Quad Dominance

Being dominant in your quadriceps is one viewpoint on how we move with compensations. The idea being that some of us overutilize our quadriceps at the expense of other musculature to create movement. There are most likely certain archetypes that fit this description, leading them to preferentially select for the quadriceps musculature over others. The question becomes, what is it about the architecture of these individuals that leads to this preference?

For those that do not know, the quadriceps make up the muscles in the front of our thighs. Traditionally described as four (quad) muscles that straighten our knees. Relatively speaking, they are large and produce quite a bit of force, potentially leading to their overutilization. However, there may be a more nuanced explanation. Let’s imagine for a second that we are standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, peering over the edge. As we lean further forward, we want to be sure we don’t fall forward, it’s a long way down. In an effort to prevent a fall, we lock our knees out and slow our center of gravity as a means of maintaining our view without injury. That knee locking mechanism is accomplished by the quadriceps and ensures we don’t fall to the bottom of the largest hole on Earth.

Staying open to the idea that our observations are surface level initially, that a deeper explanation might exist to describe what we’re seeing is a difficult task. Making the effort to understand that deeper reasoning may promote better outcomes.

Let’s suspend our disbelief for just another minute and consider the idea that maybe some of us are walking around with a preference for using our posterior musculature (glutes/lats/traps). After all, those are big strong muscles as well and can easily help move us around in the world. If those muscles are overutilized, and they squeeze hard enough, they just might shift our center of gravity forward. That forward shift mimics the peering over the Grand Canyon. As a response to the forward movement, we must respond with a counter measure to prevent us from falling on our face. Enter, the quadriceps as that response. They slow us down, they prevent us from falling, and they may not be the villain after all, but a reaction. 

Looking at how someone carries themselves can be a useful strategy to identify their habits and preferences. It might reveal what is contributing to a movement related issue. Staying open to the idea that our observations are surface level initially, that a deeper explanation might exist to describe what we’re seeing is a difficult task. Making the effort to understand that deeper reasoning may promote better outcomes.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist