Seated Knee Extension
Sitting on a chair, you straighten one knee to lift the foot until the leg is level, training the quadriceps with an ankle weight or bodyweight. It builds the thigh strength that getting up and climbing stairs rely on. Choose it at home or when a leg extension machine is out of reach.
Updated
Primary muscles: Quadriceps. Equipment: Bodyweight.
Muscles worked
Primary
Equipment
How to do it
- Sit all the way back in a sturdy chair with the feet flat and hip-width apart.
- Hold the sides of the seat and sit tall.
- Flex the ankle of the working foot so the toes point up.
- Straighten the knee for a count of 2 until the leg is level with the seat.
- Pause for one count with the thigh muscles tight.
- Lower the foot to the floor for a count of 4.
- Finish all reps on one side before switching.
Watch for
- Leaning back to swing the leg up.
- Lifting the thigh off the seat.
- Kicking the knee straight instead of lifting slowly.
Breathing
Exhale as you straighten the knee, inhale as you lower.
Tip
Do 2 sets of 10 per leg. Log the ankle weight as the weight. If the chair is too low, put a rolled towel under the knees.
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