WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING to increase your squat max, or lower your half marathon time, strengthening your knee extension can help you reach your fitness goals.
Knee extension is one of the chief actions in many of our everyday movements. Any time you straighten your leg, you’re extending at the knee joint. Think about how often you get out of a chair, climb stairs, or squat—all those motions require significant engagement from the knee extensors. Even when walking or running, you extend the leg as you brace for your foot impact to the ground. The strength of our knee extensors also contributes to the stability of the joint, which is vital for plyometric training and lateral agility.
Here, physical therapist Daniel Giordano, DPT, PT, C.S.C.S. of Bespoke Treatments in New York City, and Vaughn Gray, CPT, share four exercises that you can do to improve your knee extension, which will help to strengthen your quads and stabilize the knee joint.
What Muscles Are Involved in Knee Extension?
Knee extension is powered mostly by the quadricep muscles. There are four muscles that make up the quad: the rectus femorus, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis. They originate at the hip and attach just below the knee. Together, they shorten to allow the knee to straighten out, Giordano says.
4 Exercises to Help with Knee Extension
Knee Extension
This basic exercise really narrows in on the quads, waking them up for movement.
How to Do It:
- Sit in a chair or on a platform so your hips and knees are both at 90 degrees. Roll up a towel and place it under one knee—this will help increase range of motion.
- Straighten out the leg with the towel underneath it. Squeeze the quad as much as possible.
- Hold for 2 to 3 seconds before returning to resting position.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
Loaded Box Squat
This movement will work on the straightening of the knee joint in a functional way. Focus on slowing down this move to ensure proper muscle fiber recruitment, Giordano says.
How to Do It:
- Begin by standing in front of a box, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest.
- Fully lower to where you are sitting down on the box. Hold for a second before returning to standing, tightening the quads on the way up.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.
Step Up
Step ups are another functional way to practice knee extension. If you want to add a challenge to this exercise, add a weight, and hold up to the chest just like the previous exercise.
How to Do It:
- Find a box or other sturdy surface. Place one foot up on the box.
- Step up by squeezing the quad tightly to straighten out the front knee. Slowly return the back foot to the floor.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
Banded Terminal Knee Extension
This exercise will focus on honing the terminal end of knee extension, or the last few degrees before the joint comes to a full straighten. To increase the intensity, get a thicker band, or step back further away from the anchor point.
How to Do It:
- Anchor a long loop band around a post or another sturdy object. Lace your foot into the loop, placing it just behind your knee.
- Take a step back until there’s tension on the band. Bend the knee to release some of the tension, and then straighten again against the resistance.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
For more advice from physical therapists to help you move and feel better, check out all of our guides in The Fix series.
Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.
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