Hate Doing Legs?
I hate working out my legs as well but it has to be done. Quad exercises can be fun as long as you have a good workout laid out. There are several things that working out your quads will help with and in this article I want to talk to you about them and I give you a free quad workout.
Quadriceps, commonly referred to as quads, consist of 4 distinct muscles that all come together at a single tendon. Three of the four distinct muscles attached to the femur (thighbone), which are namely the vastus medialis, the vastus lateralis and the vastus intermedius. The rectus femoris lies on top of the vastus intermedius across the hip joint. The main functions of the quadriceps revolve around the functioning of the knee. The quadriceps swing into action when you bend your knee as you sit down and when you straighten your knee as you assume a straight standing posture. The retus femoris also plays a role in rotation of the hip, as it acts as a hip flexor by pulling the torso and thigh together. The quadriceps also work in conjunction with other leg muscles to promote effective movement, running, exercise and maintenance of body balance. Quad exercises are activities that directly target the quadriceps and work them out. These exercises have many benefits to the quadriceps, some of which are as follows.
Quad Exercises
| Quadriceps Workout | ||||||
| Date | Date | Date | Date | Date | Date | |
| Quadriceps | ||||||
| Weight | Weight | Weight | Weight | Weight | Weight | |
| Leg Lunges | ||||||
| Leg Extensions | ||||||
| Stepping up onto a bench | ||||||
| Squats | ||||||
You may find this article interesting as well Killer Quad Workout!
Benefits to stronger Quadriceps
Increase Running Speed
Regular exercises that aim to work out the quadriceps will help the quads become stronger, which will go a long way in improving a runner’s speed and running power as the quads help propel the runner forward as he or she runs. This also counts as advantageous when running up a hill. It is this reason that athletes across various fields tend to pay special attention to exercises that stress on working out the quads. Stronger quadriceps tend to make people jump higher and have endurance for long hours of exercise, two of which are also crucial to athletes.
Ensure Better Mobility in Old Age
As we age, our bones begin to depreciate by losing their bone density. Weak quadriceps could add more problems to the ability of senior citizens. A good way to develop stronger quadriceps is through exercises that directly target quadriceps. Stronger quadriceps would guarantee more mobility in our later years so that we are able to do little things on our own, such as climbing up and down the stairs or even getting up from a chair.
Guarantee Stability of the Knee Joints
Through constant exercises that target the quadriceps, one is able to build strong quadriceps that play a big role in bringing stability to the knee joints. The knee joints on their own tend to be very unstable and weak, hence they have to depend heavily depend on ligaments and muscles to shield them from injury. Stable knee joints generally mean better movement through running and walking and also better standing posture.
Guarantee less likelihood to get injuries
One of the repercussions of not engaging in exercises that work out the quadriceps is that one starts to develop tight quads. These tight quads will be a major cause of painful knees. This will greatly affect your overall mobility and you may be forced to suspend your usual activities. Weaker quads can also come about as a result of inactivity, something quad exercises can solve, which are very susceptible to injury after small accidents.
Ensure Less Fatigue
At times we fall victim to the dead-leg feeling of being tired in our daily routine or even as we work out. This is brought about by tight quads that have not gotten a lot of work out. To overcome this, one can engage in exercises that fully engage the quadriceps to a point where they are fully worked out. These quad exercises stretch the quads, keeping them loose and flexible thus keeping fatigue away. Another factor is that constant exercising of the quads makes them endure longer hours compared to quads that have not been exercised.
Increase the Range of Motion
Exercises that target the quadriceps tend to stretch them, which has an overall effect of improving the transportation of food and oxygen to the quads. This helps in the working of the quads, and together with making the quads more flexible, they improve range of motion that can be attained by the quads.
Reduce Chances of Developing Knee Osteoarthritis
This form of arthritis is one whose contributing factor is weak quads. Exercises that target quadriceps strengthen quads, thus greatly reducing chances of developing this type of arthritis.
In our daily lives, general health of the legs is very important because it is our legs that take us to work and back home. Some of us even earn our livelihood from our legs, an example is athletes. It is therefore important to take good care of our quads which are a fundamental part of our legs. A good way to do so is engaging in quad exercises.