Quadriceps: five effective exercises to tone them

He muscle strengthening It helps improve the quality of life and the ability to carry out daily activities. Furthermore, it protects the joints from possible injuries and contributes to a better balance of our body.

He quadriceps It is the strongest muscle in the human body and primarily responsible for the movement of our legs. Its functions allow us to sit, walk and run.

In this sense, the graduate in Kinesiology and Physiatry Valeria Rivero warns us about the importance of exercising, at all ages, but especially in the elderly, this muscle located in the anterior part of the thigh. But what are the most effective exercises for training and toning the quadriceps?

Quadriceps: five effective exercises to tone them

There are some very simple exercises that you can do both in the gym and at home to strengthen your legs, focusing on quadriceps area. However, before starting any routine activity it is very important to do a light aerobic warm-up for 5-10 minutes to avoid injury.

According to Rivero, these are the five most effective exercises to tone the quadriceps and improve the performance of this muscle.

1. Squats. In all its modalities, they are the most effective when it comes to toning and improving the performance of the quadricepsas well as the lower joints.

This exercise requires your feet to be shoulder-width apart, slowly leaning your torso forward and lowering your hips to your knees to increase the effort on your knees. quadriceps.

Recommendation: In principle, 20 squats a day are recommended to then increase in difficulty and quantity.

2. Step-ups. Recreate the movement of climbing stairs. It is performed with the help of a stable and elevated surface. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, bring one leg to the surface of the step, and lift the rest of your body. It’s important to do this with a straight back and use the strength of the leg exerted to lift the rest of the body towards the platform.

Recommendation: To begin with, we recommend 20 step-ups per leg per day and then increase in difficulty and quantity.

3. Lunges / reverse lunges. They are also very effective for exercising this muscle and the gluteal area.

During the workout, you should bring your hands forward, keep your back straight, and place your legs shoulder-width apart. Once in that position, throw yourself back, inhale as you go down and exhale as you go up. Do several repetitions and repeat the same exercise with the other leg.

Recommendation: To build muscle mass, perform between 3 and 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. To build resistance and burn more calories, perform between 15 and 20 repetitions, 2 to 3 times a week.

4. Sprint uphill. It is an exercise in which you have to run at maximum speed over a short distance, uphill or on a slope. It must be done with the hands open and the arms bent at 90 degrees, so that when they move they do it from top to bottom. It allows you to strengthen the heart and improve the musculoskeletal system, helping to burn body fat.

Recommendation: sprint for 30 seconds at full speed, recover 90 seconds, and repeat the 2-minute circuit about 5 times.

5. The box jumps or climbs to the drawer. Coordination exercise that is practiced on a stable surface on which one can jump. It involves making short distance jumps to get on a platform. It is important that when you land on the box, you do so with both legs at the same time, placing your entire foot on the surface. During this workout, the whole body is exercised, but especially the muscles of the lower body.

Recommendation: 15 repetitions and then go up in difficulty and quantity.