Aspire, Perspire, Nourish Yourself

Muscles of the Month: Quadriceps and Hamstrings

photo credit: Dreamstime

This month we continue our muscle series by reviewing the quadriceps and hamstrings together. These two muscle groups work in concert to facilitate everyday activities such as walking, running, jumping, and moving our torso.

Although you can’t see them unless looking in the mirror, everyone else notices them when you’re wearing shorts! Yes, hamstrings are the muscles at the back of your thighs. The quadricep muscles (quads), on the other hand, are at the front, and should be stronger than your hamstrings for effective leg functioning.

Besides aiming for shapely legs, work on these muscles to create strong legs, which are your body’s foundation. They not only help us move, but also provide stability for the rest of our body when performing other actions.

Where are the Quads and Hamstrings?

The quads are made up of 4 muscles, which all help in extending the knee.

Rectus Femoris – at front of thigh, which also helps in hip flexion
Vastus Medialis – towards inside of thigh
Vastus Lateralis – largest muscle of quads and located towards outside of thigh
Vastus Intermedius – sits under rectus femoris muscle in upper two-thirds area of femur

For a visual of where each of the muscles is located within the quad group, visit Inner Body.

The hamstrings are made up of 3 muscles, which are responsible for extending the hip, flexing the knee, and rotating the hip and knee.

Bicep Femoris – consisting of a long head and a short head
Semitendinosus – long muscle that looks like a band and is located towards inside of thigh
Semimembranosus – third hamstring muscle; deepest muscle located in back of thigh

Explore a visual of these muscles by visiting Inner Body.

As you can see when comparing the functions of each of these muscle groups, the hamstrings are antagonist to the quads and help perform the opposite actions from the quads.

Exercises for Quads and Hamstrings

Check out these exercises to work these two groups of muscles.

Bodyweight Squats

Leg Press Machine

Cable Leg Extension – Standing

Dumbbell Half Wall Slide

Straight Leg Kick Reverse Lunge

Bent-legged Deadlifts

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl

You will feel the burn after doing these exercises! If you haven’t challenged your hamstrings and quadriceps for a while, you may be stiff and sore just walking up stairs after these exercises so be sure to stretch well.

References:

Hatfield, Frederick C., Fitness: The Complete Guide: Official Text for ISSA’s Certified Fitness Trainer Course, Ed. 8.6.6, ISSA, Carpinteria, CA: 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamstring
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadriceps_femoris_muscle

Recipe of the Week: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Is it Time to De-Clutter?

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you wish you could start over? You just want to simplify things, get rid of the old and bring in the new. Maybe you don’t feel overwhelmed and instead you feel sluggish and in a rut. Following the same routine that leaves little time for the things you enjoy.

Maybe you need to de-clutter your life, and not just your house, car, garage, office or wherever you spend most of your time! De-clutter your body, your mind, your relationships, your routines for optimum health!

The physical act of de-cluttering your surroundings may help pave the way to restoring order to other aspects of your life so start here. When you get rid of the stuff you don’t need and make a place for everything in your home, it looks cleaner and feels more peaceful. You have more time for yourself, and you also spend less time tidying up or shoving things in the closet when unexpected guests drop by.

Lessons from De-Cluttering

As an analogy for de-cluttering ourselves, draw upon the rules for de-cluttering spaces:

Quickly sort through your stuff into piles – keep, give away, recycle, throw out.
Use it or lose it!
Get rid of broken things.
Keep what is valuable to you (financial, emotional, other) and find a place for it.
Think before you buy or take on more stuff.
When you buy something new, get rid of something else.

So you say, “What? How do these rules apply to de-cluttering my life?” Rather than taking each literally, step back and think through your current situation. For instance:

What parts of your life give you joy and are of most value to you? Keep these and get rid of ones that cause you stress.
Do you have relationships in your life that are broken and can’t be fixed? Then get rid of these ties and move on.
Do you take on more than you should? Learn to say ‘no’ the next time you’re asked to volunteer for something. Don’t add more things to your life if you can’t fully commit to them.
Do you want to spend more time with family or exercising or working or traveling? Then get rid of something else in your life that keeps you from doing the things you want to do.
Do you want a better body, or a better relationship, or better health, or better something else? Then abide by the ‘use it or lose it’ rule. Practice the habits that will get you the results.

Clearing Your Mind, Body and Life for Optimum Health

Shedding the extras in your life can give you a feeling of weightlessness, sense of joy and boundless energy. Here are some ideas for de-cluttering for optimum health:

Physical:

Do a simple and safe food cleanse – re-read our Cleanse with Everyday Foods blog for more information.
Review your current exercise plan. Do you need to do more, less, switch things up? Re-read our blog to jump start your exercise plan.
Consult with a personal trainer for help in meeting your goals.
Combine your physical, emotional and social needs by working out with a friend or finding a new, more compatible workout buddy.
Get enough restful sleep!
Add healthy foods to your eating routine; slowly shed the ‘bad’ stuff.

Emotional:

Introduce a meditation routine to your day to keep you centered, focused on your priorities, and better able to manage stress and emotions – see Dan Harris’s book 10% Happier and watch this brief interview at Huffington Post’s site.
Take up yoga!
Write in a journal about your feelings, thoughts, ideas, make lists or write about whatever helps you process your emotions. Use the journal as a way to shed unnecessary stuff and to remind you of what’s valuable to you.

Spiritual:

photo credit: freerangestock

Define your sense of purpose and come up with a sentence, mantra or 5 key words to remind you of this purpose.
Be kind to yourself by doing what you want and need and not what others want and need from you.
Stick to your meditation schedule.

Social:

Think about your current social circle. Who do you want to spend more time with? Who do you need to take a break from? Who could you live without?
Nurture the relationships that are important to you.
Distance yourself from relationships that take too much energy, effort, or lack value to you.
Make time to do things you enjoy; stop doing things that are no longer fun.

Summer can be a great time to start fresh with a slower pace at home and at work. If you’re taking time off for vacation, whether at home or away, reflect on de-cluttering your life.

Take action on what you can and like at home, when you focus on one room at a time, you can have a de-cluttered life in no time at all!