quad exercises

Some weekends are so jam-packed with plans that running from brunch to the mall and then to your friend's birthday party is about all the running you have time for. If a full workout isn't in the cards, then here's a quick three-move routine (followed by a stretch) you can do to tone your thighs in just a few minutes.

Wide Squat With Side Arm Raises

• Stand with legs wide and toes pointed outward slightly. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight and your palms facing down.
• Bend your knees until your knees are over your ankles while raising your arms to just below shoulder height. Arms should be in line with your legs — you should see the weights in your peripheral vision.
• Straighten your legs and lower your arms simultaneously.
• Complete three sets of 15 reps.

Elevated Lunge

• Stand about three feet in front of a BOSU ball (if you don't have one, then use a step). Step your right foot back, balancing your toes on the ball or step.
• Bend both knees, lowering your hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Your front knee should be directly over your ankle, so adjust the position of your left foot if you need to. Then straighten both legs.
• Complete three sets of 15 reps on each side.

Elbow Plank With Donkey Kick

• Come Into Elbow Plank position.
• Bend your right knee, flex your heel, and press your foot up toward the ceiling without moving your pelvis. Lower the bent leg slightly, and repeat for a total of 15 to 20 repetitions. Then switch sides.
• Do three sets on each leg.

Bent Standing Split

• Now it's time to stretch the thighs. Stand with both feet together.
• Bend your left knee and reach for your foot with your left hand, coming into Standing Quad Stretch.
• If this is enough, then stay here. If not, fold forward coming into Bent Standing Split, pulling the heel into your tush to lift the knee up and increase the stretch.
• Wherever you are, hold for 30 seconds or more, release, and then repeat on the right side.

Source: Megan Wolfe Photography

Whether you're toning your tush to pump up hills faster or to look incredible in Summer shorts, squats are a must-do move. Make your squat time count with these techniques and variations.

1. Feel the heel, feel the toes: Try varying where you place your body weight in order to work different parts of your lower body. Shift weight back into the heels so that you can give your toes a little wiggle — this will target the butt and backs of the thighs. To isolate one leg at a time, do one set with the right heel raised and then repeat with the left. If this is easy, try extending your leg all the way back (a favorite exercise of Cameron Diaz). Then try lifting your heels as high as you can, balancing on the balls of your feet as you raise and lower. This will work your shins and calves, which is great for runners who want to prevent shin splints and other injuries.
2. Vary your stance: Doing squats with your feet hips-width apart is traditional and effective, but you can better target your inner and outer thighs by widening your stance. Try lifting one heel at a time as you raise and lower, or do a calf squeeze by lifting and lowering both heels at the end of each rep. Also experiment between having your feet parallel and pointing your toes out wide.
3. Slow it down, speed it up: Instead of raising and lowering at the same pace you always do, try slowing down the movement to ensure you're using your muscles and not momentum to move your hips up and down. Then remain in the lowered squat position — this is a major thigh and butt burner — and quickly pulse up and down.
4. Grab a set: . . . of dumbbells, that is. Adding weights makes the squat even more challenging. Either hold dumbbells beside your torso or rest them on your shoulders while doing squats; you can also just add a biceps curl or shoulder press to make this a multitasking move.

Source: Megan Wolfe Photography at J+K Fitness Studio

Love them or loathe them, squats are one of the most effective exercises you can do. It's very important, however, that you do them just right to maximize effectiveness and prevent injury.

Squats are also highly versatile: you can do them anywhere, even while brushing your teeth or filling your glass at the water cooler. Multitask by adding bicep curls and other moves to make them harder.

Since we're all in backside-toning mode for beach season, here's a primer on how exactly to do the perfect squat. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

Common things you'd find in your home such as stairs, chairs, and benches make great props for workouts. If you're looking for more ways to exercise at home, here are two moves you can do using a wall.

Wall Crunch

• Begin lying on your back, so your legs can fully extend with the soles of your feet resting on a wall, hips-width distance apart. Your legs will create a 45-degree angle, but if this is too difficult, bend your knees slightly and lower your heels a few inches.
• Prop yourself up so you're resting on your forearms. Engage your abs, keep your torso lifted, and bring your hands to rest on your outer thighs just above your knees. Keep your shoulders relaxed down, lift your chin slightly, and look up toward your feet.
• Keep your hands where they are or extend your arms toward the wall. Hold your torso lifted in this position (keeping your feet flat on the wall) as you pump your arms up and down slowly next to your torso (similar to the Pilates 100). Hold your torso lifted as long as you can, and when you need a break, hold onto your outer thighs or lower your elbows onto the ground to take a rest.
• Work your way up to three one-minute sets.

Wall Sit

This move targets your quads, hamstrings, and butt and is also an effective exercise to help prevent runner's knee.

• Stand with your back against a wall, placing your feet about two feet out in front of you. Feet should be hips-width distance apart.
• Bending your knees, slide your back down the wall until your knees are at 90-degree angles. Your knee joints should be over your ankle joints, so you may need to inch your feet further from the wall to create proper alignment. Don't let your knees fall in on the midline of your body or sway outward.
• Hold for one minute, completing three reps.

I try to make the most of my time, so I squeeze a few minutes of exercise in here and there whenever I think of it. I do push-ups on the counter before I brush my teeth, and while I'm brushing them, I do squats. It's amazing how doing two minutes straight of different variations of squats has really strengthened my quads and booty. I do regular squats with my feet together, squats with my feet hip-distance apart, and squats with my legs wide. I also do one-legged squats holding my knee up, squat lunges, and throw in some balancing side leg-lift squats as well. The next time you brush your teeth, blow-dry your hair, or are chatting on the phone, use those few minutes wisely and get squatting!