Quads · 114 exercises

Quad workouts

A quad workout built on deep knee bending: front squats, hack squats, split squats and leg extensions.

The quads straighten the knee, so they grow from exercises where the knee bends deeply under load: squats, hack squats, leg presses, split squats and leg extensions. A more upright torso and knees travelling forward put more of the work on the quads.

Quad workout

Upright squats first, extensions last.

Barbell Front Squat
Sets
4
Reps
5–8
Rest
3 min
Sled Hack Squat
Sets
3
Reps
8–10
Rest
2 min
Bulgarian Split Squat
Sets
3
Reps
8–10 each leg
Rest
90 s
Lever Leg Extension
Sets
3
Reps
12–15
Rest
60 s
Sissy Squat
Sets
2
Reps
10–15
Rest
60 s

Can’t do one of these?

Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.

Tips

Let your knees travel forward over your toes. It’s safe for healthy knees and it is what puts the work on the quads.
Use heel-elevated or front squats if your back gives out before your legs do on back squats.
Finish with leg extensions; they train the rectus femoris, the one quad muscle squats barely work.

Run this workout in SPLYT

Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.

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114 quad exercises

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

All quad exercises →

Questions

How many quad exercises are there?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 114 quad exercises, including Leg Press, Band Squat and Jump Squat, each with step-by-step instructions, a demonstration and the muscles it works.

What is the best quad exercise?

A deep squat pattern you can load heavily and safely: front squats, hack squats or the leg press. Add leg extensions for the part of the quads squats miss.