9 Best Eccentric Quad Exercises For Strengthening Knees You Haven’t Tried

Eccentric quad exercises have many benefits including improving ability to walk down steps and hills. In addition to this eccentric training can improve quadriceps strength, muscle mass, flexibility, athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury. This post will dive into the most effective 9 eccentric quad exercises with pictures and designed by a physical therapist, to improve quadriceps muscle strength and overall mobility.

Eccentric quad exercises are a type of strength training where muscles lengthen under tension. Eccentric exercises are particularly important for the quadriceps muscles, the large muscle group at the front of your thigh.

These quad muscles include vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris muscles and are important inevery day activities such as walking, running, and jumping.

What Are Eccentric Exercises?

Eccentric exercises involve muscle contractions, specifically eccentric contractions where the muscle lengthens under tension. This type of exercise occurs when you lower a weight or control the descent of your body.

Some examples of eccentric exercises are, lowering a dumbbell during a bicep curl or descending into a squat. These movements are controlled and deliberate, focusing on the lengthening phase of the muscle contraction.

Eccentric exercises are the opposite of concentric exercises, where the muscle shortens as it contracts. Some examples of concentric quad exercises are straight leg raises, the “up” phase of squats and short arc quads. An example of non quad concentric exercise is lifting a weight, or performing the “up” phase of a push up.

Medical Disclaimer

As always it is important to consult with your healthcare provider prior to starting a new exercise program, espcially if you have an injury or other health comorbidities. Your healthcare provider may even refer you for physical therapy.

Your physical therapist is the best professional to ensure that you are performing each eccentric exercise with proper form and guide you through the best eccentric quad exercises for you, and your specific injury.

9 Best Eccentric Quad Exercises

Eccentric training is the type of training that involves muscle lengthening. These eccentric quad exercises are a great way to improve muscle strength, muscle size, range of motion and assist in injury prevention. These eccentric exercises are 1. Eccentric Quad Step Down 2. Eccentric Wall Squats 3. Terminal Knee Extensions 4. Split Squats 5. Reverse Eccentric Nordic Curls 6. Lunges 7. Eccentric Leg Extensions 8. Eccentric Leg Presses 9. Eccentric Sit To Stand.

1. Eccentric Quad Step Down

• This is a great exercise to target the quads muscle group eccentrically.
• The eccentric step down exercise requires a step.
• Start by standing with both feet on a step.
• If you want to perform this exercise on your right knee you will keep your right foot on the step and your left knee straight.
• Now slowly bend your right knee until your left foot touches the floor and then push back up to the starting position with both feet on the step.
• If this is too difficut you can use a smaller step, hold onto a handrail or take a step down to the side of the step instead of forward.
• The key with this exercise is to control the descent. If you are just uncontrollably dropping your foot on the ground, you are not working on eccentric control

If you do not have a step stool, you can buy an adjustable step on Amazon.

2. Eccentric Wall Squats

• This eccentric quadriceps muscle exercise is the controlled lowering phase of a squat.
• The starting position for this exercise is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Begin the squat by bending your knees and hips and slowly lowering your entire body weight until you are in a squat position.
• Now return to the starting position by standing up quickly.
• Be sure to emphasize the eccentric phase or lowering phase of this exercise.

3. Terminal Knee Extensions

• Start in the standing position with a resistance band wrapped around a sturdy surface and the back of your knee.
• Start with your knee bent and then slowly straighten your knee by pushing the back of your knee back into the resistance band.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and then very slowly bend your knee back to the starting position. This is the eccentric work of the exercise.

You can buy this resistance band on Amazon. It includes a pack of 5 resistance bands and comes in a portable bag.

4. Split Squats

• Start by standing with one leg in front of you and the other leg on a chair behind you.
• Now slowly bend your knees by lowering yourself downwards towards the floor until your back knee is a few inches from the floor.
  • This is the eccentric phase.
• Now you can push all the way up until you are in the starting position.

5. Reverse Eccentric Nordic Curls (with Quad Focus)

• Start in a tall-kneeling position on a mat to avoid knee pain from performing this on a hard surface.
• Create a straight line from your quads to your torso and head.
• Maintain that straight line while leaning back and, lowering your back towards the ground as far as you can.
• Now push yourself back up into the starting position.

6. Eccentric Lunges

• Eccentric lunges emphasize the lowering phase of the lunge.
• Start with one leg a foot or two in front of the other and lower your body slowly over 4-5 seconds until your back knee is a few inches above the ground.
  • Don’t allow the front knee to go past the toes.
• Now stand back up to the starting position.

7. Eccentric Leg Extensions

• This simple exercise is a great exercise to improve eccentric quad control without placing excessive stress on the knee joint.
• You can perform this exercise with or without a leg extension machine.
• If you are using a leg extension machine you will place your ankles underneath the machine and extend or straighten both of your knees.
  • Now take one leg off the machine and very slowly lower your other leg down.
• If you are performing this exercise without a machine you will start by sitting with your leg straight and then slowly lower your leg back down until it is bent at 90 degrees.
  • For added difficulty you can add an ankle weight or resistance band around your ankles.
• You can find more variations of this exercise at How To Perform Short Arc And Long Arc Quads With Variations.

8. Eccentric Leg Presses

• This exercise focuses on improving the quadriceps by emphasizing the lowering phase on the leg press machine.
• Start by sitting on the leg press machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
• Extend your legs to push the platform up with 2 feet.
• Now take one leg off the platform and slowly lower the platform back to the starting position over 4-5 seconds.

9. Sit To Stand (Up With 2 Legs, Down With 1 Leg)

• Start by standing with your legs hip width apart and sitting on a chair.
• Now lean forward and stand up.
• Now lift one leg off the ground and slowly lower yourself back down the sitting position.

Eccentric Quad Exercises For Patellar Tendonitis

The most effective eccentric quad exercises for patellar tendonitis are exercises that you perform the concentric or rising phase with 2 feet and the eccentric or lowering phase with one leg.

All of the exercises included in this post are eccentric quad exercises, however the best eccentric quad exercises specifically for patellar tendonitis are 1. Eccentric Step Down 2. Eccentric Leg Press 3. Eccentric Leg Extension 4. Sit To Stand 5. Terminal Knee Extension.

Benefits of Eccentric Quad Exercises

• Improved Muscle Strength and Mass
  • The controlled lengthening of the muscle fibers during eccentric exercises creates more tension than concentric contractions, leading to greater muscle growth and strength gains.
• Enhanced Athletic Performance
  • Eccentric exercises enhance athletic performance by improving muscle control and power. Strong quadriceps are crucial for activities like running, jumping, and changing directions quickly.
• Injury Prevention
  • Eccentric training can help to decrease the risk of injury by strengthening the muscles and tendons and improving knee stability.
• Increased Flexibility and Mobility
  • Eccentric exercises improve flexibility and mobility. This increased range of motion helps maintain joint health and function.

Conclusion

Eccentric quad exercises are so important in providing knee stability and quad control. This makes daily activities like walking, especially downhill, descending stairs and squatting down possible!

If you are looking for more quad exercises you can find them at Inner Thigh Workout: Top 10 Exercises For Toned Thighs.