🍑 How to Quads Leg Extensions

Turning the toes in activates the tear drop / inner quads (vastus medialis) because this muscles job is to turn the toes in (internal rotation). The vastus medialis’ (outer quad sweep) muscle fibers run in a slanted / oblique orientation on the outer leg. Turning the toes in takes slack out of the muscle and automatically increases tension even before you contract the muscle; this elevates activation. The mid quads (rectus femoris) originates in the front of the hip, but it does so slightly towards the inner part of the thigh.

💥Thus, by turning your toes out you take the slack out of the muscle and increase its ability to contract during leg extensions.

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Today’s topic in The Muscle PhD Academy addresses the rectus femoris (middle quads) ability to be activated during squats and leg extensions. This muscle acts to flex the hip (move the thigh forward and up) and extend the knee. Hip flexion counters the hip extension that occurs when standing up on a squat.

💥Thus, the nervous system does not activate the rectus femoris on squats as much as it does on leg extensions. Therefore, use leg extensions to optimize mid quad muscle growth!