Side Lying Quad Stretch
- Primary muscleQuads
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeStretch · Mobility
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Lying
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Stretching
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Lying on your side gives the classic pulled-foot quad stretch a stable base, so nothing needs balancing while you draw the top heel toward your glutes. Stack the hips vertically and keep the bent knee in line with the bottom leg; letting it drift upward slackens the very stretch it is supposed to create.
How to do the Side Lying Quad Stretch
- Lie on your side with your legs straight.
- Bend your top leg and grab your ankle or foot with your hand.
- Gently pull your ankle or foot towards your glutes until you feel a stretch in your quads.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.
- Release the stretch and repeat on the other side.
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 bodyweight
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.
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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.