Which leg exercise you choose matters: leg extensions grow the front thigh muscle more, squats grow the lower outer thigh more and make you stronger at squats—but both help you get stronger at leg extensions.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2025 Dec 12

This study found that doing leg extensions makes the front thigh muscle grow more, while doing squats makes the lower part of the outer thigh muscle grow more and makes you stronger at squats—exactly what the claim said.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises

Score: 48

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005338

Similar Assertions

Doing leg extensions makes the front thigh muscle grow more evenly along its length than doing squats, which don’t stimulate that muscle as much.

89%

Different leg exercises make different parts of your thigh muscles bigger — leg extensions grow the front part, squats grow the lower outer part.

89%

Doing leg extensions makes the front thigh muscle bigger along its whole length more than doing squats, especially near the knee.

85%

Doing leg extensions for 8 weeks makes the front thigh muscle bigger along its whole length more than doing squats, especially near the knee.

83%

Squats make the outer part of the thigh muscle near the knee bigger than leg extensions do.

81%