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An Often Overlooked Exercise for the Quadriceps: Leg Extensions

Lots of “experts” and “gurus” in the bodybuilding and weight training scenes will tell you that  to build massive thighs, you need to do Squats. I wholeheartedly agree. But many of these same “experts” will tell you that the simple Leg Extension is worthless as a thigh-building exercise. I say, “Poppycock!” This is the nicest way I can call, “BS!” Let's get a few things straight. First, Squats are AWESOME quad builders. They're simply the best. In fact, they're the BEST lower body exercise you can do! They're also the BEST exercise on the planet for overall body growth. I've written about this before, here, here, here, and here, to name a few places. Think about the quadriceps only for a moment. The function of the quads is to move the lower leg from a bent position to a straight position. That's it. The quads don't care how you straighten your leg; they only care that you do. When I tore up my knee a long time ago, the #1 exercise I did in physical therapy was leg extensions. Lately, the PT crowd has taken them off their list of top exercise to do after knee surgery, due to the shear force on the knee, but not because they don't build and/or re-build the muscle! Leg extensions do put a great force on the knee joint itself. But if you have a stable and strong joint, you should be able to do Leg Extensions with no issues whatsoever. My most important suggestion is one of caution: Don't go ridiculously crazy with the weight! Here's how I suggest you incorporate Leg Extensions into your thigh-building routine:

1. Use them as a pre-exhaust exercise to isolate your quads before you Squat. Often, other major muscles will fatigue sooner than the quads when squatting. So, do a superset of Leg Extensions, 10-15 reps, followed by a set of Squats. This will blow up your quadriceps like nothing else.
2. Use them as a “ripping up” exercise after Squats. Do your normal leg workout, then finish it off by doing a set or two of high-rep Leg Extensions (15-20 reps, holding and squeezing at the top of the movement for maximum contraction). Doing them in this way will really etch in the cuts in your frontal thigh. Hold for at least one second.

So, you see, there is a place for Leg Extensions in your workout routine. Do not listen to the so-called “experts” all the time. There is a time and place for nearly every exercise ever developed.