- Sit on a padded surface with your legs out in front of you and the knees bent. Make sure your back is against a secured bench. Lay a barbell across your lap.
- Focusing the tension in the glutes, raise your hips skyward, moving the bar up with you.
- Pause when you feel the contraction in your glutes then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.
Quads & Glutes
8 min
·
6 exercises
Add notes / instructions
Barbell Hip Thrusts
Barbell Squats
Adductor Knee Raises
Donkey Kicks
Frog Jumps
Pistol Squats
This Quads & Glutes 8 min gym workout plan effectively targets your legs. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 6 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!
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Quads & Glutes
8 min
·
6 exercises
Add notes / instructions
Barbell Hip Thrusts
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Abs
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Abs, Lower Back
- Select an appropriate weight for the plate you will be using. Place it next to where you will be laying.
- Lay on flat on your back. Bend your knees, bringing your feet towards your hips. Bring the plate up and on to your pelvic area.
- Tighten your core, flatten your back, and make sure your feet are firmly on the ground. Raise your hips up, creating a straight line from your head to your knees.
- Slowly lower your hips and repeat the movement.
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Lower Back
Secondary:
Quadriceps
- Lay down on an exercise mat with your feet flat on the floor and your knees pointing upwards bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Place a resistance band across your hips and pin it down to the ground using your hands at either side.
- Raise your hips upwards until a straight line is formed from your knees to your shoulders.
- Hold this extended position for 1 second before slowly lowering your hips down to the starting position.
Do not perform if you suffer from hypertension.
Barbell Squats
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Lower Back
- Set up the barbell on the squat rack so that it is at the same height as your upper chest.
- Position your body under the bar, with knees bent so that the bar is resting high on the back of your shoulders.
- Grip the bar with your hands comfortably wider than your shoulders.
- Slowly straighten your legs to push upwards, lifting the barbell from the rack and take one step forward.
- Stand with your legs shoulder width apart.
- Bend your knees forward and allow your hips to bend back as if sitting down,
- Continue this movement down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly more, making sure your knees are pointing in the same direction as your feet.
- Hold for a count of one.
- Push up through your heels while straightening your hips and knees, until you are standing in the start position.
- Make any adjustments necessary to your stance and grip before continuing on the next repetition.
Do not rest the bar on your neck. Keep your head facing forward at all times. Keep your back straight throughout the entire movement.
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves
- Begin by positioning a barbell at or just below shoulder level in the squat rack. Behind the squat rack, place a tall wooden box or chair. Place yourself underneath the barbell. Make sure the bar is across your upper traps and NOT on your neck.
- Place your feet outside of shoulder-width with your toes pointed slightly out. Brace your core and keep your chest up.
- Bend at the knees as you drive your hips back. Lower yourself slowly until your butt touches the box. Pause then drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Lower Back
- With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand with dumbbells as your sides with your palms facing each other.
- Keeping your back straight and facing forward, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for one second.
- Pushing up from your heels, raise back up to starting position and repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors
- Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
- Bring your hands to your shoulders, keeping the handles of the band behind your shoulders. Brace your core and keep your chest up.
- Bend first at the knees then at the hips. Be sure to keep the chest up and abdominals tight. There should be no arch in your back.
- Pause when your thighs are parallel with the floor, then slowly return to the starting position, feeling the tension from the band in your quadriceps.
Adductor Knee Raises
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Abs
- Position yourself on all fours on a mat with your palms flat and shoulder-width apart. Place your knees hip-width apart and bend them at a 90 degree angle.
- Try to relax your core so that your back and abs are in a natural position.
- Maintain this posture as you raise your right knee and bring it as close to your chest as you can.
- Now raise your right thigh out to the side, keeping the hips still.
- Kick your raised leg straight back slowly until it is in line with your torso.
- Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors
- Lie on your right side on top of a yoga mat or other soft surface.
- Brace your core and make sure your body is in a straight line. Keep your right hand on the ground and your left hand on your hip.
- Slowly lift the left leg into the air, keeping it straight during the exercise.
- Slowly lower your left leg. Complete the set then repeat with the other leg.
Donkey Kicks
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Abs
- Position yourself on all fours on a mat.
- Position your hands underneath your shoulders and place your knees under your hips.
- Keep your right knee bent at 90 degrees and flex the foot as you lift the knee until it is level with the hip.
- Lower the knee without touching the floor and repeat the lift.
- Once you’ve completed the reps on the right leg, switch legs.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Lower Back
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors
- Position yourself on all fours with knees underneath the hips and wrists under the shoulders.
- Engage your abs and keep your spine neutral, pulling the shoulder blades towards the hips.
- Lengthen the left leg until it is straight out and in line with your hips while simultaneously raising and straightening your right arm until it is parallel to the floor. Keep your head and shoulders aligned at all times.
- Gently lower your arm and leg back to the starting position and alternate with the other arm and leg.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors
- Lie face down on a flat bench with your hips on the edge of the bench. Fully extend your legs and raise your feet up from the floor so that they are in line with your body .
- Place your arms on top of the bench, using them to hold on to the front edge of the bench for stability.
- Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings and straighten your legs until they are level with your hips. This is the start position.
- Start the exercise by raising you left leg higher than your right leg.
- Then lower the left leg as you lift the right leg and so on.
- Alternate in this manner until you have done all repetitions for each leg.
When performing this exercise, breathe normally. As your strength increases, you can add ankle weights.
Frog Jumps
Primary muscle group(s):
Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves
- Standing straight up, bring your feet outside of shoulder width.
- Squat down by bending at the knees and driving your hips back.
- Keeping your chest up, forcefully push off the ground with the balls of your feet.
- Land on the balls of your feet, remaining in the squatting position. Your legs will remain wide.
- Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings
- Stand with your feet hip width apart. Your toes should be pointing straight ahead or only slightly outward.
- Cross your arms in front of your body, place your hands behind your head or at the sides of your head.
- Keep your weight on your heels and bend your knees while lowering your hips towards the ground as if you are sitting down on a chair.
- Keep your back straight at all times.
- Continue until you feel a slight stretch in your quadriceps. Do not let your knees extend out beyond the level of your toes.
- Pause for a count of one.
- In an explosive movement, drive down through your heels pushing yourself up of the floor with your quads.
- At the same time extend our arms out above you.
- Land with your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.
- Repeat
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings
- Begin by standing tall with a straight back and tight core. Slightly bend the knees and push the hips back. Bring the hands up and keep the chest up. Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
- Jump and launch yourself forward. Swing your arms back and use the momentum.
- Land in a squat position. Knees are bent and hips are back. Return to starting position and repeat.
Pistol Squats
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings
- Stand straight with your feet hip width apart, arms fully extended and your hands by your sides.
- Raise your left foot from the floor, extending your leg out in front of you.
- As you do so, raise both arms out in front of you in a smooth arc for balance. This is the start position.
- In a controlled movement, lower your body toward the floor by bending your right knee while pushing your hips back as if sitting down in a chair.
- Continue this downward movement until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Hold for a count of one.
- Return to the start position by pushing down through your right heel and straightening your leg. Lower your arms to the start position as you do so.
- Repeat.
Beginner – this exercise can be completed by placing your hand on a chair, bench, parallel bar or other support to one next to you. Advanced – this exercise can be completed holding dumbbells down by your side, or a kettlebell to your chest to add resistance.
Primary muscle group(s):
Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Hamstrings
- Place your feet at shoulder width apart while keeping your chest up and your abdominals braced.
- Begin the movement by swinging your arms up towards your shoulders. At the same time, bend at the knees and drive your hips back like you’re sitting in a chair.
- Once your upper thighs are parallel with the ground, pause, then drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings
- Stand up straight while holding two dumbbells. Maintain a tight core and flat back as you carefully place your right foot on top of a bench behind you with toes facing down.
- Bend at the front knee as you drop the back knee, maintaining perfect form. Front knee should not go over the toes.
- Allow your thigh to come to parallel with the floor.
- Pause then slowly return to the starting position without locking out your knee.
- Repeat then switch sides once set is complete.
We're not done yet!
Exercises done
of 6
Approx. time left
32:15
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