Leg ExtensionsMuscles Worked
Leg extensions isolate your quads, the four muscles on the front of your thigh, with no other muscle group doing meaningful work. Since your hips stay still and only your knees move, it's the most direct way to train the quads on their own.
PrimaryQuads
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Adjust the backrest so your knees line up with the machine's pivot point, and set the pad on your lower shins just above your ankles.
- Sit back with your hips pressed into the seat and hold the side handles.
- Straighten your legs by squeezing your quads until your knees are fully extended.
- Pause for a second at the top with your thighs tight.
- Lower the pad slowly until your knees are bent again, without letting the weight stack touch down.
Form tips
- Line up your knee with the machine's axis, because a mismatch makes the pad slide and the movement feel awkward.
- Control the lowering phase instead of dropping the weight, which keeps tension on your quads for the whole set.
- Keep your hips down on the seat, since lifting them to kick the weight up means the load is too heavy.
Why it made the list
No. 4 of 13
Best Quad Exercises
The only true quad isolation exercise. Effective for quad hypertrophy when done correctly.
More quad exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Leg Extensions sets in KasMaker and watch your quads fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
