Quad exercises
The 8 staple movements, taken from the 3,215 exercise guides in the SETR app: technique, recommended volume, cues and classic mistakes.
The quads straighten the knee: they do the work when you stand up out of a squat. The further the knee travels over the foot, the harder they work, which is why front squats, hack squats and lunges hit them so well. The leg extension is the only true isolation move, and the only one that fully trains the rectus femoris, the part that also crosses the hip.
1. Barbell back squat
Barbell Full Squat
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes, Adductors
How to do it
- Rest the bar on your upper back, feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward.
- Chest open, back flat, abs braced, eyes straight ahead.
- Lower as far as possible while keeping your back flat, glutes close to your heels.
- Rise by driving through your heels until your hips are fully extended.
Tips
- Full depth requires ankle and hip mobility: build up with an empty bar first.
- Push your knees outward throughout the descent.
- Stop the descent before your pelvis tucks under you.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting your pelvis tuck under at the very bottom.
- Lifting your heels off the floor.
- Letting your knees cave in as you rise.
2. Front squat
Barbell Front Squat
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes, Abs
How to do it
- Rest the bar on your front delts, elbows high, arms crossed or in a clean grip.
- Feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward, chest out.
- Lower by bending your hips and knees until you pass parallel, torso vertical.
- Rise by driving through your heels to full extension.
Tips
- High elbows are the key: as soon as they drop, the bar slides forward.
- Your torso stays more upright than in a back squat: your quads do more of the work.
- Brace your core hard at the bottom.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting your elbows drop and rounding your upper back.
- Leaning forward as you rise.
- Lifting your heels off the floor at the bottom.
3. Leg press
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Smith Machine
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Get under the Smith machine bar set at an incline to simulate a leg press, or sit in the dedicated machine.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
- Lower by bending your knees to about 90°.
- Drive through your feet to rise to full extension, without slamming into lockout.
Tips
- Keep your lower back pressed against the pad throughout the set.
- Avoid letting your knees cave in as you push.
- Control the descent rather than letting the weight drop.
Mistakes to avoid
- Violently locking out your knees on every rep.
- Letting your lower back lift off the pad on the way down.
- Going so deep that your hips lift off the pad.
4. Hack squat
Sled Hack Squat
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Get into the hack squat machine, back and shoulders braced against the pads.
- Place your feet on the platform shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward.
- Release the safeties and lower until your thighs pass parallel.
- Press until your legs are almost fully extended without locking out your knees.
Tips
- Place your feet lower on the platform to emphasize your quads.
- Keep your back fully pressed against the backrest through the full range of motion.
- Push your knees out, in line with your toes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Lifting your back off the backrest at the bottom.
- Lifting your heels off the platform.
- Violently locking out your knees at the top.
5. Leg extension
Lever Leg Extension
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads
How to do it
- Sit on the machine, back supported, roller resting on your lower shins.
- Adjust the backrest so your knee joint lines up with the machine's pivot.
- Extend your legs fully while squeezing your quads.
- Lower slowly without letting the weight stack touch down.
Tips
- Hold the contraction for one second with your legs straight.
- Keep your glutes pressed into the seat throughout the extension.
- Grip the side handles so you don't lift off the seat.
Mistakes to avoid
- Lifting your glutes off the seat to finish reps.
- Letting the plates clang between reps.
- Straightening your legs with a sharp jerk.
6. Bulgarian split squat
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Get into a split stance, one foot placed behind you on a bench, a dumbbell in each hand.
- Lower your back knee toward the floor by bending your front leg.
- Lower until your front thigh is close to parallel with the floor.
- Drive through your front heel to rise to full extension.
Tips
- Keep your front shin as vertical as possible throughout the descent.
- Keep your torso upright throughout the movement.
- Use a moderate load; this single-leg movement is already demanding.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting your front knee travel well past your toes.
- Leaning your torso too far forward.
- Using too heavy a load before mastering your balance.
7. Dumbbell walking lunge
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Standing, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, torso upright.
- Take a big step forward and lower until your back knee brushes the floor.
- Drive through your front heel to stand up, bringing your back foot next to your front foot.
- Immediately take a step with the other leg and keep moving forward.
Tips
- Count the number of steps rather than reps.
- Keep your torso upright: the weight in your hands naturally pulls you forward.
- Pause briefly while standing between lunges at first.
Mistakes to avoid
- Taking steps that are too short and overloading the front knee.
- Banging your back knee on the floor.
- Leaning your torso forward.
8. Goblet squat
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Quads · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest, elbows pointing down.
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Squat down between your legs, torso upright.
- Drive up through your heels to full extension.
Tips
- Holding the load in front of your body naturally helps keep your torso upright.
- Push your knees out in line with your feet as you lower.
- Go as low as your mobility allows; your elbows may brush the inside of your knees.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting your knees cave in.
- Rounding your lower back at the bottom.
- Leaning your torso too far forward.
Tempo is read in seconds: lowering, pause at the bottom, lifting, pause at the top. “3-1-1-0” means three seconds down, a one-second pause, one second up, then straight into the next rep.
How to combine them
There is no need to do them all in one session. Two or three exercises per muscle are enough: a heavy compound lift first, while you are fresh, then one or two more targeted moves.
Aim for roughly 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week, spread over two sessions, with sets taken to within 1 to 3 reps of failure. Beyond that, fatigue grows faster than results.
Keep the same main lifts for at least eight weeks: it is the only way to tell whether you are genuinely progressing.
586 exercises for this muscle in the app