8 Leg Extension Alternatives for Ripped Quads 

Many guys neglect their lower halves in their quest for bulging biceps. However, you don’t want a lopsided, chicken-leg look but a complete sleek physique. That means hitting the weight room on alternating days, but you don’t have to stick to machines. There are plenty of leg extension alternatives that can rip your quads, many of which you can do right in your living room. 

What should you do if you can’t make it to the gym, have to travel out of town or simply need a change from your typical routine? These eight leg extension alternatives will shape and define your quads while burning calories, all with minimal to no equipment. 

Your Quadriceps Muscles 

Your quadriceps muscles give the front of your legs that sculpted look, although you can only see three of the four fibers leading to the name. This group consists of the following muscles: 

• Rectus femoris: The large muscle running down the front of your upper thigh, partially occluding the three vastus muscles. 
• Vastus lateralis: Runs down the outside of the thigh, connecting the femur to the patella (kneecap). 
• Vastus intermedius: The hidden quad, which lies tucked behind the rectus femoris. 
• Vastus medialis: Runs along the inside of the thigh, connecting the femur to the patella on the other side of your knee. 

You probably guessed that you use these muscles a lot. You’ll gain considerable mass from daily activities, particularly if you walk, hike or bike significant distances. 

What about the cubicle jockeys among us? Even long-distance athletes hit the gym for toning. You, too, can do the leg extension alternatives below to sculpt the front of your thigh, creating the lean look you desire. 

8 Leg Extension Alternatives to Rip Your Quads 

You can perform the following eight leg extension alternatives at home or in the gym. Mix up your typical lower body day with a few of these moves, or master them without weights or with bands only for use on the road. 

1. Stand and Deliver 

Here’s a leg extension alternative with variations that work your balance. However, you can feel free to grab a wall or a chair to focus the work entirely on the front of your thigh. 

Stand up straight and lift one knee to 90 degrees. Slowly extend your leg so that it is straight out in front of you. Repeat several times, working your core if you choose the balance option with no assistance. Keep your standing leg bent slightly at the knee to protect the joint — you’ll also feel this move in the quad of the standing thigh. 

Variation One: Hold a dumbbell in either hand. 

Variation Two: Loop one end of a resistance band around the standing leg, attaching the other to the raised leg for added resistance and balance challenge. 

2. Say Your Prayers 

You might feel like you’re in church with this move, but it’s a great leg extension alternative. Begin kneeling in an upright position as if you were a child about to say evening prayers. Lower your backside to your heels so that you’re sitting on them, then return to an upright kneeling position. 

Variation: Add weights. You can add a dumbbell in each hand or hug a plate to your chest. 

3. Walk the Lunge 

Walking lunges are an incredible alternative with a bonus: Cardio. You do three or four sets of these bad boys around the lap track at your local gym, and your legs will scream at you the next day — in a good way, of course. 

You can do walking lunges with or without weights. Take a large step forward — about two feet or enough that the front of your forward calf is perpendicular to the floor, as is the quad of the back leg. The trick is to perfect your form with these tips: 

• Keep your front knee from extending over your front toe. You should be able to see the tip of your shoe.
• Keep your lower leg parallel to the floor. If your bottom knee touches, you’ve gone too far. 

4. Split Squats 

Yes, you can do this move at home, although you might use your stairs, kitchen chair or an ottoman for the necessary lift. It’s also known as the Bulgarian squat, and it’s a simple way to get the majority of the work on your standing leg. 

Take a lunge position, elevating your back leg on a riser — your second stair or an 18” to 24” box, depending on your height. Your forward calf should stay perpendicular to the floor as you descend. Avoid hyperextending the knee past the forward ankle. Instead, drop down as if you were an elevator, then rise to upright, repeating as many reps as possible before switching sides. 

5. Reverse Lunges 

Reverse lunges change the angle of the pressure, putting more on your front quad. They’re also slightly more gentle on your knees, making this leg extension alternative a wise choice if you have a torn meniscus or other woes causing inflammation in that joint. 

Stand upright, then step back and lower both legs to a 90-degree angle. As in forward lunges, you should avoid shooting the forward knee over the ankle, but the reverse motion helps correct this tendency. Return to standing, alternating sides. You can perform this move with or without weights. 

Variation: Perform as many reps as possible on one side before switching to the other. 

6. Lateral Step Ups 

Here’s another exercise where your stairs come in handy. Lateral step-ups are particularly effective for defining the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris. Stand with an 18” to 24” box or your staircase to your side. Place one foot firmly on the surface and step up laterally, keeping the non-working leg elevated for the toughest variation. However, if you lose your balance and touch your toe down, it’s okay. 

Repeat as many reps as possible to one side before switching to the other. You can do this move with or without weights. 

7. Cyclist Squats

Cyclist squats slightly elevate your heels, pushing your body weight forward and making your quads do most of the work. You’ll need two weight plates to lift your heels, but you can just as easily use two books of approximately 1-inch thickness for height. 

Place your heels on the weights or books, pressing your weight forward into your toes. Perform a standard squat, weighted or unweighted, keeping your weight back. You should be able to see the tips of your sneakers at the bottom of the move. 

8. Supine Leg Raises 

Here’s a Pilates-inspired finisher that’s all about the sculpt. You don’t need any equipment, although you can certainly loop an exercise band around your ankles for added resistance. 

Lie on your back, placing your hands beneath your tailbone to press your lower back into the floor for safety. Raise both legs approximately an inch off the ground. Keeping your legs straight, lift and lower one leg a few inches before returning it to the original position — don’t let it touch the ground. As a bonus, this move also sculpts that 6-pack. 

Leg Extension Alternatives for Ripped Quads

Many men skip leg day. They then rue their decision when it’s time to pull on their bathing suit and hit the beach with a lopsided physique. 

Be smarter than the average gym rat. Mix up lower body day with these leg extension alternatives and get sculpted quads you’ll gladly show off at the shore.