Quad exercises to finish your workout
Quad exercises don’t always have to mean heavy squats or machine leg extensions. Here are three old-school finishers that put your quads to work once your regular set is done.
This follows on from “Only the best for your legs … Part II”. The focus is simple: how to get the last bit of effort out of your quads at the end of a leg workout without letting your technique fall apart.
Why do these quad exercises work?
Thibaudeau compared what deadman quad raises do for the quads to what the glute-ham raise does for the biceps femoris. On paper, the movement sounds almost laughably easy. You kneel, lean back and return to the starting position. In practice, your quads quickly realize there’s very little to laugh about.
The simple truth is that if your torso and thighs stay in a straight line throughout the movement, your quads have to do the work. If you bend at the hips or let your lower back sag, the training load shifts somewhere you didn’t intend it to. That’s why technique matters more here than added weight.
These exercises are best suited to the end of your workout. They’re not warm-ups or a chance to show off. They’re finishers that keep your muscles under tension, deliver a burning sensation and give you a serious mental test. Honestly, some of them are worse than they look.
Quad exercises: deadman quad raises
4. “Deadman” quad raises, or Deadman Quad Raises. Kneel on the floor or a mat. Your torso must be in line with your thighs. Maintain this straight alignment throughout the movement, because that’s what really makes your quads work.
From the starting position, slowly lean back, moving your thighs and upper body together as a single unit. Your torso and thighs must stay in a straight line the entire time. Lower yourself only as far as you can while maintaining your back position. Then hold for a few seconds and use your quad strength to pull yourself back up.
You don’t need any added weight at first. Once you can control the movement and maintain clean technique, you can hold a weight plate against your chest. But don’t rush. If the exercise feels too easy, your technique is usually the first thing to question, rather than an ineffective training program.
Workout finishers for your quads
5. Quad workout finishers. These aren’t exercises to do when you still have heavy squats, leg presses or a long set of lunges ahead of you. Save them for the end. The idea is to squeeze out that last bit of effort and keep your muscles under tension when your body would already rather be heading for the shower.
Isometric single-leg squat
a. Isometric single-leg squat, or Iso One-leg Squat. Thibaudeau put it bluntly: this tests the limits of your pain tolerance. Place one foot forward in a lunge position and the other behind you on a bench. Bend your front leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, keep your front knee as controlled as possible relative to your toes, without letting it travel far beyond them.
Keep your torso upright; you can rest your hands on your hips. Hold the position for 60 seconds per leg. Once that feels easy, you can hold dumbbells or a weight plate against your chest. Before adding weight, though, take an honest look at your control: is your knee staying steady, are your hips sinking, and is your breathing becoming panicked?
Translator’s note: the position should look something like this: YouTube video 1.
Another example: YouTube video 2.
Wall squat holds at progressively lower positions
We learned this exercise from coach Ian King. Again, it seems incredibly easy at first. But do it properly, then ask yourself afterward whether it was easy.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart, about 50 cm from a wall. Face away from the wall and rest your back against it. Your feet are out in front, with the angle between your thighs and lower legs slightly greater than 90 degrees. You’re essentially in a quarter-squat position. This is position no. 1.
After 10 seconds, lower yourself 5 cm. This is position no. 2. Hold for another 10 seconds, then move another 5 cm lower. This is position no. 3, where your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Use two more positions as you descend, so that position no. 5 is the deepest.
When performing this correctly, most people should be shaking and panting in position no. 5. If that doesn’t happen, hold the static contraction in each position for 20 seconds, repeat the sequence on one leg, or, after position no. 5, push yourself back up to standing against the wall and go for another round. The smell of lactate should be hanging in the air after this exercise.
Single-leg half squats
c. Partial squats on one leg, or single-leg partial squats. This is another brutal bodyweight leg finisher from Ian King. Stand at the edge of a low bench. The bench should be about half the height of a bench press bench. Place your weaker leg on the bench and let your stronger leg hang freely.
Place your hands on your hips and squat down on one leg as far as you can, until the sole of your hanging foot touches the floor. Hold the position for 2 3 seconds, then rise. Do 10 repetitions, for example. On the tenth repetition, hold the bottom position for 10 seconds before rising.
Keep the sole of your hanging foot parallel to the floor. At no point should this leg bear weight on the floor or take any of the work away from the squatting leg. If you have the strength, you can continue the set up to 20 repetitions. On the twentieth repetition, pause again at the bottom for 10 seconds and continue if you still have the strength.
How should you choose your quad exercises?
Choose one finisher, rather than doing them all at once. If you have sensitive knees, start with the static variation against a wall and keep your movement controlled. If you are comfortable kneeling, try dead man quad raises. If you want to develop more control on one leg, choose single-leg partial squats.
So what really matters? Time under tension, straight body alignment and an honest repetition. If you start using your hips to help, thrusting your knee forward or pushing off the floor with your hanging foot, the set is over. Leg training takes patience, not just heavy weights.
Arnold said that leg training takes as much mental effort as physical effort. That means reaching your pain threshold and sometimes pushing beyond it. Knowing the exercises is one thing. Putting them into practice when your muscles are already burning is quite another.
FAQ: quad exercises
Should you do these exercises at the start of a workout?
Preferably not. They belong at the end of your workout, once the main work is done. That way, they will not sap your strength for the heavier exercises, and you can focus on a controlled finisher that really burns.
Do you need additional weight?
Not at first. Once you can perform the movement with good form, you can add dumbbells or hold a weight plate against your chest. Technique must come first.
What should you do if you feel discomfort in your knee?
Stop the set and choose an easier variation. Keep the movement slow, avoid bouncing and do not push through pain. Sharp pain is not the same as the sensation of a muscle working.
Translator’s note: see the original article for starting positions and photos showing how to perform the exercises.
Translated by Janar Rückenberg
Come and train! ArtGym
