When you hear the term “leg muscles,” you might naturally think of the quadriceps (aka quads) first. For one, they’re some of the most visible lower-body muscles when you’re facing a mirror. They’re also one of the largest in the body. And when we say someone has strong legs, chances are, they have rock-solid quads.

It doesn’t take a ton to activate the quads—you put them to work when climbing up a flight of stairs, sitting down on the couch, or even going for a walk. “Many activities are quad-dominant, meaning you have greater activation of your quadriceps than your hamstrings,” explains Kaleigh Ray, a certified exercise physiologist and personal trainer. “For example, running and cycling are quad-dominant exercises.” 

To adequately prepare those muscles for everything that comes their way, it helps to perform exercises that specifically target the quads. The best part? While you can execute quad-focused moves in a gym setting, it’s not a requirement. Some of the best moves you can do for your quads can be whipped out right in your living room, with no equipment at all. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the quads, including the benefits of working them,  how they play a role in your overall body mechanics, and seven quad exercises to try at home or in the gym.

What Muscles Make Up the Quads?

Though we often think of the quads as a single muscle, Ray says, it’s actually a group of four muscles (get it, quad?). “All four of these muscles are involved in knee extension, while only the rectus femoris flexes the hip,” Ray notes. Here’s a breakdown:

The Benefits of Doing Quad Exercises

Targeting your quad muscles through strength training will help you develop a strong, functional lower body. “Building strength in your quads will not only benefit you in athletic performance, such as running or squatting, but also in everyday activities such as standing, walking, and climbing stairs,” says Peloton instructor Callie Gullickson. Studies suggest that strong quads can help improve a person’s running speed, acceleration, and vertical jump.

Ray agrees: “Because we’re using these muscles repetitively, it’s important to ensure they’re strong enough to withstand the load placed on them,” she says. This is especially true for anyone who participates in a quad-heavy sport, such as cycling or running. 

Importantly, having strong quads can help with injury prevention and rehabilitation, particularly involving the knee, both Ray and Callie say. A 2024 study from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found a negative correlation between quad strength and knee pain, meaning the stronger a person’s quads were, the less likely they were to report knee-related issues. Similar results have been found in older studies published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and the Journal of Physical Therapy and Science. “The strength of our quads also directly affects the stability of your knee and helps prevent injury,” says Callie.  

7 Best Muscle-Building Quad Exercises 

1. Goblet Squat

Squats are the gold standard of lower-body compound moves for a reason, Ray says—research shows it’s a standout exercise for boosting athletic performance, including maximal lower body strength and jumping power. All squat variations, from back squats to front squats, will ignite the quadriceps; however, Ray says that a front squat (where you’re holding the weight in front of your body, such as in a goblet squat) can be a bit more accessible if you don’t have a barbell or squat rack on hand.

2. Single-Leg Squat

Not only will a single-leg squat help reveal any muscle imbalances, Ray says, but it’s also a killer quad-igniting move, and will feel advanced without any equipment. (To progress, level up to a pistol squat.)

3. Forward Lunge

“Weighted lunges are another great exercise for anyone, but especially runners and cyclists,” Ray says. “Like single-leg squats, your legs are out of phase with each other, so this motion requires balance and coordination, in addition to working your quads.” Pro tip: To shift the focus to your quads even more during a walking lunge, Ray recommends bringing your knee up high before stepping into the next lunge. “By adding a hip flexor movement, you’re working the rectus femoris even more,” she says. 

4. Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat

The rear-foot-elevated split squat is a dynamite lower-body move that targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles simultaneously. This move can be either hamstring- or quadriceps-focused, depending on foot placement. To shift the emphasis into the quads, you set up with a shorter stance; the front foot is closer to the rear foot.

5. Reverse Nordic Curl

This move gives both your quads and core a major workout, and like single-leg squats, it feels like an advanced move without any equipment. Unlike most other quad exercises, which involve bending at the hip and knee, this move allows you to focus only on knee extension.

6. Depth Jump

According to Ray, some of the best quad exercises are plyometric moves, like depth jumps. “A depth jump engages the quads eccentrically,” she explains. (An eccentric movement is when you’re engaging a muscle while it’s lengthening.) During this exercise, your quads activate to slow you down when you land. “Training this movement can help prepare your quads for the stress of walking or running downhill,” Ray adds. “By exposing your quads to eccentric movements gradually and intentionally, you can reduce your soreness and muscle damage commonly associated with eccentric activities.”

7. Wall Sit 

A favorite of Callie’s, wall sits are another super accessible, do-anywhere quad exercise that will also give your core and hamstrings a major burn. 

Tips to Keep In Mind When Doing Quad Exercises

One of the biggest form mistakes Callie tends to see people make while doing quad exercises is neglecting to maintain a strong core. “Posture is important; you want to stay as upright as possible,” she explains. “Staying upright helps to keep the quads firing up versus the glutes.” 

Moreover, no matter what quad-focused move you’re doing, make sure you control the movement and perform the full rep, Callie says. If you don’t move through a full range of motion—sinking to a parallel position in a squat, or forming a 90-degree angle in a lunge or split-squat variation—the move won’t be nearly as effective. (Granted, if you need to modify based on your fitness level or personal mobility limits, that’s always OK.) 

Ray adds that knee alignment is important, too. “Does your knee tip inwards toward your midline or out to the side?” she says. That’s not ideal; you want your knee to track straight over the middle of your foot. “Use a mirror to help you track the alignment of your knee, so you can make corrections as you go,” she says. “If you’re unable to maintain good knee alignment, I recommend decreasing or removing the weight until you can manage the correct form.”

How to Integrate Quad Exercises Into Your Routine

Ray recommends specifically training the quads about two to three times per week. She suggests doing one compound quad exercise, like a squat or lunge, at the beginning of a workout, then transitioning to movements that isolate the quads, such as rear foot elevated split squats, toward the end. If you’re at a gym, you can also use the leg extension machine (a single-joint movement exercise). 

That said, don’t neglect your hamstrings and glutes, Callie says. “It’s important not to forget about the hamstrings as well to keep overall balance and prevent injury,” she urges. You might’ve heard of something called quad dominance, which means you rely more on your quadriceps to drive lower-body movements, as opposed to your hamstrings or glutes. 

“While training the quadriceps is very important, you also want to make sure that you’re maintaining a good strength ratio with your hamstrings,” Ray explains. “Overdeveloped quadriceps can put you at risk of injury, so be mindful of developing a workout routine that targets both muscle groups.”

For more guidance in executing a balanced strength routine, try one of the instructor-led strength programs in the Peloton App or Peloton Strength+.