What exercises can you do to pump up the lateral head of the muscle? Thigh muscles. Structure and functions. Workout to build powerful thighs

Powerful, developed, sculpted quadriceps can ensure your victory in a bodybuilding competition, setting you apart from the crowd of participants. Get the quad muscles you've always wanted with these exercises!

Transform your weak quads into powerful pillars!

Powerful, developed, sculpted quadriceps can ensure your victory in a bodybuilding competition, setting you apart from the crowd of participants. They distinguish a harmonious, proportional, aesthetically beautiful body from an apple-shaped body with a heavy top and thin legs.

Of course, we can't all have quads like professional bodybuilders, but we can build big, powerful, well-proportioned, defined muscles that will impress no matter what.

Don't waste time now so that in the future you won't regret that you didn't train your quadriceps enough or didn't spend enough time on them. You can’t even imagine how many athletes wear their pants in the gym in the summer, only to hide the results of insufficient perseverance and discipline when pumping up their quadriceps thigh muscles.

Don't waste time now so that you won't regret in the future that you didn't train your quadriceps enough.

The quadriceps account for a very large amount of muscle mass in our body. Their training is very difficult and requires a lot of time and effort to build even a few grams of muscle. Intensely pumping your quadriceps muscles will develop your entire body with a natural surge of growth hormones and testosterone.

When performing, say, a squat, the body uses a huge number of muscles to lift the weight upward - quads, hamstrings, back, trapezius, shoulders all involved in moving and/or balancing the weight during the lift. This means overall muscle development throughout the body, which contributes to an overall powerful appearance.

You have to ask yourself the question: Do I need this?

A little anatomy

The quadriceps are a large muscle group that consists of four heads on the front of the thigh. Let's take a quick look at these heads and their functions.

Rectus femoris muscle
It starts from the ilium, occupies the middle part of the thigh, covering most of the three remaining heads.

External (lateral) vastus muscle
It starts from the femur, runs along the side (outer part) of the thigh and attaches to the kneecap.

Vastus medialis muscle
It also starts from the femur, runs along the medial side (inner part) of the thigh and attaches to the kneecap. This muscle is responsible for the teardrop shape of the thigh.

Vastus intermedius muscle
This muscle is located between the lateral and medial in the front of the femur and is attached to the kneecap.

All four heads of the quadriceps are responsible for extending the knee joint. In addition, the rectus femoris muscle, due to its location, also flexes the hip.

Pump up powerful quadriceps!

Now that you know about anatomy and movement mechanisms, let's figure out how to get sculpted, powerful quadriceps. The movements and exercises presented are designed to get maximum results every time you visit the gym. Remember to always use proper technique and not lift too much weight to risk your safety.

Squats with a barbell on your shoulders

The back squat (the so-called ancestor of all leg exercises) is the main exercise for developing impressive quadriceps.

Stand under the bar in a squat rack and place the barbell in a comfortable position with your upper back resting on your trapezius muscle. Grip the bar with both hands at your sides for stability. Now step out of your stance and place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.

Very important: bend your knees before starting the exercise. Don't bend your hips or back, or you'll end up leaning too far forward. Lower the weight until your hamstrings touch your calf muscles or until you reach a comfortable range of motion (ROM). Lift the load up, using your hips first and then your knees. Do not straighten your legs completely at the top.

The range of movement is very individual. Using a full range of motion is almost the ideal way to perform any exercise, but with squats you may have problems with knee pain and back strain.

Following a proven rule, squat to a comfortable limit, then return to the starting position. Don't skimp and take the task seriously. Squats are very difficult exercises, but the results are worth it.

To engage the inner parts (vastus medialis) a little more, try doing squats with your feet a little wider apart so that your toes point outward.

Front Squats

To perform front squats, stand with the barbell in front of you and place it in the curve of your shoulder girdle. Cross your forearms and secure the bar at your sides. Keep your head straight and your shoulders parallel to the floor. Remove the barbell, step out of the rack and place your feet shoulder-width apart.

Perform this exercise as if you were doing a squat with a barbell on your shoulders. You will find that you can keep your back a little straighter. The front squat develops the quads a little better than the traditional back squat, which requires stronger thighs.

If you're new to front squats and need extra stability, do them on a Smith machine for a while until you get the hang of handling the weight.

If you're tall and either lean forward too much or your heels leave the ground at the bottom, try placing two to four-and-a-half-pound weight plates under each heel for added stability. This technique can be used for both variations of squats.

Hack machine squats

To develop the outer part (lateral muscle) of the quadriceps, there is nothing better than squats in a hack machine. With a moderate weight installed, stand comfortably under the pads of the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart in the center of the foot plate. Lower yourself until you reach full range of motion, then return to the starting position.

Make sure you don't accelerate too much on the downstroke because this will put a lot of stress on your knees. Perform the exercise at a constant pace. And again, as with all leg muscle exercises, do not straighten your knees completely at the top point.

Some gyms do not have this machine, but you should not despair, because there is always a way out. Simply grab a weighted barbell and hold it behind your calves (similar to a deadlift, but with the weight behind your glutes).

Straighten your back, keep your head straight, and begin to lift yourself up with your leg muscles until you are standing completely straight. Without straightening your legs completely, lower the weight down to the starting position, but do not touch the floor.

This exercise requires strict technique and can only be performed with moderate weights that you can easily lift.

Leg press

Another great way to tone your leg muscles is the traditional 45-degree leg press. The advantage of this simulator is that it practically does not load the lumbar region and focuses more on the hips.

Sit in the machine and make sure the seat is moved back enough to allow you to achieve a full range of motion. Place your feet in the center of the plate, shoulder-width apart. Lift the load up without fully extending your knees and remove the safety latches.

Lower the slab as much as possible, constantly monitoring your movements, and lift it back to its original position. Try not to perform half or partial repetitions - this will cheat yourself and not develop muscles.

If the leg press machine at your gym is constantly busy or simply isn't there, you may want to choose another option. Many gyms have additional machines for this muscle group, including selectable weight models and multi-function machines from Hammer Strength.

Leg extensions

For perfect isolation of the quadriceps muscles, the best option is an extension machine. Sit on the machine, place your legs behind its working shoulder and lean your back against the support cushion. Adjust the pad near your shin so that it fits exactly at the 90-degree angle of your foot and ankle.

At a medium pace, lift the weight and immediately squeeze the muscles at the top, then return to the starting position. Try not to hold your weight up as this will put more stress on your knees, especially the patellar tendon.

To pump up your upper quadriceps a little, try the following extension. Perform the exercise as above, but this time lean your upper body forward so that at the top the angle between your torso and legs is 90 degrees or less. You will need to take a little less weight, but the results will exceed your expectations!

Lunges

Lunges are a great exercise for toning your quadriceps. Thanks to them, the muscles look nicely rounded and toned. While many people say that lunges engage all the muscles in your thighs and develop your hamstrings and glutes equally, in this article we will focus our attention on how lunges can be used to train your quads.

Place a relatively light barbell on your shoulders, as if you were doing squats with a barbell behind your shoulders. Step out of the squat rack and place one leg forward in front of you. Bend your other leg so that your knee is a few centimeters off the floor.

Don't touch your knee to the floor. Make sure your knee doesn't go past your toes, otherwise take a wider step. The second leg will remain behind at all times. After you have squatted, return to your original upright position and place the leg you used to lunge with the other. Repeat the exercise, switching legs - this will count as one repetition.

A good alternative to lunges with a barbell are lunges on a Smith machine. Simply lunge with one leg and perform all repetitions in this position. You don't need to put your foot down after each rep; do all the reps on one leg first, then switch positions and repeat.

A favorite exercise for most athletes is walking lunges. They are performed in a spacious part of the hall; make sure you have about 10 meters of space to step.

The essence of walking lunges is very simple - you lunge, then put your other leg forward and do the next lunge with that leg. That is, in this exercise you are constantly moving forward.

If you're serious about developing your body to the fullest, then focus on your legs from start to finish. In our opinion, this is the most important muscle group that requires special attention and development. Just think about it, legs make up about half of our body - your quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip adductors and calf muscles. So there is a huge area to work on. And of course there is a sea of information that we will cover in this article. First of all, we will talk about the muscle structure of the legs. Then we will look at the structure of the skeleton - the bones and ligaments that are involved in movements.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps include 4 separate muscle groups, these are:

Vastus lateralis muscle
Vastus medialis
Vastus intermedius muscle
Rectus femoris muscle

Let's start with the rectus femoris muscle because it is unique. It starts at the very top of the thigh and runs along its entire length to the knee itself, crossing it and connecting to the hamstring. This muscle is unique because it is the only quadriceps muscle group that runs through the entire thigh.

Now let's move on to the vastus lateralis muscle. Many people know about its shock absorption function. It also starts at the top of the thigh and also attaches to the hamstring.

Now let's turn our attention to the vastus medialis muscle. Many compare its shape to a tear. It also starts at the top of the thigh, runs the length of the thigh, and attaches to the tendon at the knee.

Last but not least, the muscle you don't see is the vastus intermedius. It is located under the rectus femoris muscle and is also attached to the tendon behind the knee.

So, the quadriceps consists of four muscles and is the largest muscle group in the front of the thigh. Speaking of legs, you've probably heard about the importance of working your quadriceps. If you work out in the gym and the result is important to you, then you should use squats, lunges, various types of leg extensions and similar exercises.

Now that we've looked at the front of the thigh, let's examine the back side. Understand, we know you want powerful quads and that's cool, but make sure you give the hamstrings the same attention.

Biceps hamstrings

Let's highlight three muscles of the posterior group:

1. Biceps femoris muscle

1a. Long head

1b. Short head

2. Semimembranosus muscle

3. Semitendinosus muscle

The biceps femoris starts at the ischial tuberosity, runs through the entire thigh and attaches to the fibula. The short head, in turn, begins on the back of the thigh and also goes down and attaches to the fibula. So the biceps femoris is one muscle with two separate heads.

You also have two more muscles on the back of the thigh and they are on the inside - this is the semimembranosus muscle, which starts from the ischial tuberosity, runs through the entire thigh and attaches to the tibia and others adjacent to it. And the semitendinosus muscle, which runs from the ischial tuberosity, through the entire thigh and attaches to the tibia.

Now let's talk about another muscle group that people (especially girls) like to train and shape - the buttocks.

You have three groups of gluteal muscles:

Big
Average
Small

We'll start with the gluteus maximus muscle because it's the most visible muscle and it's where people focus the most attention in the gym.

The gluteus maximus begins with the sacrum and the thoracolumbar fascia, where the tissue connection mainly occurs. It passes down and comes into contact with the thickened part of the fascia lata of the thigh and is another significant area of tissue connection. From this point of view, the gluteus maximus also protrudes onto the outer part of the thigh, and when people talk about the buttocks, most people mean the gluteus maximus muscle.

Now let's look at the gluteus medius. Often people don't know anything about the gluteus medius and minimus muscles because they are deeper, you can't see them, and therefore consider them insignificant. But in fact, the gluteus medius muscle is a very important stabilizer of your hip. This muscle runs along the upper part of the buttocks in the area of the iliac crest and, moving down, comes into contact with the outer part of the thigh.

Even deeper than the gluteus medius, there is another muscle, which is located at the very top of the thigh and also touches the outer part below - the gluteus minimus. So don't forget, when you train your legs and thighs, you are also training the three gluteal muscles - the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus.

The next group we will talk about is the adductor muscles.

Adductor muscles

Most people are either not familiar with this muscle group at all, or they simply do not realize how important this small concentration of muscles is. We have a total of five muscles from the adductor group, all of which begin in the lower abdominal region and attach to the inner muscles of your thigh.

Pectineus muscle. It runs from top to bottom, crosses the leg and is attached to the upper thigh.
Adductor brevis muscle of the thigh. It also runs from top to bottom, crossing the thigh and is attached slightly below the comb.
Long adductor. Again it comes from the groin area downwards and you can see in the picture how these muscles are located.
Major adductor. The largest in this muscle group. It also extends from the groin area and attaches not only to the inner thigh, but also a little lower, making the adductor magnus a unique muscle.
Long thin muscle of the thigh. It comes from the muscles of the groin area, runs along the entire length of the thigh and is attached to the tibia from its inner part.

We studied the five main adductor muscles of the legs. What's important is that we don't want you to confuse them with your quads and hamstrings. They are incredibly important for the connection and interaction of the muscles on each side of the thigh, and you need to make sure that you are working them properly with certain exercises.

The last but not least muscle group we will look at is the calf muscles.

Calf muscles

Let's look at two muscles that are interesting to us from a training point of view.

Gastrocnemius
Soleus

The calf muscle is unique because it runs the entire length of the popliteal region. Note that it has a lateral and medial head. They both run the length of the lower leg and attach to the Achilles tendon.

A little deeper than the gastrocnemius is the soleus muscle, which is attached to your tibia and fibula bones and from them also runs along the entire lower leg and is attached to the Achilles tendon. Two muscles, one of which crosses at the knee, but both attach to the Achilles tendon and provide your ability to move.

We covered a lot of information at once. Let's quickly and briefly repeat everything from the beginning. So you've got your calves, your hamstrings, we've also covered your glutes, quads, and adductors (the muscles on your inner thigh). We've spent a lot of time studying these muscles, now let's move on to the bones and ligaments that are also involved to perform various movements.

Bones and ligaments

Bones

The first bones we want to talk about are the pelvic bones. If you imagine, the pelvic bones are located on both sides of our body and, like a bowl, give shape to our muscles and hold them together.

Following the pelvic bones, the large femur passes downwards. Even lower is the large bone of the lower leg, the so-called tibia. It is located in the center, one of two in this area and is located in the front. Next to the tibia is the last, slightly smaller in size - the fibula.

All these bones make up only 10% of a person's weight, but when most people talk about the bones in the lower body, they mostly talk about the tibia and fibula.

Now that you have a better understanding of bones, let's look at how they work together through ligaments.

Ligaments

When we talk about the pelvic bones, everything is very simple. They are responsible for two basic movements - shifting the body forward (bending forward) and, on the contrary, shifting it back. That is, the pelvic bones are actually responsible for moving forward and backward. And now we mention the pelvic ligaments that attach to the femur. In this place in the bones of the pelvis there is a depression in which the ligament is attached. It is due to this indentation and ligament that you get the whole range of movements, for example: bending your leg, stretching it, moving it to the side, turning it inward and back. Let us note its importance. These ligaments are the key point of our body, because they expand our possibilities of movement so much.

Let's move down and look at the knee ligaments.

Most people generalize all the ligaments in the knees under the name popliteal ligaments, but this opinion is erroneous. The popliteal cruciate ligaments are responsible for rotation, although hardly anyone in the gym will purposefully train them.

Mostly when we talk about knees we mean knee flexion (moving the leg back), such as in hamstring curls, as well as leg extension, which we perform in exercises such as squats, deadlifts and machine leg extensions.

And finally, let’s mention the important ankle ligaments. They primarily perform two main functions.

Plantar flexion (occurs when you stand on your toes)
Backward foot flexion (when you arch your foot towards you)

There are so many pseudo-specialists around who, after 2 bench presses and 5 squats, are already starting to teach you the technique of pumping up your legs. Find out how to pump up your thighs correctly!

Understand, having been around for a couple of months, you have not yet become such an experienced athlete that you forget about technique and give advice on how to properly pump up your thighs to a beginner. You have to shed gallons of sweat in the gym, go through a path of victories and mistakes before you understand everything yourself. In the meantime, absorb useful recommendations from our expert!

Strong, well-built quadriceps muscles are a sure sign of excellent physical shape. Huge, developed ones can become the highlight of the program and set you apart from the crowd of bodybuilders. Just imagine the contrast between a balanced, aesthetically proportional body with sculpted legs and a pot-bellied figure with thin legs. That's why a lot of guys work out in the heat in their pants, hiding their shortcomings.

Most likely, you won’t just build up your thighs like professional bodybuilders, but you have the power to make your quadriceps dense, strong, with a clear definition, meeting all standards. Follow the correct technique and persevere, then you won't need years to get beautiful thighs.

Why pump up your hips?

Quadriceps make up a huge amount of muscle mass in the body. They force us to spend countless hours in the gym, shed liters of sweat, all in order to gain a few grams of muscle and still get toned thighs. And it's worth it: training the quadriceps muscles will allow muscles throughout the body to grow due to the natural production of growth hormone and testosterone.

Squats, for example, require the use of a huge number of muscles throughout the body to control the weight: quadriceps and hamstrings, back, trapezius, shoulders, etc. - all of which help move and/or stabilize the weight during the lift. As a result, all muscles will grow. This exercise will help properly pump up your thighs. You only have to ask yourself one question: Do I want this?

A quick anatomy lesson

If the answer to our question is yes and you really want to tone up your thighs, let's take a quick look at the anatomy of the thighs and the functions of the muscle groups so that you can visualize how your body works during your workout. The thigh consists of three muscle groups - anterior, medial and posterior.

The anterior thigh muscle group is the most popular among athletes as a target for pumping up. It consists of the quadriceps (and its four heads - rectus, medial, intermediate, lateral) and the longest of all human muscles - the sartorius.

Interesting fact!
The quadriceps is involved in the extension of the lower leg, and if it is paralyzed, the patient can walk normally on a level surface, but is unable to run and can only barely walk up steps.

The medial group of the thigh consists of three adductor muscles - long, short and large, as well as thin and pectineus.

The posterior thigh muscle group combines the semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles. Do you want to have powerful hamstrings? Try training from an expert on our website!

All quadriceps muscles support the knee joint. In addition, the rectus femoris muscle, due to its location, ensures flexion of the leg at the hip joint. All this anatomical information must be remembered when performing leg exercises. For what? To understand how to properly pump up your hips and get results! Now let's get to work!

The best exercises for pumping up your thighs

Now that you've learned a little about hip muscle anatomy and function, let's dive into what makes a ripped quadriceps muscle. These exercises and training programs are designed to get the most out of every trip to the gym and quickly pump up your thighs. Remember to use technique and avoid lifting too much weight to avoid injury.

Squats

To properly and quickly pump up your thigh muscles, squat. It is on the back that is the main exercise in gaining muscle mass. Stand in a power rack under a barbell and place it comfortably on your upper back, on your trapezius muscle. For stability, grab the bar firmly with your hands and step away from the rack. Feet stand shoulder width apart or slightly wider.

Extremely important!
The movement begins with bending the knees. At the very beginning, do not bend your hips or back, otherwise you may fall forward. Lower yourself until your hips touch or until you reach a comfortable range of motion. Lift the weight back up through your hips first and then your knees. At the highest point, the knees do not fully straighten.

Totally up to you. Working through a full range of motion is ideal for any exercise, but squats can cause knee and back pain. Lower yourself as far as possible and then return to the starting position. The main thing is to constantly expand your comfort zone. The squat is a tough exercise, but the results are worth it - you'll pump up your thighs into perfect shape.

To tone your inner quadriceps (vastus medialis), squat with a wider stance and feet turned out.

Deep squats with a barbell

To do this, stand under and place it on your chest opposite your deltoids. Cross your forearms—one on top of the other—and grab both hands. Keep your shoulders parallel to the floor and your head up. Take the weight and step back, feet shoulder-width apart. The movement is the same as in a regular squat with a barbell on your shoulders. But here the back is held a little straighter. These squats are aimed at pumping up the legs and especially the quadriceps muscles, unlike regular squats, which involve more of the hamstrings.

If you're new to the front squat, start with the Smith machine first and then move on to free weights as you get more comfortable.

If you are very tall and lean forward too much, or your heels come off the floor, place 2 or 4 kg weight plates under them for added stability. This applies to all squat variations.

Hack squats

To work more on the outer side of the thigh (vastus lateralis) there is nothing better. With a weight that is comfortable for you, stand in the machine under the supports, with your feet on the platform shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself as far as possible and then return to the starting position. Do not make fast movements, so as not to add stress to your knees, it is better to work at a constant speed. Legs do not straighten completely.

If you don't have a hack trainer?
Some halls don't, but don't despair, there is a way out. Simply place the barbell with the weight behind your calves (a type of deadlift, but with the weight behind your legs). The back is straight and the head is raised. Rise up until you are almost completely straight. The legs always remain slightly bent at the knees. Return to the starting position without the weight touching the floor. This thigh-toning exercise requires strict technique, so keep the weight light until you get the hang of it.

Leg press

Another great way to gain mass is at a 45 degree angle. Advantage: minimal load on the lower back, and maximum on the hips. Sit in the machine so that you can work through the full amplitude. Place your feet on the platform shoulder-width apart. Push the weight while keeping your knees slightly bent. Slowly lower the weight while controlling the movement. Go as low as possible and avoid half-range movements - you're just cheating yourself and not developing muscles. Proper execution is the key to ensuring that you build powerful thighs.

Leg straightening on the machine

There is nothing better for isolated muscle work while pumping up the thighs. Sit on the simulator so that the axis around which the knee joint moves coincides with the axis of rotation of the load. The back is pressed tightly against the back. Place your ankles under the bolsters. Lift the weight at a moderate pace and squeeze your quadriceps at the top of the movement. Then lower and return to the starting position. Do not linger at the top so as not to create unnecessary stress on your knees and ligaments.

For a deeper pumping of the upper thighs, try this extension option. Perform the movement as above, but this time, lift your legs and lift your back off the seat so that your hips and torso are at 90 degrees or less. With this performance, take less weight, but believe me, the muscles will burn anyway!

Lunges with a barbell

– an excellent formative exercise. They give an attractive round shape and tie all the thigh muscles together. Despite the fact that lunges pump up the entire thigh, this article will only focus on the effect on the quadriceps.

Place a relatively light barbell on your shoulders as in a squat exercise. Step back from the power rack and step one foot forward. Bend your leg so that the knee of your back leg almost touches the floor. And remember: the knee should not go beyond the foot; if it does, take a larger step. As you come back up, push off with your working leg and return to the starting position with your feet together. Do the same with the other leg, this will count as one repetition.

A great alternative to lunges with a barbell is Smith machine lunges. Do the required number of repetitions with one leg, then the other. After each lunge, do not go back, but simply continue to squat with one leg. Then change.

Many instructors prefer walking lunges to pump up their legs and especially their hips. Make sure your gym has room for at least 30 lunges. Lunge with one leg. Pull your back leg back to the starting position and step further forward with your other leg.

Workout to build powerful thighs

Thigh workout

To work out your thighs in more detail, use these training programs: for the inner and outer thighs.

If you want to tone your inner quadriceps, squat with a wider stance and feet turned out.

During training, imagine how the muscles of your legs are growing and how your hips are enlarged. Professional athletes claim that such visualization puts you in the right mood and helps you achieve exactly the result you dreamed of!

You've already done a great job, all you have to do is take a little leap and finish off your regular full-body workout with this thigh routine.

That's the whole secret of powerful legs and toned thighs - super effective training with the right technique! Monitor your body during each exercise and when you finish working in the gym, remember about healthy habits. Only comprehensive work on yourself will bring you the long-awaited result!

Taking creatine, arginine, intra-workout, bcaa amino acid and pre-workout complexes will help you increase your strength. These sports nutrition products are specifically formulated to improve performance in sports and fitness for men and women. Just add it to your diet and go ahead to conquer new heights!

Pumping your legs

Basic set

Extended set

Basic set

Extended set

Dymatize | Dymatize BCAA 2200 ?

4 tablets, between meals.

The essential branched chain amino acids in Dymatize BCAA provide muscle cells with essential building blocks. The use of this supplement will help not only preserve and increase muscle tissue in the body, but also optimize the passage of a number of other metabolic processes.

Dymatize | L-carnitine xtreme ?

1-2 capsules daily, preferably during meals.

The fat burner from the world famous manufacturer Dymatize L-carnitine xtreme 60ct is a unique product, its main purpose is to utilize subcutaneous fat as quickly as possible.

Dymatize | ISO 100?

If necessary, you can add one serving before bedtime.

Dymatize Iso 100 728g – a protein mixture from the American manufacturer Dymatize, which contains 90% milk protein and whey isolate, supplies the athlete’s body with slow and fast proteins.

TwinLab | Men's Ultra Multi Daily ?

1 capsule each.

Twinlab Men's Ultra Multi Daily vitamin and mineral complex developed specifically for men contains the necessary set of nutrients and special matrices to improve prostate function, as well as antioxidants and tonic components.

Universal Nutrition | Ultra Whey Pro

1-2 measuring spoons are mixed with 200-250 grams of water or any other liquid.

Universal Nutrition | Amino 2250 ?

2 capsules before and after training.

The vastus lateralis muscle is one of the heads of the quadriceps, located on the front and partly the lateral surface of the thigh. The thick oblique fibers of the vastus lateralis originate from the greater trochanter, intertrochanteric line, and lateral lip of the vastus linea. Heading down, the muscle passes into the broad tendon, which is part of the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle and is involved in the formation of the lateral suspensory ligament of the patella. It is covered from above by the muscle that strains the fascia lata, and in front by the rectus femoris muscle. The vastus lateralis muscle occupies almost the entire anterolateral surface of the thigh.

The vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius perform one single function - leg extension. These muscles work together with the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and calf muscles during squats. The rectus femoris muscle is also involved in this movement, but it is fully involved only when hip flexion is combined with knee extension, for example, when changing legs while walking. Harmoniously developed quadriceps muscles allow you to jump high, kick hard, squat, and also maintain correct posture when walking.

Unfortunately, very often the vastus lateralis is much stronger than the vastus medialis. This imbalance causes the patella to wear and dislodge as the leg flexes and extends. Most often, the patella is pushed laterally into the femoral groove, resulting in pain and cartilage damage.

If the imbalance is severe, the patella may move completely out of the groove—patellar luxation occurs. This often occurs in people with a high quadriceps angle, or “Q” angle. The quadriceps angle is measured in a lying position with legs straight. This angle is determined by a line running from the superior anterior iliac spine to the patella and from the center of the patella to the tibial tubercle. The normal quadriceps angle is 5 - 15 degrees. In women, this angle is usually greater due to the greater width of the pelvis compared to men.

In addition to the disproportionate development of the vastus lateralis muscle relative to the vastus medialis, adhesion of the iliotibial tract and the vastus lateralis muscle is very often observed. Adhesion leads to patellar displacement and chronic acute pain, and can also cause inflammation in the greater trochanter and lateral femoral condyle.

Massage techniques aimed at separating the fascial layers and lengthening shortened muscles are the best prevention and treatment of these diseases.

PALPATION OF THE LATERAL VASTUS MUSCLE OF THE FEMOR

Position: the client lies on his back, one leg is slightly bent at the knee. The applied pressure is adjusted depending on the client's condition.
1. Stand to the side of the client, facing the hip. Using your palm, determine the location of the greater trochanter of the femur.
2. Move your palm distally along the lateral thigh.
3. Palpate the oblique fibers of the vastus lateralis muscle posterior and anterior to the iliotibial tract.
4. Hold the client's leg while he tries to straighten it to return the patella to its normal position.

STRETCHING THE QUADRICEPS AT HOME

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend both knees slightly, keeping your back straight. Shift your body weight to your right leg.
3. Bend your left leg at the knee, raising the heel of your left foot to the buttock, and grab your foot with your left hand.
4. Gently pull your heel towards your buttock. Try not to hunch over. The buttocks should be tense. To stretch the vastus lateralis muscle further, lean forward slightly.
5. Repeat the same with your right leg.

The main muscle on the front of the thigh is the quadriceps muscle. It, in turn, is divided into 4 parts: rectus and lateral, intermediate, medial vastus muscles of the thigh.

Exercises for the quadriceps femoris should be chosen of moderate complexity, preferably without additional weight or limited to 5 kilograms. The fact is that even with small weights (more than 5 kilograms), the quadriceps easily succumbs to the effects of gravity and begins to grow. As a result, instead of well-groomed feminine legs, we get pumped-up quadriceps muscles, which have nothing to do with femininity. From this article you will learn how not to weaken a girl’s quadriceps, but at the same time load it as much as possible.

You should not neglect the front part of the thigh - excessively weak muscles subsequently form an unpleasant ridge in the knee area, which simply screams of poor grooming.

Regular physical work coupled with proper balanced nutrition and cosmetic procedures will show results already in the 3rd week of classes.

And now we present to your attention the most effective exercises for the anterior thigh at home.

Squats with dumbbells

Note! To work out your hips more, when performing actions while exhaling, do not lower your leg completely to the floor, but fix it at a height of 5-7 centimeters above the floor and lift it up again.

Squat from a kneeling position

Kneeling squats are great exercises for the hamstring lateralis. Functional stretching helps not only to get rid of fat, but also to further stretch the muscles, which will protect you from muscle pain during unusually difficult workouts. Difficulty is medium, emphasis on concentration.

Technique:

Starting position - rest on a mat laid on the floor, knees straight, arms at your sides;
As we inhale, we move our pelvis back a little, and then to the right and try to sit on the floor near our feet;
As you exhale, we return to the starting point and perform the actions on the other side.

Front thigh stretch

High-quality muscle relaxation– the basis for getting rid of sore throat and additional breakdown of fat. Stretching also helps you become more flexible, resilient, and perform your usual exercises at a completely different level.

We present to you effective stretching exercises for the front of the thigh.

Bend forward while sitting on the floor

Let's land with our fifth point on the floor, straighten our legs, stretch them forward, and pull our toes towards ourselves. While inhaling, let's bend forward, hover for 20-30 seconds, gradually exhaling and inhaling and relaxing the muscles even more. After the time has passed, we return to the starting point.

Frog in front position

We sit on the floor, back straight, feet moved towards the groin area. As you inhale, with muscle effort, we try to lower your knees as low as possible, while you exhale, we relax, and on the next inhalation, we try to put your knees as low as possible.

Kneeling

Let's get into the starting position: emphasis on bent legs and straight arms. Inhaling, we take one leg back, raising the toe to the ceiling and grab it by the ankle with our hand, stretch the front surface of the thigh to a characteristic tension and freeze for half a minute. Exhaling, shake the muscles and move on to working the other leg.

Combine loads on the front surface of the thigh with other areas of the body, complement the efforts with massage and proper nutrition, and after the first 2 weeks of work, a completely unfamiliar, but so alluring girl will look at you from the mirror.