Tap an exercise to see how it's done.
Just the 28 you can do at home →
Barbell3
Dumbbellsno gym7
Machine7
Bodyweightno gym17
Assisted pistol squat
Videoalso called box pistolBodyweight Bulgarian split squat
VideoBodyweight lunge
VideoBodyweight reverse lunge
VideoBodyweight squat
Videoalso called air squatChair step-up
Videoalso called chair step upCossack squat
VideoJump squat
VideoJumping lunge
VideoLateral lunge
Videoalso called side lungePistol squat
VideoSingle leg wall sit
TimeVideoSissy squat
VideoSkater hops
Videoalso called lateral boundSquat to calf raise
VideoTempo squat
VideoWall sit
TimeVideo
Resistance bandno gym2
Smith machine2
Otherno gym2
How to train your quads
Your quads straighten the knee, and they are trained best in movements where the knee bends deeply under load. Squats in every form are the foundation: the back squat and front squat with a barbell, the goblet squat with a dumbbell, or the leg press and hack squat on a machine. One leg at a time, as in the Bulgarian split squat and the lunge, also trains your balance and shows whether one leg is weaker.
The leg extension is the only exercise that isolates the quads completely, and it fits after the heavy movements. At home you get a long way with bodyweight squats, split squats and step-ups, and when they get too easy, with a slower tempo or one leg at a time.
Common mistakes
- Not going deep enough. Go as deep as you can with good technique. Deeper squats give your quads more work.
- Knees caving in. Let your knees follow the direction of your toes all the way down and up.
- Heels lifting. Keep your whole foot on the floor. If your heels lift, you are too far forward or lack ankle mobility.
Want them set out in a programme?
Answer a few questions about your goal, equipment and time, and BIP builds a weekly programme with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and see your progress afterwards. The first week is free, no card.
Create a programme →