I often see patients recovering from knee surgery or injury who are not making adequate gains in thigh strain. Ditto for many healthy folks who take long fitness walks on a daily basis. They both tend to think that walking and standing a lot will build their quadriceps. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. So many of my patients, including athletes, are surprised when I tell them they have quad weakness or atrophy.
To build solid quads with great strength and endurance, you need to work them specifically. Walking (even running) is great for your heart and will build your calves, but it does little for your quads. "I'm on my feet all day" just doesn't cut it.
My recipe for strong quads is to perform specific quad muscle building exercises, like leg extensions, lunges and squats, or even step-ups, on a very regular basis. This needs to be a lifetime habit - and not just for guys. Women and the elderly need this type of exercise every bit as much as the starting line for the Philadelphia Eagles football team.
Cycling is also very specific for building quad strength and endurance, which is why it is a mainstay of knee rehabilitation. Just picture Lance Armstrong's tree trunks going round and round.
Do your leg strengthening exercises every other day. Do two or three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions in good, slow form, concentrating on tightening the front thigh muscle. While you are at it, you should also try to add other muscle groups (i.e. core, gluteals, hips, hamstrings and calves) to your lower body strength building routine to really have sensational, durable wheels of steel.
If you are very weak or recovering from injury or surgery, it helps to see a therapist. You should also be doing your exercises more frequently, even several times per day. One great quad builder that I described in my book, FrameWork - Your 7 Step Program for Muscles, Bones and Joints (there are many more exercises outlined in FrameWork), is the "lock and lift." It is a great exercise that can be done easily at home, and is particularly good for individuals with patellar or kneecap problems who might not be able to tolerate more traditional quadriceps building moves like those listed above. Exercises like squats and lunges are great thigh builders but also place significant stresses on the kneecap area (patellofemoral joint).
To perform a "lock and lift," lie on your back with your left knee bent and left foot resting on the ground. Next tighten and slowly lock your right thigh (pushing back with the right knee). Feel the VMO muscle (teardrop shaped vastus medialis oblique muscle on the inner side of the knee, just above the knee cap). Be sure it contracts and gets firm. Next, lift your right leg 6 to 8 inches off the ground and hold 5 to 7 seconds.
Keep feeling your thigh muscle and VMO to be sure they are staying tight at maximal contraction (until you get really good at this). This assures that your quad is doing the work, and not your hip. Hold 5 to 7 seconds and repeat 12 to 15 times. Next do your opposite leg.
When this gets very easy, start adding ankle weights. Start with 1 or 2 pounds and don't go over 10 pounds, or you will probably start using your hip again to do the lift. The key is concentrating on tightening and palpating the muscle for biofeedback-type information to assure that you are really working the muscle effectively.
Monitor your gains by checking both the tone and size of your thigh. Mark a spot with a pen four inches above the upper edge of your kneecap (with your legs straight and relaxed). Next measure the circumference of your thigh at that point. Recheck every month. It should be growing, not shrinking.
You don't need to be Quadzilla, you just need to be strong. It is more important than you can imagine. Even Bette Davis once said, "I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box." She obviously was on the right track.
