Why the Lying Quad Stretch is One of the Best Cycling Stretches

Ever been sitting around after a ride wondering how you can get the most out of your stretching and mobility routine - in as little time as possible? Well, this article was meant for you! We’re going to show you why the lying quad stretch is one of the best stretches a cyclist can do. We’ll also talk about how and when to do it for the best possible results.

One look at this cyclist’s thighs should tell you how crucial they are to our sport! (Image credit: Adobe Stock)

What Are the Quadriceps?

The quadriceps are a set of muscles on the front of your thigh. There are four of them (quad-riceps):

Rectus Femoris

The rectus femoris is the largest and most superficial of the quadriceps, running from your pelvis all the way down the middle of the thigh to the knee cap. It is the only one with a dual function; hip flexion and knee extension.

Vastus Intermedius

The vastus intermedius lies underneath the rectus femoris, also in the middle of the thigh. It originates on the femur (thigh bone) and inserts into the patella (knee cap). Its primary function is knee extension (straightening the leg).

Vastus Lateralis

The vastus lateralis is located on the outside (lateral) part of the thigh, also originating at the femur and inserting into the patella. It extends the knee and is especially important for outer knee stability. 

Vastus Medialis

The vastus medialis sits on the inside of the knee, and is recognized by its “teardrop” shape. Also originating at the femur and inserting into the patella, this muscle is particularly important for inner knee stability, as well as forceful extension of the knee.

Graphic showing the different quadriceps muscles. (Image credit: Adobe Stock)

As you may have guessed (from experience or otherwise), the quadriceps are extremely important for cyclists. They are the primary movers on the bike, and indeed the most powerful force producers when it comes to pedaling. 

Quadriceps Function While Cycling

Intramuscular electromyography studies have shown the incredible importance of this muscle group to the function of pedaling a bike. A pedal stroke is achieved largely through the action of knee extension, the primary function of the quadriceps muscles as a whole. Let’s take a quick look at how these muscles activate through the movement…

• From the top dead center position (0°) to halfway through the propulsion phase of the pedal stroke (90°), vastus lateralis and vastus medialis have their most pronounced levels of activation, not contributing significantly through the rest of the movement
• Rectus femoris showed two distinct activations in both the 1st quadrant of propulsion and the 4th quadrant of recovery; this is most likely due to the rectus femoris’ bi-articular attachments at both the hip and knee (i.e. helps with knee extension on the way down, and hip flexion on the way up)
• Vastus intermedius contracted in coordination with the other quadriceps muscles, however showed a longer pattern of activation than the other two more superficial vastii muscles (medialis/lateralis); it’s proposed that the deep vastus intermedius muscle is possibly having a stabilizing effect on the knee throughout the duration of the pedaling movement

All this to say, the quads are working hard on every single pedal, and you could be pushing upwards of 1000 pedals per mile at a competitive pace on flat terrain. With this in mind, we have to think about the recovery that will help us maintain this workload long-term. One of the best stretches to help us do this is the lying quad stretch.

Lying Quad Stretch

Instructions:

1. Start by lying on your side, using your bottom arm or a block to prop up your head in a comfortable position
2. Reach the foot of your top leg back towards your top arm until you can grab it
3. Pull back on the top of your foot so it goes towards your butt, flexing the knee and stretching the quadriceps
4. Be sure not to arch your lower back by keeping your glutes squeezed and your core engaged, this will increase the stretch on your quads
5. Hold for 30-60+ seconds on each side
6. Modification: If you can’t reach your foot to pull on, you can use a stretching strap or resistance band hooked around your foot/ankle to increase the reach capacity to your hand

Benefits

This is a wonderful stretch for all four of the quadriceps muscles that can be performed anywhere at any time. It gives you a way to gently open up the tissues that are working so hard for you while riding a bike, helping to restore blood flow and maintain the flexibility, both necessary for power production and effective recovery. 

Failing to maintain the health of your tissues can result in knee pain through conditions such as patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as cyclist’s knee. Tissues that contract chronically have the tendency to tighten into those shortened positions and wreak havoc on our body in the long run.

When to Perform

This quad stretch should be performed post ride or on off days. The reason is because too much static stretching prior to activity can reduce force production in the stretched muscles. It sends a relaxation signal to the brain and makes them in some sense lazy. To ensure maximum capabilities before your ride, you should use a dynamic warmup that avoids static stretching.

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 Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist