Quad exercises help shape your thighs, helping you reach your goals and feel better about yourself. You’ll notice an improvement in the shape of your thighs as you tone the large area of your legs. With regular exercise, you’ll experience continued improvement in the appearance of your body.
The four muscles on the front of your thigh make up your quadriceps. They help raise your thigh and extend your knee, allowing flexibility and movement. By targeting this muscle group during exercise, you’ll promote the balanced development of all four.
While you can’t melt away fat in only one area of the body, these quad exercises will help burn calories. You’ll melt away fat all over your body while toning your thighs at the same time. Since this group of muscles is so large, toning it burns lots of calories compared to other areas.
These quad exercises can help you melt away body fat and shape your thighs. Consistency when exercising leads to results, so implement some of these workouts into your routine two or three times each week. Before you know it, you’ll notice that your thighs are more sculpted and defined.
Quad Exercises That Melt Away Fat and Shape Your Thighs
Are you ready? Let’s get to it!
1. Short Arc Quad Exercises
This exercise helps with properly contracting your muscles, preventing pain and injury. It also helps tone and defines the area.
You’ll need a yoga block, basketball, or something similar to prop your knee on. As you support your knee, make sure its back stays against the item even as you start moving. If you want more of a challenge, you can add a small cuff weight to your ankle.
How to Do It
- Start by lying on your back with your yoga block beneath one bent knee
- Slowly straighten the bent knee, keeping the prop beneath it
- As you straighten it, tighten your muscles and point your toes toward the ceiling
- Hold the position for five seconds before slowly lowering your leg, and repeat 15 times on each leg
2. Burpee
Burpees are a fat-burning exercise that engages every muscle of your body. They’re also an excellent way to build strength and tone muscles.
How to Do It
- Start in a squat position, keeping your palms flat on the ground
- Kick back your feet so that you’re in a plank position, but keep your arms extended
- Return your feet to the starting position
- Stand up
- Repeat the exercise 10-20 times
3. Curtsy Lunge Quad Exercises
This exercise targets your inner thighs and helps with stabilizing your hips. It improves your overall posture, too, allowing you to feel better overall.
How to Do It
- Start by standing straight.
- Move your left leg behind you and to the right, crossing your thighs
- Bend both knees as if you are doing a curtsy
- As you bend, place your palms together
- Repeat the exercise using your opposite leg, completing one rep
- Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps, taking breaks in between sets
4. Straight Leg Raises
This simple exercise is a great way to get your quad muscles working. Once you get comfortable with the straight leg raise, you can add weights to your ankles.
How to Do It
- Lie flat on your back
- Bend one knee to a 90-degree angle with your foot flat on the floor
- Keep your other leg straight with your toes pointed toward the ceiling
- Lift the straight leg off the floor using the front thigh muscles and hold for five seconds
- Lower your leg to the floor, and repeat 10-15 times
5. Step Ups
This exercise uses many of the same muscles you use for a squat. However, you’ll use these muscles differently, strengthening weak areas. Step-ups help promote balance and stability while burning calories and shaping your thighs.
You will need something to step onto at least 12 inches high. If the exercise is too easy, consider adding resistance by holding dumbbells. You can also use a taller step to increase the intensity.
How to Do It
- Place one foot on the step and push through your heel to stand all the way up
- Bend your free knee up so that you are standing on one leg
- Put your free leg back down and return to a starting position
- Repeat this 15 times, and then switch feet
6. Glute Kickback Quad Exercises
This exercise strengthens your muscles, beneficial for any experience level. Focus on keeping your head facing forward throughout the movement. When you extend your leg, keep it parallel to the floor.
How to Do It
- Kneel on the floor or an exercise mat, keeping your hands directly under your shoulders
- Keep your back parallel to the floor.
- Raise your heel toward the ceiling, and hold this position for a few moments
- Return to the starting position and repeat with your other leg, doing 10-15 reps on each side
7. Leg Extension Quad Exercises
The leg extension machine is popular at the gym, but you can achieve the same results at home. You’ll need at least one set of dumbbells, a foam roller or rolled towel, and a solid chair. It helps melt away fat and build up your quads.
Doing two sets of leg extensions at the end of your exercise routine can boost your results. However, don’t keep pushing until you experience muscle fatigue because it can lead to injury. Aim to feel a burn, and then allow your muscles to rest.
How to Do It
- Find a chair, bench, or any other solid surface to sit on
- Put a dumbbell in front of your feet on the floor
- Place a rolled towel or foam roller just above the back of the knees to elevate your legs and increase the range of motion
- Shift into a sideways seat position, making sure the rolled towel stays in position
- Use your feet to lift the dumbbell, pushing your heels into the ground to get started
- Retract your muscles as you raise and lower the dumbbell, holding it at the top for a few moments
- Repeat the exercise 15 times, rest, and do it for another 15 reps
8. Terminal Knee Extension
This exercise is an effective method to strengthen your muscles while in a standing position. You’ll tone your thighs while simply supporting your body weight. You’ll need a resistance band or something similar.
As you do this exercise, make sure to move slowly and steadily. Your knees should be directly over your toes, and make sure you don’t shift forward to avoid excessive strain.
How to Do It
- Tie your resistance band around a fixed object so that it’s anchored at knee-height
- Step into the loop with one leg and pull it up around your knee
- Bend your knee slightly, and then slowly straighten it while placing tension on the band to produce resistance
- Once your knee is straight, hold the position for three seconds
- Repeat the exercise 15 times on each side
9. Box Jumps
This exercise will increase the strength and power of your legs. It targets all of your lower body muscles and your core, melting the fat in the process.
How to Do It
- Start by facing a sturdy platform (around 12 inches tall) with your feet hip-width apart
- Press your hips back while swinging your arms behind you, and then bend your knees into a jumping position
- Push through the balls of your feet, jumping straight into the air and landing on the sturdy surface
- Both feet should land on the platform at the same time simultaneously
- Return to the start position and repeat the exercise five to ten times
10. Wall Sits
Wall sits are one of the best quad exercises to shape your thigh muscles. Implementing wall sits at the end of your workout ensures you get the most out of it. It’ll produce a muscle burn that doesn’t let you forget how hard you’ve been working.
How to Do It
- Start with your back against the wall.
- Slide down until your knees and hips are at a 90-degree angle
- Tighten your core and keep your back flat against the wall
- Hold the position and focus on your breathing until your legs reach fatigue
- Slide your back up the wall and return to the starting position
- Rest for 30 seconds before doing another wall sit
