What is the Rectus Femoris?
The rectus femoris is one of the four muscles that make up your quadriceps, the large muscle group on the front of your thigh. It runs from the front of your hip down to your knee, where it attaches through the quadriceps tendon and helps connect to the patellar tendon. What makes the rectus femoris special is that it crosses two joints. It helps bend your hip by lifting your thigh forward, and it helps straighten your knee by extending your lower leg. Because it does both jobs, it works hard during movements like sprinting, kicking, climbing stairs, jumping, and many types of strength training.