Quad Strengthening Exercise

1. Load the desired amount of weight to each side of the hack squat machine. Lean back onto the machine with the shoulder pads resting on your shoulders. Your legs should be about shoulder width apart with your feet angled out at about 5 – 10 degrees.
2. Grab the handle bars near your shoulders. Now, pushing up with your heels, stand almost straight, with your knees slightly bent. Disengage the safety bars with your hands.
3. While inhaling, slowly start to squat down until you’re at about an 80-85 degree angle.
4. Pause for a moment, then using mainly your heels push back up to your starting position.
5. Repeat for your desired amount of reps.
6. When you’re finished with your set, stand back in your starting position, then reengage the safety bars with your hands. You can now slowly bring the weight back onto the safety bars and step off the machine.

Tips: Be sure to keep your back on the back rest at all times and look forward. Be sure to always use mainly your heels when pushing back up.

Walking Lunges are a great variation to regular lunges. You can perform them with your body weight or by adding dumbbells for a challenge. If you’re using dumbbells, simply hold each dumbbell at your sides as you perform this workout.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Step forward with one leg, while lower your entire body and the other leg down. Be sure to keep your torso straight up during this movement. If you aren’t using dumbbells keep your hands on your hips.
2. Pause for a moment, then push through your front heel to bring you body back up.
3. As you’re coming back up step forward with your other foot to repeat the movement with the other leg.
4. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.

Tip:Make sure your front knees don’t bend past your front foot to prevent injury.

1. Load the desired amount of weight to each side of the leg press machine. Sit down and grip the side handle bars.
2. Place your feet on the platform in front of you with at about shoulder width apart. Slightly angle your toes/feet outward about 5 degrees. This is your starting position.
3. Push the weight up with your legs, then with your hands unengage the safety bars.
4. While inhaling, slowly contract your legs towards your body until your legs are at about a 90 degree angle.
5. Hold this position for a second then exhale push the weight and platform with your heels back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
7. When you’re finished with your set, push the platform/weight all the forward with your legs and reengage the safety bars before letting your legs and the platform back down.

1. Approach and sit down at the leg extension machine. Adjust the bottom pads so they’re right above your feet. Your legs should be bent at about a 90 degree angle.
2. Set the desired weight and grip the side handles (if available).
3. Exhale then slowly push up your bottom legs as high as you can, ideally so your legs are almost straight.
4. Pause at the top of the motion, then inhale while slowly lowering your legs back down.
5. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.

Tip: Be sure to keep your back on the back of the seat throughout the entire movement. Do not lean forward.

1. Choose a kettlebell or dumbbell that will allow you to complete the recommended number of reps.
2. Stand ready to go into squat position holding the top of the one side of a dumbbell or the kettlebell close to or on your chest.
3. Keeping your torso straight and the weight on your chest, exhale and squat down, the lower the better.
4. Pause for a second then inhale while pushing your body back up through your heels.
5. Repeat for the recommended number of reps.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can put your hands behind your head or together out in front of you. This is your starting place.
2. Begin the movement by flexing your hips and your knees, squatting down, pushing your butt and hips back and your knees forward. Through this movement keep your chest forward and your back as straight as possible to prevent injury.
3. Bend until your hamstrings are parallel or slightly less than parallel to the ground, and reverse the movement back to your starting place. As you’re coming up push through your heels and keep your head and chest up.