Strong thighs not only carry you through life with more ease, but also look great. With endurance sports alone, however, you will never achieve the goal of well-defined, strong legs. With the following exercises for the thighs you will achieve a reliable increase in muscle and strength and thus come closer to your goal. All you need is a barbell with sufficient weight and a barbell rack or a pair of dumbbells.
Squat with the barbell - The Classic
As a complex basic exercise, a squat performed in a technically clean way not only stresses the entire thigh, but also the butt and lower legs. Since it is a demanding exercise, you should first practice the technique only with the bar until it sits 100 percent. Only then can you use the full potential of the exercise and prevent injury or overload.
1. Place the barbell bar slightly lower than shoulder height on the barbell stand.
2. Stand underneath so that the bar rests on your neck muscles and grasp it in a comb grip with fingers pointing forward.
3. Slowly lift the barbell out of the receiver and step back.
4. Stand about hip-width apart. The tops of your feet are minimally rotated outward and your back is straight.
5. Now slowly go into flexion. For the beginning it is sufficient to go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Later on you can freely "ass to the grass" as deep as you can to make the workout more intense.
6. From this position, slowly push yourself back to the starting position.
7. Make sure your back remains straight during the execution. The bend is only in the knees and pelvis.
Important: During the exercise, the knees also remain straight and do not rotate inward or outward.
Front squat - focus on the front of the thighs
In the front squat, the barbell bar does not rest on your neck, but on your chest muscles. By shifting the center of gravity in front of your body, the load on the front of your thigh(quadriceps) is greater. In addition, you involve the abdominal muscles much more. Get used to the clean technique with the bar at first. The easiest exercise is the so-called cross grip.
1. Position the barbell at about chest height in the barbell rack.
2. Step up to the barbell bar so that it rests on your shoulder and chest muscles.
3. Then wrap your arms around the bar and grasp the bar with your fingers facing you in a crosswise pattern.
4. Lift the barbell out of the rack, making sure your elbows are pointing forward.
5. Now slowly squat down. As with the normal squat, the parallel will suffice at first. (Tip: With the front squat, most people find it anatomically easier to bend lower).
6. Slowly press back up from this position and perform the next repetition.
Important: All tips on technique apply to the front squat just as they do to the classic squat.
Lunges with dumbbells
If you are looking for effective exercises for the thighs, lunges with dumbbells are just right for you. All you need are just two dumbbells. Load them with a weight of your choice and off you go.
1. Grab the dumbbells and let them hang down the side of your body with your arms extended.
2. Now perform a big lunge forward with your right leg. Keep your back foot firmly planted on the floor.
3. Now lower your hips until your left knee almost touches the floor and your right knee forms about a 90-degree angle.
4. Hold the position briefly and press back to the starting position.
Tip: It's a matter of taste whether you do a set with your right leg first and then with your left, or whether you switch legs after each lunge.
Conclusion - The best exercises for the thighs
As you can see, you can already do a lot for your thighs with a little high-quality equipment. With additional equipment, however, a variety of exercises for the thighs opens up to you. For example, with a professional leg press or a device for leg extensions and leg curls.
Find your right squat rack at an unbeatable price now!
Editors fitnessmarkt.de (EA)
Image credit: #200765928-zamuruev-AdobeStock
Published on: 7 September 2019