5 Best Quadricep Exercises for Beginners

The quadriceps or quads are a group of muscles in the front of your thigh. They're a relatively large muscle group and are responsible for movements like walking, running, jumping, kicking etc.

Strengthening your quads is important not just for aesthetics but also to improve strength and various everyday movements.

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Best Quadriceps Exercises

Here are five best exercises to strengthen your quadriceps. These exercises also strengthen other muscles in the leg to improve the body's overall movement and performance. Let's get started:

#1 Squat

Here's how it's done:

• Stand straight with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Pushing your hips back, drive your knees forward, and squat towards the ground till your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Push yourself back up to the starting position, and squeeze your glutes.
• Perform 12 to 15 reps.

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#2 Barbell Deadlift

It's done as follows:

• Stand in front of the barbell on the floor.
• Hinge forward at your hip, with a slight bend in your knee. Keeping your back straight, grip the barbell in both hands.
• Push the ground away with your legs, and straighten yourself, tucking your hips forward once you’ve stood up.
• Hinge forward in the same manner, and touch the barbell to the floor again.
• Perform 12 to 15 reps.

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#3 Reverse Lunge

Here's how it's done:

• Stand straight with your feet together.
• Take a step back with your right leg, and drive your right knee towards the floor, driving your left knee forward.
• Stand back up straight, and bring your right leg to its original position, next to your left leg.
• Perform 12 to 15 reps on each leg.

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#4 Bulgarian Split Squat

It's done as follows:

• Stand straight in front of a box or a bench. Get your right foot up on the bench behind you, and try to keep both knees together.
• Drive your right knee towards the ground while driving the left knee forward.
• Stand back up on your left leg to return to the starting position.
• Perform 12 to 15 reps on each leg.

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#5 Reverse Nordic Curl

It's done as follows:

• Kneel down on the floor, with your knees hip-distance apart.
• Brace your core and tuck your hips forward. Place your hands on your hips.
• Lean backward while maintaining the brace in your core. Lean as much as you can without breaking form.
• Pull yourself back up to the starting position with your quadriceps.
• Perform 12 to 15 reps.

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Takeaway

Fire your quadriceps up with the aforementioned exercises. Not only will you see improvements in shape and size but also in your ability to move about and perform other exercises. Make sure to eat well, and get plenty of rest for optimal results.