Positions for a Thigh Workout

Exercises for the muscles of your thighs -- your quadriceps and hamstrings -- can be done in a variety of positions, such as standing upright and lying flat on your back. Depending on the health of your spine, you may want to choose one position over another. Otherwise, you may take advantage of all the major positions so you can work your thigh muscles in different angles and provide them with varied stimulation, which is beneficial for maximizing muscular adaptation.

  1. Standing Position

    • The most difficult thigh exercises are those done in a standing position. This is because your muscles need to work much harder to support and balance your own body weight, in addition to having to contract in order to allow for the desired motion of the exercises. The back squat, front squat, lunge and straight-leg deadlift are the most effective thigh exercises in which you start in a standing position. However, these exercises place a great deal of stress on your spine, so if you suffer from severe back problems, it is best to keep away from these exercises until your spinal condition improves.

    Incline and Seated Positions

    • If you cannot do the standing exercises, then incline and seated thigh exercises may be the solution to your problem. This is because these positions put much less stress on your spine, especially in the incline position. Exercises for your thighs on an incline or seated machine are the leg extension, leg press and seated leg curl. These are all excellent and safe movements for the quadriceps and hamstrings of your thighs.

    Flat Position

    • Doing thigh exercises while lying flat provides position options that fall in-between the standing, incline and seated positions in terms of relieving spinal stress. The disadvantage of this position is the lack of exercises you can perform. Among your limited choices are the lying hack squat and the lying hamstrings curl.

    The Verdict

    • The standing, incline and seated positions allow for the most variety of thigh exercises. Standing thigh movements are the most difficult, but most effective. However, they are not recommended if you have spinal complications. If that is the case, opt to do incline, seated and lying thigh exercises. These exercises are also highly effective for building up and strengthening your thigh muscles, and they provide a lesser risk of injury to your spine.