Partner Assisted Prone Quad Stretch
- Primary muscleQuads
- EquipmentAssisted
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeStretch · Mobility
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings, Glutes
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Prone
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Stretching
Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed
Lying face down pins your hips against the floor, so when the foot is drawn toward the glutes the stretch has to come from the quad rather than from an arching back. The prone position also makes it easy for a partner to add pressure gradually; agree on a signal for easing off before they start pushing.
How to do the Partner Assisted Prone Quad Stretch
- Lie face down on the ground with your legs extended.
- Bend your left knee and reach back with your left hand to grab your left foot or ankle.
- Gently pull your left foot towards your glutes, feeling a stretch in your left quad.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, then release.
- Repeat with your right leg.
Tip: Hold each position for 20 to 45 seconds and breathe out slowly to sink a little deeper.
Muscles worked
Primary
Quads · Legs
The quads lengthen as the knee bends and the hip extends, and you should feel the pull along the front of the thigh.
Secondary
Common mistakes
- Bouncing in the stretch — hold a steady position rather than pulsing, and let the muscle relax into the range over 20 to 30 seconds.
- Arching the lower back — on quad and hip flexor stretches tuck the pelvis and squeeze the glute of the stretched side so the stretch lands on the front of the hip, not the spine.
- Holding the breath — breathe slowly and steadily so the muscle can relax.
- Going for pain — a stretch should feel like a firm pull, never a sharp pain; back off until it does.
Where it fits in a workout
Stretches go at the end of a session or on rest days, not right before heavy lifting. Pair a quad stretch with a hamstring stretch to cover both sides of the leg.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without assisted
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
Track the Partner Assisted Prone Quad Stretch in SetGrip
All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.
More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.