Quads are easier to work at the gym, since more equipment means more options, but if you have a little creativity, you can easily do quad exercises at home.
First let’s discuss how you would work quads at the gym. Quad exercises at the gym include seated leg extensions, leg presses, hack squats and barbell squats, among others.
Many people have barbells for home gyms or garage gyms now, but even the most well equipped home gyms rarely have leg machines like the ones named above.
Quad Exercises at Home
Don’t give up on quad exercises at home, though. There are plenty of quad exercises you can do at home without extensive equipment or large machines. With a dumbbell or two, and some creativity and hard work, you can grow your quads at home. Try the following exercises for a quad-focused leg session.
How to do This Quad Workout
You can start with a warm up like a walk but you don’t have to. Your first exercises will be unweighted and will start the process of warming your legs up.
Below, you’ll see exercise “A”, basic squat. Do all 3 sets of those first. After that, do the exercises below in order. Where you see “B1” and “B2”, that is a superset. This means you do exercise “B1” for one set, then exercise “B2” for a set.
Then you rest if you need, and return to exercise “B1” again, then “B2”. If it says “3×10” that means you do it for 3 sets of 10 reps.
So on with “C1” and “C2”.
Best Quad Exercises for Home
A. basic squat to warm up, 3×10
B1. reverse lunge with short step (large knee bend), 4×10
B2. heels elevated goblet squat, stand with your heels on a sturdy 1-2 inches elevation, 4×15
C1. sissy squats, 3x 5-8. These are tough! Work up to them.
C2. lateral walk, 3×10 each direction
As you do this session more, you can add weight to the exercises, and more sets to make it more challenging. You can also be creative on modifications. For example, here’s a whole tutorial on lunge variations and home calf work.
If you’re working quads, you’ll want to work hamstrings as well. Read up on how to work hamstring strength here. And, here’s a whole home leg and glute workout.
Training at Your Home Gym
Quad work takes time and hard work, so keep at it! If you’d like to jump into a program that’s already written, try out The Home Gym. I write The Home Gym for those who work out at home with a few dumbbells and a band. It’s a 3 time weekly workout that works your whole body. Try the first week free here: The Home Team training program!
About the author
Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.
