This part of the muscle is known as vastus medialis oblique, aka VMO or vastus medialis obliquus, as the muscle fibres here pass obliquely into the kneecap. The vastus medialis muscle as a whole works with the other quadriceps muscles to straighten the knee and thus extend the leg. Vastus medialis is particularly important in the final stages of knee extension where it helps with the locking mechanism of the knee joint.
The vastus medialis oblique VMO portion on the muscle has an extra function of helping to control how the kneecap moves and provides stability. The shape of the knee means that naturally the kneecap would glide slightly over to the outer side of the knee when bending the leg. This would place excessive friction through the cartilage lining the back of the kneecap as well as increasing the risk of patella dislocation.
However, the positioning and direction of the VMO muscle fibres help to counteract this by drawing the kneecap inwards, or medially. This ensures that as the knee bends and straightens, the kneecap glides smoothly up and down the groove on the thigh bone so there is no friction on the back of the kneecap.
But, you do want to make sure that VMO is activating properly. Clenching a squashy ball between your knees as you do vastus medialis exercises really helps to make sure the VMO is switching on. Test both sides together, particularly if you have knee pain or swelling, as you may well notice a difference between sides.
This is known as Iliotibial band friction syndrome. There are many factors that can cause the quadriceps to be tight. One of the major factors is overuse as we are walking, sitting and standing all day. If you run or cycle for a hobby or sport this can also tighten the Vastus Lateralis. Lastly pronation can affect the Vastus Lateralis because it weakens the inner thighs and puts more pressure on the outer quads. If the quads are extremely tight they can pull the front of hips down. This results in the external rotators tightening, creating weak tight glutes and lower back pain.
Combating anterior pelvic tilt needs a two pronged effect using stretching and strengthening drills. If you are experiencing these symptoms try these 14 exercises for anterior pelvic tilt along with the vastus lateralis program below.
Tightness in Vastus Lateralis can cause the knee cap to shift or tilt which can cause pain behind the knee and dislocation in extreme cases. The agonist is the muscle that contracts being the the quadriceps and the antagonist the muscle group forced to relax in this motion is the hamstrings.
Think about the range of motion the leg takes when it moves from a bent knee in a seated position to extending the knee so that the leg is straight out in front of you. The quads naturally tighten when you are extending. When the hamstrings are long and weak the quadriceps can tighten causing an imbalance in the body. As a society that spends a lot of time sitting, in fact sitting has been named the new smoking. In this position we are naturally lengthening the hamstrings and tightening the quads and hip flexors.
When these two muscles are imbalanced or out of whack knee pain can arise causing patellofemoral stress syndrome PFSS. Outer quad sweep simply refers to the shape of the quadriceps but more specifically the vastus lateralis muscle on the outer thigh. The quad outer sweep is a highly sought-after look especially in the sport of bodybuilding where this curved and defined quad can make a big difference in the appearance of the lower body musculature.
Strong and healthy leg muscles have numerous benefits, the vastus lateralis is no exception. We rely on our legs to carry us around day in and day out so it only makes sense that you properly exercise and stretch the largest muscle in the quads.
However, there are tips and tricks that you can do to target the vastus lateralis muscle. Another tip to target the vastus lateralis is point your toes inwards when doing exercises like leg extensions which puts more stress on the outer thighs. It's necessary to target the vastus lateralis muscle during leg days because often we focus to much on the other quad muscles like the rectus femoris and vastus medialis.
We put together some of the best vastus lateralis exercises that should become part of your training program. Keep this quick tip in mind when doing exercises to hit the vastus lateralis. Focus on pushing your knees inwards when doing pushing leg exercises like front squat or leg press. Note: Keep your toes off the platform the entire movement to really target the vastus lateralis.
Tight vastus lateralis muscles can be attributed to a number of causes but the two most common are overuse or under use. The combination of stretching and myofascial release should help to relax the muscle. So if it's not properly stretched, she says, you could wind up feeling it in your knee. Plus, she notes that you're using it all the time without realizing it, so that tightness can make activities like going up stairs or getting out of a chair uncomfortable.
Brannigan says that the vastus lateralis is one of the most"overused" muscles in the body, and can get stressed in many different ways, whether through high intensity workouts or prolonged inactivity. When it comes to stretching, though, the vastus lateralus, can be hard to properly reach. So what can you do?
Foam rolling, for one, which Fulop recommends for reaching that hotspot. Then there are a few other moves to add to your recovery routine to do the trick. Keep scrolling for pro-recommended vastis lateralis stretches that'll get your legs nice and loose.
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