Why leg extensions grow your thigh differently than squats
The role of exercise selection in regional Muscle Hypertrophy: A randomized controlled trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Leg extensions caused significant hypertrophy in all three regions of the rectus femoris, while squats only affected the central region of the vastus lateralis.
Most assume compound movements like squats stimulate muscles more fully, but here, an isolation exercise outperformed it in regional coverage—especially for a bi-articular muscle like the rectus femoris.
Practical Takeaways
If you want even growth across your entire front thigh, include leg extensions in your routine alongside squats.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Leg extensions caused significant hypertrophy in all three regions of the rectus femoris, while squats only affected the central region of the vastus lateralis.
Most assume compound movements like squats stimulate muscles more fully, but here, an isolation exercise outperformed it in regional coverage—especially for a bi-articular muscle like the rectus femoris.
Practical Takeaways
If you want even growth across your entire front thigh, include leg extensions in your routine alongside squats.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Sports Sciences
Year
2021
Authors
Aitor Zabaleta-Korta, Eneko Fernández-Peña, J. Torres-Unda, Arkaitz Garbisu-Hualde, J. Santos-Concejero
Related Content
Claims (4)
Isolation exercises targeting a single joint (e.g., leg extensions) produce greater hypertrophy in bi-articular muscles (e.g., rectus femoris) compared to multi-joint compound movements (e.g., squats) due to avoidance of active insufficiency.
Even if you work out the same amount and intensity, what exercise you pick can change which part of your muscle gets bigger.
Different leg exercises make different parts of your thigh muscles grow bigger—leg extensions grow all parts of one muscle, while squats mainly grow the middle part of another.
Leg extensions make the whole front of your thigh muscle grow evenly, while squats mainly make the middle part of a different thigh muscle grow.