5 Best At-Home Quad Exercises for Women

Whether you're a newbie or a professional fitness enthusiast, quad exercises should be a priority on your leg day.

Having strong quadriceps or quads has several benefits. They help reduce stress on the knee joints, improve stability of the knees, and also boost overall sports performance.

Incorporating quad exercises into your routine can help you move more efficiently. They also make it easier to flex your hips and extend your knees while also ramping up your calorie-burn level. Developing strength in your quads can lower the chances of knee osteoarthritis, protect your knee from future injuries, and boost your jumping ability as well.

Fortunately, an effective workout routine for the quad muscles doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, exercises that specifically target this muscle group can be easily done in the comfort of your home with just your bodyweight as resistance. If you want to make the exercises more challenging, you can simply use heavy household items, like water bottles or books.

At-home Exercises for Strong Quads

Here’s a look at five of the most productive and simple exercises women can do for their quads:

1) Goblet Squat

Goblet squats are the go-to exercise for strengthening the core muscles and lower body, including hamstrings, calves, spinal erectors, glutes, and quads.

Here’s how to perform a goblet squat:

Stand tall, and place your feet wider than hip distance.
Keep your toes turned out and hands straight in front.
Engaging your core muscles, keep your spine straight and chest lifted as you push onto your heels, and move your hips back to lower into a squat.
Push through your heels to stand back up by squeezing your glutes.
Repeat.

2) Squat Jump

Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that spikes your heart rate and builds great strength in your quads.

Here’s how to do a squat jump:

Take a squat position with your toes facing straight, feet underneath the shoulders and thighs parallel to the ground.
Keep your torso straight and both hands together in front of your chest.
Press through your feet to straighten your legs, and simultaneously jump off the ground as high as you can while swinging your arms straight behind your body.
Land softly in a squat position, and repeat.

3) Reverse Lunge

Reverse lunges are a great variation of standard lunges. They help improve stability and balance in the legs. This beginner-friendly exercise helps develop single-leg strength and primarily targets the glutes, quads, and core muscles.

Here’s how to perform a reverse lunge:

Stand straight with your feet beneath your hips and arms by your sides.
Engage your core, and take a giant step back with your left foot.
Keep your right knee in line with your right foot, and bend both legs till your left knee is low enough to tap the floor.
Simultaneously, bend your arms, and bring your hands to chest height.
Push through your feet to reverse the movement, and return to the initial position.
Repeat.

4) Single-leg Squat

The single-leg squat is quite a challenging quad exercise, requireing mobility, balance, and strength. This exercise targets the inner thighs, quads, glutes, and core muscles. For additional support, you may place a chair behind you.

Here’s how to perform a single-leg squat:

Stand upright with both arms in front of you and feet together.
Lift your right foot off the floor, and squat down with your opposite leg.
Lower down till your thigh gets parallel to the floor.
Return to the initial position, and repeat with the opposite leg.

5) Kneeling Leg Extension

This bodyweight exercise targets the glutes and quads and helps with everyday activities, such as walking, squatting, running, etc.

Here’s how to perform a kneeling leg extension:

Kneel down with your knees at hip distance, with both legs engaged and torso straight.
Place your hands on your hips, and slowly start to move your torso backwards till your hips get a few inches away from your heels while keeping your hips extended and back flat.
Hold the position, and slowly reverse the movement to get back to the starting position.
Repeat.

Bottom Line

If you're a beginner, start the aforementioned exercises with at least three sets of eight to ten reps. Gradually increase your reps as you become stronger and develop endurance in your muscles. Also, do not forget to perform a quick warm-up for at least five minutes to activate your muscles.