The Claim

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.

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

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
48score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

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.

See the scientific wording

Exercise selection—specifically back squat versus leg extension—significantly influences regional muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations in untrained young women over an 8-week period, with leg extensions favoring rectus femoris growth and back squats favoring distal vastus lateralis growth and squat-specific strength gains.

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises

    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.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

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