Legs
Quadriceps exercises are important in keeping your legs
strong to allow for the highest level of flexibility, as well as to prevent
injury. Developing your quadriceps not only helps to guard against muscle
injuries, but can also help to support the knee joint and protect it from
injury.
Barbell Full Squat
Leg press
Leg extension
Leg curl
Calf raise
Barbell Full Squat
This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for
safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack just above shoulder
level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the
bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it
off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening
your torso. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a
shoulder-width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head
up at all times and maintain a straight back. This will be your starting
position.
Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and
sitting back with your hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head
up. Continue down until your hamstrings are on your calves. Inhale as you
perform this portion of the movement. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing
the floor with the heel or middle of your foot as you straighten the legs and
extend the hips to go back to the starting position. Repeat for the recommended
amount of repetitions.
Leg press
Setup for 45 degree leg press by loading the weight plates
you want to use on the machine. Sit down on the leg press machine and position
your feet at about shoulder width apart, in the middle of the foot plate.
Extend your legs to take the weight off the racks, and release the safety. Your
knees should be slightly bent at the start of the movement; this will ensure
the weight is on your quads. Slowly lower the weight down until your legs are
just past a 45 degree angle, pushing through your heels, extend your legs to
move the weight back up to the starting position. Repeat movement for desired
reps.
Your knees should not be locked out at the any point during
this exercise. When moving the weight up, push through your heels. You can
involve the gluteus more in this exercise by going deeper.
Leg Extension
The leg extension is a great exercise for isolating the
quads. Sit on the leg extension machine and adjust so that the leg pad sits on
your ankles. Then adjust the back rest so that your knees are just off the end
of the seat. Select the weight you want to use on the stack. Take the weight
off the stack by extending your legs slightly. This is the starting position
for the exercise. Holding onto the handles for stability, and bending at the
knees only, extend your legs out as far as possible. Hold for a count of 1
while squeezing your quads, and then slowly lower back to the starting
position. The weight should not touch the stack. Repeat for desired reps.
Use a slow and controlled movement, do not "kick"
the weights up. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your quads, this
adds intensity to the leg extension. Leg extensions can be used as a
pre-exhaust exercise for squats or other big compound movements, and also used
for the second exercise in compound/isolation supersets.
Leg Curl
Common mistakes with the leg curl are moving the weight up
and down too fast and not using a full range of motion. Always control the
weight throughout the set, don't use momentum to move the weight up, and don't
allow it to drop back down quickly. And always use a full range of motion by
curling the weight up as far as possible and lowering it as far as possible
without the weight dropping on the stack.
Calf Raise
Setup for the seated calf raise by loading up the machine
with the weight you want to use. Sit on the machine with the padding on top of
your thighs and the balls of your feet on the edge of the foot pad. Push up
with your calves to take the weight off rack and slowly let your heels drop as
far as possible. This is the starting position for the exercise. Slowly raise
your heels up a high as possible. Pause and squeeze the calf muscles, then
slowly lower back down as far as possible. Repeat for desired reps.
Use a full range of motion pushing your heels up as far as
possible and letting the calves stretch out as far as possible on the way down.
Pause a hold for a count of 1-3 at the top of the movement (heels up) for extra
intensity.
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