the weight for each time the "reps" decrease, decrease weight for each time "reps" increase. It's 12 sets, not including the warm-up. Recommendation...don't climb stairs for a few days after... :ultracool 

Regular position squats:
Warmup
20 reps
10 reps
6-8 reps
4-6 reps
10 reps

Wide leg/knee's out:
6-8 reps
6-8 reps
10 reps

Knee's closed together with a 25 pound plate under your heels:

6-8 reps
6-8 reps
10 reps

One last set, manual squats with bar and no weight,legs in regular squat position, and do as many reps as possible.


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## TigerWoman (Aug 8, 2004)

What are Hindu squats?

Aren't squats, lunges bad for the knees?  Everything I've heard so far is that your knee shouldn't go over your toes. ??

Quad workout:

Standing position, bring knees to chest 300 times. If that is too easy, then do it with jumping knees to chest. (hard on knees though)

I do squats on a wall, actually slide down on my arms in back and go backup on my own. (also for hamstrings)

Axe kicks. after doing continuously front leg front kicks, then round kicks 50-100 each leg. Then same leg continuously to axe kicks to head level. 100

Some running, knees hurt though but great for quads, especially up hills.

Lunges we do all the time in form. Too easy. Maybe transfer lunges, going from one side to 180° other side without putting your foot down. TKD white belt form.  Alot of those though do burn.

VM quad muscle workout:  (inner knee to groin) on back lifting one leg at a time in a V, foot toe turned out, hold for ten seconds.  Good for knees.  This muscle is seldom used as much as the others and the other three can "overpower" it and cause knee problems if this is not worked out and as strong as the other three.


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## shesulsa (Aug 8, 2004)

I would like to know what Hindu Squats are as well, since I also had ACL and meniscus surgery.

 Thanks


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## TigerWoman (Aug 8, 2004)

I found a description on the web of hindu squats:

http://www.stadion.com/column_stretch22.html

TW


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## shesulsa (Aug 8, 2004)

Yeah, Here is a photo series demonstrating Hindu Squats.  The same page demonstrates Hindu push-ups.  We call them tiger push-ups and I saw on another thread sometime back someone else called them something different still.

 I guess you can do these hindu squats with both legs or one leg.  kewl.


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## hardheadjarhead (Aug 8, 2004)

I'm recovering from ACL reconstruction, so I'm not up to doing everything I used to do.

But, when healthy, I do seated leg press as a core workout.  Not a cable machine, but the kind you load with 45 pound plates.  This spares my back, and I can load a lot of weight on there if I'm in the mood.  Squats are out for me.

I do seated leg extensions (and hamstring curls to offset them), and these have to be the most hideously painful exercise I've ever done.  The burn always...ALWAYS comes after I finish the set.  Never during..._after_.  It kills me.  Its like somebody has injected carbolic acid into my thighs.  Its all I can do to keep from losing my composure.  I hate it, I love it.

I've found, though, that the leg press is enough for the most part.  The other stuff is extra.  If I do it all in one day, it fatigues me beyond reason.  

------

Shesulsa...you might check with your physical therapist before doing those Hindu Squats.  It looks like that really loads the knee.

Regards,


Steve


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## shesulsa (Aug 8, 2004)

Steve,

 What kind of reconstruction did you have?  I had the mid-line where the surgeon takes a bone chip from the patella, peels down a donor from the patellar tendon on down to the tibia including a bone chip from the tibia, then drills new host holes in the femur and tibia and screws the bone chips in with titanium screws.  I have a not-so-sexy scar going down the front of my knee, but I was told it's the closest to the real thing and the strongest fix available.

 Another guy in my class got the hamstring tendon donation method.  He's already back working out, but I think he's pushing it.  My surgery was 18 months ago, so the implant has had time to mature and grow it's own blood supply.  My knee never felt better.


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## hardheadjarhead (Aug 9, 2004)

Shesulsa,

Got the same graft as you, and I'm about two months out.  

There is some swelling and stiffness, but the thigh muscles are coming back.  I have to be veeery careful, as I tend to do stupid things when I get to feeling better.

I almost blew it in Washington a couple of weeks ago.  This kid was setting me up to pick my pocket (did a pat check of my back pocket), and I was looking at him over my shoulder as I exited the train.  Hit a slick spot and almost went down.  I lit it up a bit, but nothing serious.  Oh...and the kid didn't go for the wallet. 

I also got cellulitis a week after the surgery, which put me down for a week longer than anticipated.  That stuff hurts.

Other than that, all is well.

I'd post pictures of my leg with the staples and all, but people would probably get grossed out by the bruising, and Bob would yell at me or something.

Regards,


Steve


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## shesulsa (Aug 9, 2004)

I slipped a couple of times too - ouch!  Gets yer heart a-poundin' when you just slapped down a good 10 grand plus on reconstruction surgery, doesn't it?

 I was told to plan for a year's time for full recovery.  I did my PT, I did a lot of stuff except for standed twisting and really learned how to turn from my hip.  I felt really good after about 6 months, by my surgeon told me to keep my training reigned in for another 5 to 6 months.  So my jumping jacks were one-legged, my kicks were all with my surgery leg and very gentle - all kicks I did with my other leg were all standing kicks, no reverse kicks and all mostly for accuracy than power.

 I slowly added weight to my leg in jumping jacks starting at about 10 months.  I'm good to go for 100+ jacks now.

 A good friend of mine who is a big soccer player had three ACL reconstructions - two on the same leg, of course.  After her first surgery, she went back full boar in 6 months because it felt so much better.  She ripped it out again and had to have it reconstructed a second time.  So she really got on me about holding my return to full training back for the whole year.


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## shesulsa (Aug 9, 2004)

We could also point out that the vastus internus region of the quadriceps is often found to be underdeveloped in women and the imbalance between the vastus internus and the vastus externus often leads to structural imbalance and stress on the female knee.  Generally, one could say the sartorius is also likely weak as well.

 This is often the result of the "Keep your legs together" law women live by.  Rather than using the adductors, it is easier to tip the pelvis back, thus increasing the lordic curve of the lumbar spine (swayback) and squeezing the knees together.

 So many damaging things can happen with this misalignment.

 Women can increase the strength of the sartorius and vastus internus by doing single-leg dips.  In dance, it's more like a plie on one leg - but be sure the spine is straight - tuck the pelvis back into place.  And when you sit and need to keep your legs together, focus on keeping the thighs together, not the knees so much.  This will engage your adductors, gluteal muscles and your interior hams.

 Just a suggestion.


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## hardheadjarhead (Aug 9, 2004)

Good advice.  I'll keep it in mind.

One of the reasons I think they hold you back is because they want the patellar tendon to heal.  If that things rips out, you're in trouble.  They can fix it, but I've heard from a cop who had it done that it isn't the same again.

Debbi Purcell, the NHB fighter, blew out her graft about three months out.  She went to watch a match and started horseplaying with a friend.  Had to have it done alllll over again.  

I went nuts from the immobility.  I didn't get bored...I got restless.  I also spent a lot of time on MT, as many might have noted. 


Regards,


Steve


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## jfarnsworth (Aug 9, 2004)

She-Sulsa I found that to be the case for me as well. The inner quad just doesn't get worked hard enough. I started to incorporate a cross leg extension (lack of a better term) at least that's what I call it. Basically like a thrusting sweep kick but with an anklet attached to a cable. Since I don't have the adductor machine or abductor then I must improvise. This morning's session was a leg workout where I put squats and leg presses together but then inbetween the leg extension and leg curl I would use this cross leg extension. It seems to fit well there. My right knee especially hurts right on the inner lower part (don't know the proper term) and this movement helps my knee not hurt knee as bad.


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## shesulsa (Aug 9, 2004)

I currently don't have access to a gym nor a weight-resistance machine of any kind, so I try to use posturing and weight-bearing exercises to do what I need.  Sounds like you have a good improvisation, though.


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## shesulsa (Aug 9, 2004)

hardheadjarhead said:
			
		

> Good advice.  I'll keep it in mind.
> 
> One of the reasons I think they hold you back is because they want the patellar tendon to heal. If that things rips out, you're in trouble. They can fix it, but I've heard from a cop who had it done that it isn't the same again.


 Yes - that and the fact that the graft doesn't grow it's own blood supply until the latter part of the first year (around 7-10 months).  Then the graft can mature and function the way it's intended and can draw nutrients as needed to do so.



			
				hardheadjarhead said:
			
		

> I went nuts from the immobility. I didn't get bored...I got restless. I also spent a lot of time on MT, as many might have noted.


 And thank goodness you did!  You're an intelligent guy and I always learn from your posts.  Thank you!


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## shesulsa (Aug 9, 2004)

jfarnsworth said:
			
		

> Since I don't have the adductor machine or abductor then I must improvise.


 I honestly have never gotten the results I desired from those machines.  I was much more pleased with the results posturing gave, really.


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## hardheadjarhead (Aug 9, 2004)

shesulsa said:
			
		

> And thank goodness you did!  You're an intelligent guy and I always learn from your posts.  Thank you!




Aw...shucks (blushing)...



Regards,


Steve


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## The Kai (Aug 10, 2004)

Had ACL reconstruction about 6 yrs back.  Took a little over a year to get back, so of it was a confidence issue.  Looking back I should have had the injury operated on yrs ago!

In addition to kicking routines I do ton of body weight exercises.  Step ups, Lunges , Squats (keeping the weight on the heel, to work the quads and not damage the knee) Hindu Squats and stance exercises
Take your time coming back, and take glusasanim


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Aug 10, 2004)

Squat heavy.  Bring a bucket for hurl, and a gallon of water to keep your fluid pressures level as the blood drains to the larger muscles under construction.


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## loki09789 (Aug 10, 2004)

I tend to stay with 'closed chain' and multiple joint/'compound' exercises like the squats that KK is referring to in his post.  The idea is to emphasis balance in the development of the lower body unit or symetry.  I know too many people who have over trained quads or calves only to get blown out knees, torn hammies or shin splits because of the imbalance.

I have played around with 'pre-exhaustion' and 'core sequencing' for different purposes, but either way it is really about balancing and organizing your lower body exercises well.

Lately, I have been taking this "Body Flex" class (similiar to a Reabok "Pump" class) which is set up like a group free wt class.  It seems to appeal more towards women (so I kind of feel out of place, but oh well) but it is GREAT and I highly recommend it to anyone out there.  Order of exercises, form, tempo... all reinforced by a certified instructor.  I knew the instructor from teaching and she asked me how I liked the class.  I told her that every guy in the free wt. room should take at least one to emphasis form and solid movement over 'plate slinging'....


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## jfarnsworth (Aug 10, 2004)

The Kai said:
			
		

> ...Squats (keeping the weight on the heel, to work the quads and not damage the knee) Hindu Squats and stance exercises


I really like to use a smith machine for my squats. Instead of using the free weight barbell it tore my knee up. By using the smith machine I bring my feet to shoulder width or a little less (12" or less) as well as move my feet slightly more forward. It has worked well for me and also keeps the quads under stress the entire time. This morning I was told they purchased an abductor/adductor machine. I'll give that a try and see how it works.


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## gumo9 (Sep 4, 2004)

Hey, I've had ACL reconstruction too... maybe we should start our own club !!!

There's some really good workout suggestions here as well but no one has montioned using a stability ball yet for exercising the quads - you can do some really good work with this piece of equipment and improve your core muscles in the process.

The imbalances between the inner and outer muscles of the quads (vastus lateralis and vastus medialis) are quite common for people who do loads of squats and is known as Painful Patella Syndrome or Chondromalacia Patella.

This is because the outer muscle (vastus lateralis) naturally develops quicker than the inner muscle (vastus medialis) thereby causing tracking problems with the good ol' kneecap. To correct this, do leg extensions using the upper 30 degrees of your range of movement as this is where vastus medialis kicks in. This should therefore balance up the muscles and correct the tracking of the knee.

seeya

Graham
Manchester, UK


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