Stretching the quadriceps muscle. Quadriceps stretch

Symptoms A feeling of tightness in the muscles or severe pain that occurs when the load on this muscle group. Treatment Stop. Do not try to endure the pain, reduce the load, otherwise it will only get worse. Dynamic rest. Avoid stress on the quadriceps, perform strengthening general strengthening exercises for the upper body. Apply ice. Start icing your muscles as soon as possible: 15 minutes four to six times a week for the first two days. Stretch carefully. After a few days, gently stretch several times a day. Depending on the intensity of the pain, recovery should take two to eight weeks. Gradually increase the load. As the pain subsides, gradually return to the previous loads - high-speed training, work on climbs. If it hurts, don't push it. Prevention You need to work on strengthening gluteal muscles, hip flexors, quadriceps and upper body. All these muscles are interconnected and must be strong and mobile. For best result do compound exercises. Steps with dumbbells Take dumbbells in your hands, lower them along the torso. Place your left foot on a low bench or step. The knee should be bent at a right angle. Push off with your left foot, stand on it, the right leg is straightened and does not rest on anything. Lower your right foot to the ground. Do 10-15 sets, then switch legs.

Walking lunges(possible with dumbbells) Perform walking lunges with both legs, on each lunge change the leading leg. Take 10 steps forward, then return to the starting position with reverse walking lunges. Hip lift Lie on your back on the floor, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor. Arms along the body, palms up. Stretch your legs forward so that the body forms a straight line, tighten the gluteal muscles. Pull your toes forward. Hold for 5 seconds in this position, return to starting position. Repeat 15-20 times.

Article translated with the support of our partner RockTape

An effective method that combines both treatment and prevention is kinesio taping. When stretching the quadriceps, it is important to relieve tension and pain in the injured muscle as soon as possible, and RockTape does an excellent job of this task. To do this, it is necessary to prepare the skin - the skin must be clean and free of hair, for this you can use a regular razor and alcohol wipes. Then we measure the required length of the tape from the level of the groin to the tibial tuberosity (the area is 1.5-2 cm below patella), it is desirable to take a teip 10 cm wide, but you can also use a teip of a standard width. Then we round off the ends of the tape, cut one end to "grapple" the knee, as shown in the photo. We impose a strip without tension, bending the knee 90 degrees.

Since the quadriceps tendon is responsible, among other things, for stabilizing the knee joint, we duplicate this function with the notched ends of the tape, unloading the damaged muscle. For greater joint support, you can additionally apply an “inverted horseshoe” tape, and for a more pronounced analgesic effect, stick a short piece of tape across the main tape right above the area of maximum pain, while stretching evenly across the width in the central part, and apply the ends without tension.

Friends, we have prepared for you some very useful exercises for stretching the gluteal muscles. Stretching after a workout is very beneficial and should not be neglected. For the buttocks, there are exercises that are suitable for people of any age. Choose ones that you can perform with reasonable ease, but at the same time, you need them to give tangible tension in the target muscle. You can't stretch until it hurts.

Important! Comfortable clothes should be used for the exercises. It is better if it is made from natural fabrics. Start classes slowly, without sudden movements.

Lying stretch

Lie on your back and raise your legs bent at the knees. The thighs should be perpendicular to the floor.
Place the toe of one foot behind the knee of the other. With this knee, press on the toe, increasing the stretch in the gluteal muscles.
Also repeat with the other leg.

On knees

Get on all fours and place the shin of one leg on the calf muscle of the other. lower leg should be turned towards the second leg.
Lean your whole body back, increasing the stretch. Repeat for the other leg.

Stretching while sitting

Sit on the floor on your buttocks and stretch your legs out in front of you.
Grasp one of the legs by the shin with both hands, bending it at the knee and pressing it to the chest. The hands should cover one another. Feel the tension.
Repeat the movement with the second leg.

Quadriceps are a powerful group of muscles that form the front surface of the thigh, especially its lateral part. This group muscles takes an active part in the fundamental movements of a person - walking, running, squatting, standing up, maintaining balance. Without active involvement in the work of this zone, it is impossible to imagine a full-fledged yoga practice, as well as most sports and physical activity. I propose to understand in practice how to significantly improve the quality of the quadriceps and expand its functionality.

The quadriceps consists of a straight, lateral, medial and intermediate parts connecting the hip and knee joints. Thus, we can talk about a very powerful connection of two large joints that are constantly in motion. Over the course of life, if a person does not specifically engage in stretching the anterior surface of the thigh or, for example, spends most of the time sitting, the quadriceps shorten and form a stiff interarticular joint, which significantly reduces the mobility of the lower body and “folds” the body from the side of the abdominal cavity forward.

Many yoga exercises and practices require an already stretched and elastic front of the thigh. Examples are Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana, Hanumanasana, Ushtrasana, even quite simple variations of Parighasana. However, the preparation of this complex of muscles for full-fledged and, most importantly, safe work is a very long and regular process, requiring constant attention and monitoring of sensations from the practitioner, and from the teacher - a scrupulous "muscle" analysis of exercises and practices and competent adjustments.

Tips for Properly Stretching Stiff Quads

I will share several yoga therapy techniques for self-practice. I must remind you that this information will in no way replace a full-fledged consultation with an experienced specialist, but it will give you the keys to understanding the features of working with this muscle group.

1. When using any hamstring stretching exercise, never "thump" into the pose.. For example, you are in a wide lunge with support on one knee, ready to lengthen and stretch the quadriceps of the supporting leg. Do not follow the typical desire to lower the pelvis as low as possible and reach the pain threshold of stretching the indicated muscle! You simply do not give the body time to realize what is happening and turn on not a defensive reaction (“run away” from pain when a stiff muscle either “sticks” or gives a sharp pain signal, and often this is accompanied by tissue ruptures), but a calm interaction with the existing resource and gradual progress through the "correct" pain to a new muscle length.

2. Quadriceps - "compound muscle." Understand to the subtleties exactly what effect each of the components has and what exactly is your unique structure of this part of the body, taking into account the present age, the past bodily history and lifestyle. A serious help in this will be the assessment of the "posture" of the legs. For example, X-shaped legs may indicate a significant reduction in the lateral and intermediate sections of the quadriceps, and the O-shaped position, on the contrary, to a rigid medial muscle and tensor fascia lata. Taking into account individual characteristics, it is worth building a practice that will undoubtedly be very effective in your case.

3. Go beyond the standard "stretch" for quadriceps, for example, in a wide lunge or abduction of a leg bent at the knee back in a standing position. As I said, the "complex" quadriceps requires multifaceted study and a variety of practice. Don't forget about rotations hip joint, developing muscle fascia and places of attachment of muscle bundles, flexion-extension of the knees in various positions, giving elasticity to hard fibers at the point of attachment to the joint, all kinds of diagonal and lateral lunges and grips.

Learn your body through practice. Make the individual approach as professional as possible by resorting to knowledge in all expressions. Pass everything through the prism of your feelings and build up a unique experience of a different quality of movement and life!

Active leg training can lead to joint problems, as exercises for lower extremities can contribute to the destruction of cartilage surfaces through the use of very large weights. Stretching the quadriceps reduces the risk of injury, improves the elasticity of the ligaments and joints, increases blood circulation in the muscles, prepares the joints (the secretion of synovial fluid increases, which lubricates the articular surfaces and prevents cartilage damage). In addition, in leg training, special importance is attached to stretching after exercise.

Stretching exercises

1. Stretching quadriceps lying on your side

Lie on your side, bend one leg at the knee and grab your foot with your hand. Start pulling your leg back. Repeat the exercise for the other leg.

2. Kneeling quadriceps stretch

Get on your knees, bring one leg forward and rest your palms on your knee. Gently, leaning forward, move the body forward. Repeat the exercise for the other leg.

3. Kneeling Quad Stretch

Sit on your knees, grab your heels with your palms and move your pelvis forward and up. Tilt your head back, bend in the lower back. Slowly lean back and down.

4. Quadriceps stretch using the platform

Stand with your back to the step platform and put one foot on it, resting on the toe. Move forward slowly standing foot at the knee, resting on her hands. Repeat the exercise for the other leg.

5. Lunge Quad Stretch

A flexible elastic body is a man's dream. It is possible to try to implement the plan. The right complex exercises performed daily will help you achieve your cherished goal.

The front surface of the thigh is a tender part, you need to be careful when stretching it. The zone is pumped at an accelerated pace, it becomes very noticeable, “bloated”, preventing this, you will need to give up excessive weights when working with the front surface of the thigh. The muscles of the legs are pumped much less often than other parts of the body.

The muscles of this part allow you to bend your knees, tilt your pelvis forward, bend your hips, back muscles help to unfold.

On the front of the thigh surface is the most powerful leg muscle - the quadriceps or quadriceps muscle - so named in connection with the heads of the muscles that start from the femur and end in the tibia, forming a common tendon. The exception is the rectus muscle, descending from the ilium, attaching to the acetabulum. Quadriceps helps knee joint fully unfold.

The structure of the quadriceps includes muscles:

The straight line is the longest of the other four heads of the anterior muscles of the legs. It is located from the acetabulum and ends near the tibial tubercle. Non-bending of the knee has the least impact.
Lateral wide - the largest muscle of the specified part of the thigh. The shape is flat, wide and thick. It descends from the trochanter of the femur, weaving to the bottom of the tendon of the rectus leg muscle.
Medial wide - in shape resembles a drop located inside, originating from a rough line and moving on to the patellar ligament.
Intermediate wide - lies between the medial and lateral, is located deeper than the others, is recognized as the weakest compared to the rest.

Stretching the muscles of the front of the thigh: general rules

Any stretching of the back and front muscles implies compliance with the rules, first of all, so as not to damage health, and secondly, so that the achieved result is maintained for a long time.

Classes are held systematically. The number of classes should not decrease.

You will need to learn how to properly relax the muscles of the legs, otherwise it is possible to achieve the occurrence of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Consider running for a great way to stretch. You need to run at a normal pace, jumping from foot to foot with swing movements. It is possible to warm up with the help of jumps in place, on one leg or both.

Warming up the leg muscles before stretching will prepare the ligaments for the exercise.

The minimum time spent in a stretching position is 10 seconds, gradually increase to 60. Stretching less in time will not give a result.

To achieve success with stretching, you need to breathe deeply. You can't hold your breath!

Remember, stretching your muscles is not meant to be painful. Some discomfort is quite acceptable, especially on early stages but not pain.

A good muscle stretch is the result of many years of work on the body. You will need to stock up on a considerable supply of patience to engage in this type of activity.

The benefits of exercise are obvious: the effects of stress are prevented, weight is normalized, the cardiovascular system begins to work normally, and overall body resistance is developed.

Training gradually becomes a part of life. Stimulate your own interest by doing family or group activities.

Stretching while standing on one leg

To perform the voiced type of stretching, you need:

During the exercise, the muscles of the back, gluteus, posterior and anterior muscles of the thigh are strongly worked out in a complex way.

Consider points:

To achieve maximum stretching, try to keep your back straight during the exercise, make sure that your legs do not bend, the pelvic bone does not move forward.
If you choose a higher support, the stretching of the muscle group in question will increase significantly. It will also turn out to feel the stretching of individual back and front muscles on the left leg.

The classic version of the stretching of the anterior femoral muscles is performed while standing:

Performing the exercise, you will need to straighten the chest, shoulders and align the parts of the body.

Stretching in a lunge position

Relies:

Take an appropriate position in which the left leg takes the front position.
Bend your left leg at a right angle. The knee and ankle joints conditionally create a straight line.
To balance the body during the exercise, you need to take hold of a support (for example, a chair) or your left knee.
The pelvic bone moves forward so that the knee moves further ankle joint, it is impossible to tear off the heel from the floor.

The exercise will allow you to work out the anterior gluteal and individual posterior and anterior femoral muscles of the legs, lower legs, lumbar.

During the exercise, movements should be done smoothly, without jerks and sudden movements! Control that the left knee remains pointing forward and the knee right foot should not be on the floor.

If you want to stretch further, when the pelvis reaches the anterior point, it is worth bending your back.

Stretching in the supine position

The exercise is performed according to the algorithm:

Lie on the right side.
Bend the left leg to the limit, bring the heel to the buttocks for a short distance.
Take the foot, pull closer to the buttocks, while moving the pelvis forward. Do not try to touch the heel of the buttocks. As in the previous exercise, be careful. Pull the foot slowly to avoid injury to the muscles and joints. During the exercise, focus on stretching the hamstrings and hamstrings, not on maximum leg flexion.

Thanks to the exercise, the gluteal, lumbar and femoral muscles of the legs are stretched.