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The VMO muscle is a part of the vastus medialis muscle group, which is located in the quadriceps. It is important for knee stability and can be activated through various exercises. This article will explore some of the best exercises for VMO activation, including isometric contractions, seated isometric VMO and adduction, and step-ups. These exercises can help improve knee stability and reduce the risk of injury.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Isometric Contraction | Sitting on your bed or floor with legs out straight, place a towel underneath your knee. Flex your quads muscle with hip/leg slightly externally rotated. Hold contraction for 5-10 seconds, place your fingers on your VMO to ensure your quads muscle is activating and firing. Try 10 reps for 10 seconds and as your strength/endurance improves increase the length of your contractions. |
| Seated Isometric VMO and Adduction | Sit on a chair or platform where your feet hang freely. Place a ball between your thighs and squeeze the ball together activating your VMO. Hold your contraction for 10 seconds. |
| Squats | Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart with knees and feet externally rotated (turned outwards). Squat halfway down and come up nice and slowly, focusing on activating the VMO to bring you back up to a standing position. |
| Leg Extensions | Maintain VMO contraction throughout the exercises and feel for it. Initially perform as many reps as you can while maintaining a strong constant contraction, and gradually increase the number up to 20. |
| Lunges | Maintain VMO contraction throughout the exercises and feel for it. Initially perform as many reps as you can while maintaining a strong constant contraction, and gradually increase the number. |
| Step-Ups | Standing in front of a bench or chair, step up onto a platform and drive from the gluteal muscle, not from your toe. Ensure your knee is not buckling inwards and is forced/pushed out. Slowly step down making sure your knee is in a stable neutral position and your VMO muscle is contracted. Alternating legs, repeat 3 x 10-15. |
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Isometric Contraction
You can also try a seated isometric VMO and adduction exercise. Sit on a chair or platform where your feet hang freely, and place a ball between your thighs. Squeeze the ball together to activate your VMO, and hold the contraction for 10 seconds.
Once you can hold the contraction, start to integrate this into functional movements such as squats, leg extensions and lunges. Maintain VMO contraction throughout the exercises, and try to perform as many reps as you can while maintaining a strong constant contraction. Gradually increase the number of reps up to 20.
Another exercise to try is an externally rotated half squat. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, with your knees and feet externally rotated. Squat halfway down and come up slowly, focusing on activating your VMO to bring you back up to a standing position.
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Seated Isometric VMO and Adduction
To perform a seated isometric VMO and adduction, sit on a chair or platform where your feet hang freely. Place a ball between your thighs and squeeze the ball together, activating your VMO. Hold the contraction for 10 seconds. Try to perform as many reps as you can while maintaining a strong, constant contraction, and gradually increase the number up to 20.
The VMO muscle is part of the quadriceps group, which is responsible for knee extension. It is important to activate the VMO to help stabilise the knee and prevent injuries.
There are several other exercises that can help to activate the VMO. One is an externally rotated half squat. To perform this exercise, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, with your knees and feet externally rotated (turned outwards). Squat halfway down and come up slowly, focusing on activating the VMO to bring you back up to a standing position.
Another exercise is a step-up. Stand in front of a bench or chair and step up onto a platform, driving from the gluteal muscle, not from your toe. Ensure your knee is not buckling inwards and is forced or pushed out. Slowly step down, making sure your knee is in a stable, neutral position and your VMO muscle is contracted. Alternating legs, repeat three sets of 10-15 reps.
You can also perform a wall squat by sliding your back down the wall until your knees are at a right angle and your shins are vertical. Place a large ball, such as a football, between your knees and squeeze it. This activates the adductor muscles and stimulates the VMO to contract.
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Squats
To perform a VMO squat, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart with your knees and feet externally rotated (turned outwards). Flex your quads muscle with your hip/leg slightly externally rotated. Hold the contraction for 5-10 seconds, placing your fingers on your VMO to ensure your quads muscle is activating and firing. Try 10 reps for 10 seconds and as your strength/endurance improves, increase the length of your contractions.
You can also try performing a squat against a wall by sliding your back down the wall until your knees are at a right angle, with your shins vertical. Place a large ball (such as a football) between your knees and squeeze it. This activates the adductor muscles and because VMO arises from the tendon of Adductor Magnus, it also stimulates the VMO to contract. Hold this for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times, gradually increasing to 5-second holds and 20 repetitions.
Single-leg squats are another great way to activate the VMO muscle. This exercise is somewhat advanced and should only be done when you are pain-free and finding bilateral exercises easy. If you are looking to get back into running or return to sport, these are a must! Stand in front of a bench or chair, then step up onto a platform and drive from the gluteal muscle, not from your toe. Ensure your knee is not buckling inwards and is forced/pushed out. Slowly step down, making sure your knee is in a stable neutral position and your VMO muscle is contracted. Alternating legs, repeat 3 x 10-15.
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Leg extensions
You can also try performing a leg extension against a wall. Stand with your back against the wall, then slowly slide down until your knees are at a right angle and your shins are vertical. Place a large ball, such as a football, between your knees and squeeze it. This activates the adductor muscles, which stimulates the VMO to contract as well.
If you're just starting out, you can try a modified version of the leg extension. Sit on a chair or platform with your feet hanging freely. Place a ball between your thighs and squeeze it, activating your VMO. Hold the contraction for 10 seconds, then release.
As you get stronger, you can increase the length of your contractions and the number of reps you perform. You can also try integrating leg extensions into other functional movements, such as squats and lunges, to further challenge your VMO muscle.
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Lunges
To make the exercise more challenging, you can add weights, such as dumbbells or a barbell, to increase the resistance. You can also try different variations of lunges, such as reverse lunges, walking lunges, or curtsy lunges, to target your VMO muscle from different angles.
It's important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid placing excessive stress on your knees. Keep your torso straight and upright, and don't let your front knee collapse inward. Additionally, ensure that your back knee doesn't touch the floor during the lunge.
Start with a comfortable number of reps and gradually increase as you build strength and endurance. You can also integrate lunges into your existing workout routine, such as performing lunges as part of a HIIT or circuit training session.
Remember to always warm up before performing lunges or any other exercises to activate your VMO muscle. This can include light cardio or dynamic stretching to get your blood flowing and prepare your muscles for activation.
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Frequently asked questions
Try isometric contraction: sit on the floor with your legs out straight, place a towel under your knee, flex your quads muscle with your hip/leg slightly externally rotated, and hold the contraction for 5-10 seconds.
Try seated isometric VMO and adduction: sit on a chair or platform with your feet hanging freely, place a ball between your thighs and squeeze. You can also try step-ups: stand in front of a bench or chair, step up onto a platform and drive from the gluteal muscle, not from your toe.
Place your fingers on your VMO to feel for the contraction.
Start with 5-10 seconds and increase the length of your contractions as your strength and endurance improve.
