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All-Fours Quad Stretch

BeginnerstretchTier T1

You start on your hands and knees on a mat with a flat back. You lift one leg and reach back to hold its foot or ankle with the same-side hand, keeping that knee bent. You press the hip toward the floor and hold.

Targets: Knee
Muscles: Quadriceps

Stop if

Choose an easier exercise if pain reaches 6 out of 10 or becomes sharp. Stop and rest if pain reaches 8 out of 10.

This is the general ClapMove rule. This exercise has no extra stop rule of its own.

  • Pain 6 out of 10 or more: choose an easier exercise.
  • Pain 8 out of 10 or more: stop and rest.

Equipment needed

  • Works at home
  • Works at the gym

none

Home Options

  • bodyweight

Dosage

1

Sets

20 sec

Reps / Time

15 sec

Rest

controlled

Tempo

Step-by-Step Guide

Set up

  • Start on your hands and knees on the mat.
  • Lift one leg off the floor and reach back to hold its foot or ankle with the same-side hand.
  1. She is on all fours on the mat, hands under her shoulders and knees under her hips, her back flat and her head in line with her spine.

    Step 1 of 5

    Start on your hands and knees on the mat with a flat back.

  2. She has lifted her right leg and reached her right hand back to hold its foot, that knee fully flexed, balancing on her left hand and left knee.

    Step 2 of 5

    Lift one leg off the floor and reach back to hold its foot or ankle with the same-side hand, keeping that knee fully flexed.

  3. She is pressing her right hip down toward the floor, the right foot still held by the right hand and the knee fully flexed, the stretch felt along the front of the lifted thigh.

    Step 3 of 5

    Focus on extending the hip, pressing it toward the floor to stretch the quadriceps and hip flexors.

  4. She holds the pressed position steadily, right hand on right foot, hip low, breathing evenly through the sustained stretch.

    Step 4 of 5

    Hold the stretch for ten to twenty seconds, then release and switch sides.

  5. She is on all fours on the mat, hands under her shoulders and knees under her hips, her back flat and her head in line with her spine.

    Step 5 of 5

    Start on your hands and knees on the mat with a flat back.

Safety Information

Anyone with a shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, back or balance problem should ask a physical therapist or physician before attempting this exercise and stop at pain or dizziness. The hold runs ten to twenty seconds and then the side switches. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.

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Printed from clapmove.com. ClapMove is not a replacement for professional medical advice — always consult a healthcare provider before starting any exercise program.