Top 5 exercises to build thigh muscles
Who has never dreamed of curved thighs, strong in all tests. With bodybuilding, you can get big thighs and that's why we picked the 5 best thigh exercises to incorporate perfectly into your training program.
thigh muscle anatomy
The human body is made up of many muscle groups. The legs are one of the large muscle groups that should not be neglected in your weight training.
Different thigh muscles:
The quadriceps muscle consists of different parts: the vastus lateralis, the rectus femoris, the vastus medialis, and the vastus medialis.
The inner thighs consist of the adductor longus, adductor longus, and soft adductor.
The hamstrings consist of a semi-tendon, a long head and a short head
Top 5 exercises to include in your thighs training program
Squatting, the king's powerful thigh movement
This is the king of thigh exercises and probably the best thigh exercise for getting big thighs and gaining muscle mass when doing heavy loads. Performing bodyweight squats allows you to improve your thighs.
Muscles used by squatting
Thanks to squats, you can strengthen the quadriceps muscles as well as all the adductor muscles, gluteal muscles and hamstrings.
motion perception
When standing, place the feet slightly apart from shoulder width. The strap is behind the neck, is placed on the swing and held by the hands. Squat down and tilt your back slightly forward until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Control the descent and climb back to the starting position.
Differences in squatting
There are many ways to perform squats and target a different thigh muscle each time.
The sumo squat exercise is identical to the classic squat, and is performed with a wider distance between the feet to target the quadriceps muscle and the muscles inside the thighs called the adductor. To tell you the truth, this is the best inner thigh workout.
The front squat is performed with the bar in front of the bust on the front of the shoulders. It allows intensified work on the quadriceps although the glutes and hamstrings are required.
Tips for getting ahead of the squat
If you can, at best, do sets of 10 reps as a basis for building muscle size. To advance in a squatting position, it is necessary to master the technique completely without rounding the back.
Gradual overload is a good way to strengthen the thighs.
Leg press: an alternative to squatting
A very popular type of squat because leg press is less traumatic to the lower back while still allowing great work to the thigh muscles, a true soothing squat, the oblique press allows your thigh muscles to be completely safe
There are many leg presses on the market, we will discuss the inclined press.
The muscles used by oblique pressure on the leg.
As you will see, the leg press is an exercise to strengthen the entire thighs. In fact, based on the inclination and position of your feet, you target all parts of the thighs.
Putting the feet at the top of the plateau: targeting the back of the thighs (hamstrings) and the buttock muscles.
Putting the feet at the bottom of the plate: the thigh muscles work
Feet apart in the middle of the board: You're primarily targeting the adductors, which is an ideal exercise for building the inner thighs.
Feet close in the middle of the plateau: The quadriceps muscles are used mainly, especially the vastus lateralis.
motion perception
Lean on the backrest of the inclined press, feet on the board according to the distance you have chosen, open the machine safety, bend your knees and bring your thighs to the side to the rib cage. Then squeeze your thighs as you exhale to return to the initial position.
When descending, always maintain load control and do not lift your buttocks from the seat.
Leg compression alternatives
As mentioned earlier, different forms of the leg press are performed by changing the position of your feet.
Depending on your posture, it is possible to build muscles on the inside of the thighs, and build muscles on the outside of the thighs, quads, and hamstrings.
Tips for progressing to diagonal tap
In this exercise for the thighs, since your back is safe, you can perform a hierarchical series that allows you to work on both muscle volume and gain strength for myofiber hypertrophy.
Of course, the positions of the feet differ according to the desired goal.
Lunges, a very effective exercise with or without equipment
Have you ever done lunges?! This is not the easiest thigh exercise at first glance because it challenges your balance. For this gluteus maximus exercise is a must to tighten the thighs and gluteal muscles.
The muscles used by lunges.
This gluteal exercise mainly works the quadriceps muscle, especially the vastus lateralis, but the gluteus maximus muscle. The hamstrings are also used, but less often than the previous two muscles.
motion perception
Lower back exercise: Standing, with or without dumbbells in your hands, chest straight and feet at a distance less than shoulder width apart. Move your left leg forward and your right leg back with your knees bent. The bust remains straight while descending. At the end of the movement, the front leg is parallel to the floor, the back leg stabilizes the body, and the knee is on the floor. Step back by pressing the front leg. In order to work all of your quadriceps and glutes, switch the front leg in this thigh exercise.
Variants of lunges
Lunges can be performed statically by maintaining the same position (as in the photo) or walking alternately with the blow with the left leg and then the right leg.
Tips for getting ahead in lunges
You are definitely wondering how to progress in slots. For this exercise of the thighs and glutes, a controlled and stable movement is very important. Gradual overload will allow you to develop thighs and buttocks. This means that you have to add weight each time movement is gained through 8 to 12 sets of repetitions.
Leg curls, perfect isolation for the thighs
In order to exercise the quadriceps muscles to the maximum, a thigh exercise such as leg flexion is inevitable. In case of pre-exhaustion or after basic exercises such as squats, do not neglect this movement to isolate the thigh muscles. Ideal for beginners, it allows you to strengthen the thighs without risk before attacking the squat bars.
The muscles you use bend the leg.
If you have to remember one thing, it's that this thigh exercise allows the quadriceps to be completely isolated. The lateral, medial, medial and right vastus are ordered from the thigh.
motion perception
Thigh curls: This is an example of an indispensable machine in your weight room. Sit on the instrument, put your hands on the handles, put knees at the end of the seat and ankles behind the sausage. Extend the leg and slowly lower the back to the starting position.
Differences in leg curls
This machine for the thighs does not allow you to make a huge difference, but we will immediately see that it is possible to stimulate the thighs in a more significant way. With a little control, time under tension and isometrics are real tips for developing your thighs. For example, slow, controlled movement or even a 3-second blockage (isometric) at the top of the movement.
Tips for progressing leg flexion
As mentioned above, controlling the load or working the isometrics gives tremendous sensations to the quadriceps muscles. In order to advance your leg workout, working in a giant set by linking the chain with no posture and reducing the load will definitely allow you to develop your thighs.
Deadlift, a complete multi-joint exercise ideal for the lower body
The deadlift is a basic bodybuilding exercise, which primarily targets the muscles of the legs, buttocks and back. Multi-joint exercise is necessary for the development of muscle mass.
motion perception
Standing with your legs apart at shoulder height, the movement consists of bending to hip height to raise the loaded bar, then straightening with your legs straight, and maintaining the position for a few seconds before repeating the movement.
Differences in deadlift
The normal deadlift is performed with the feet shoulder width apart. In order to work more specifically on the inner thighs, the adductor area, can be performed with the feet spaced apart, this is the deadlift for sumo.
Tips for getting ahead of the deadlift
Don't try to be too heavy at first, especially if your lower back isn't strong enough. Alternate regularly between deadlift and sumo to strengthen your thigh muscles. Do sets of 10 and focus on performing the movement.
Best thigh program
This quadriceps program allows you to develop strong, toned thighs. Do not try to load the bars as heavy as possible, working on the feel gives very good results.
Start by warming up 5 to 10 minutes on the bike to prepare your legs for the effort.
Rehearsal series exercises Implementation
Leg curl 3 15 This is pre-fatigue, the goal is to perform 3 chains with 1 minute of rest time without any particular technique. The goal of prestressing is to fatigue the quadriceps muscles for better recruitment later.
Kitchen press 6 10
Do two sets with feet of normal width, two sets with feet wide apart and two sets with feet close together to target all of the quadriceps.
4 10 holes Do a steady movement or walk with weights in each hand depending on your level.
Deadlift 4 12 Perform 12 repetitions in a controlled, concentric and eccentric phase.
* The thighs program is suitable for practitioners with a mediator