8 Effective Quadriceps Stretches (For Tight Thighs!)

The Quadriceps are a group of muscles at the front of the thigh.

The Quadriceps consist of the following 4 muscles:

• Vastus Lateralis
• Vastus Medialis
• Vastus Intermedius
• Rectus Femoris

This blog post contains the best Quad stretches to help loosen up your tight thigh muscles.

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Start Here: Quadriceps Release

To get the most out of the Quadricep stretches mentioned on this blog post, I recommend loosening up the tight thigh muscles with the following release technique.

Instructions:

• Lie facing downwards on the floor.
• Place a foam roller underneath the front of the thigh.
• Apply an appropriate amount of your body weight on top of the foam roller.
• Keep your leg completely relaxed throughout the release.
• Roll your body up and down on the foam roller.
• Make sure to cover the entire front thigh region.
• Continue for 1 minute.

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8 Quadriceps Stretches

There are multiple ways to perform Quadriceps stretches.

My Recommendation: Focus on the one that gives you the best stretch.

When performing the stretches, it is important that you can FEEL the stretch in the front of the thigh.

(Note: The following stretches require you to have your knee in a completely bent position. If you have knee issues, please be careful when performing the stretches.)

1. Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Instructions:

• Stand up right.
• Hold onto something for balance.
• Bend the knee on the side that you would like to stretch the Quadriceps.
• Use your hand to hold onto the ankle.
• Make sure to keep the knees together.
• Pull the ankle towards the back of your hip.
• Tuck your tail bone in.
• Push your hips forwards.
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of your thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

2. Side Lie Stretch

Instructions:

• Lie down on your side.
• Bend the knee on the side that you would like to stretch the Quadriceps.
• Use your hand to hold onto the ankle.
• Make sure to keep the knees together.
• Pull the ankle towards the back of your hip.
• Tuck your tail bone in.
• Push your hips forwards.
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of your thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Lying Down Stretch

Instructions:

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Bend the knee that you would like to stretch.
• Use your hand to hold onto your ankle.
• Pull the ankle towards the back of your hips.
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of the thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

4. Stretch On A Ball

Instructions:

• Lie facing upwards on an exercise ball.
• Keep both feet on the floor for balance.
• Slowly sink your hips towards the floor until the ball is touching the back of your heels.
• Tuck your tail bone underneath.
• Push your hips upwards.
• Aim to feel a stretch in the front of the thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Kneeling Lunge Stretch

Instructions:

• Assume a kneeling lunge position.
  • (The leg at the back will be stretched.)
• Keep your pelvis facing forwards throughout the stretch.
• Tilt your pelvis backwards.
• Drive the hips forwards.
• Lunge forwards.
• Bend the knee of the back leg.
• Use your hand to pull the ankle towards the back of your hips.
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of the thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

Note: You can place a pillow underneath your kneeling knee to make this position more comfortable.

6. Floor Sitting Stretch

Instructions:

• Sit down on the floor.
• Have both legs towards one side.
• Pull the ankle of the top leg backwards.
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of the thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

7. Reclined Stretch

This is an advanced stretch. Do not attempt unless you are confident your body is able to tolerate this position.

Instructions:

• Kneel down on the floor.
• Have one leg straight in front of you.
• Place both hands behind you to support your torso.
• Lean your torso backwards as far as possible.
• Aim to feel a stretch in the front of the thigh.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

Progression: You can also perform this stretch with BOTH knees bent.

8. Eccentric Kneeling Quadriceps

This exercise involves strengthening the Quad muscles as they are lengthening which can help stretch them out.

Instructions:

• Kneel down on the floor.
• Place a pillow underneath your knees for comfort.
• Maintain an up right posture.
• Hold onto a thick resistance band this is anchored directly in front of you.
• Start to slowly lean backwards.
• Aim to keep your torso stiff.
• Lower yourself as low as you can control.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 times.

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Knee pain when stretching Quadriceps

If you experience knee pain whilst performing the stretches, it is likely related to the knee being in the completely bent position.

Here are some options for you to try:

1. Stick to the stretches that do not cause any pain.

2. Focus on releasing the thigh muscles with the foam roller exercise.

3. When performing the stretches, place more attention on tilting the pelvis backwards AND pushing the hips forwards to obtain the desired stretch. This will reduce the need to completely bend the knee.

4. Can’t bend your knee? Check out this post for all the exercises you’ll need to reclaim your full knee movement.

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Conclusion

There are multiple ways to perform a Quadriceps stretch.

Focus on the exercise that gives you the best stretch and is most effective for you.

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before attempting any exercise. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.