Backward Drag

Muscles worked

The prime movers are the quadriceps across the front of the thigh, which straighten the knee and, just as importantly, control it on the way back down.

Because more than one joint is moving, the work does not stay in one place: the calves control the ankle and hold the heel position; the forearms hold the grip, which is often what gives out first; the glutes finish hip extension.

The hamstrings and lower back take a share of the work as well.

Every exercise for:QuadricepsCalvesForearmsGlutesHamstrings

How this movement works

The load travels toward you and several joints bend to bring it there. The arms finish work the back starts, so grip and elbow flexors sit in the path of every repetition: when people stall on a compound pull, it is more often the hands giving out than the primary muscle running out of force.

It is filed under strongman, where the load is deliberately awkward rather than balanced. Most of the difficulty goes on holding on and staying braced.

What you need

These train the quadriceps too, using equipment this one does not:

• Barbell Full Squatbarbell
• Bench Jumpbody only
• Bicycling, Stationarymachine
• Cable Deadliftscable
• Dumbbell Lungesdumbbell

Difficulty

Listed at beginner level: the pattern is simple enough to pick up without coaching, and a position that goes wrong mid-set is obvious enough to correct on the next repetition.

Of the 173 quadriceps exercises in this database, 70 are listed at beginner level.