All Fours Quad Stretch

Also called kneeling quad stretch, quadruped quad stretch and all fours quad stretch.

Works

Quads, plus quads

Equipment

Bodyweight

Level

Intermediate

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. Start off on your hands and knees, then lift your leg off the floor and hold the foot with your hand.

1. Use your hand to hold the foot or ankle, keeping the knee fully flexed, stretching the quadriceps and hip flexors.
2. Focus on extending your hips, thrusting them towards the floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds and then switch sides.

Cues

• Hands and knees, grab one foot.
• Heel toward the glute.
• Push the hips forward gently.
• Keep the ribs down, no arching.

Common mistakes

• Arching the low back.
• Twisting the hips open.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have sore knees. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

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