Leg press exercise

A platform leg press machine can be found in almost every gym because the leg press is a great exercise for working out the leg muscles. It can be used both during the period of muscle mass gain and during drying to give relief and definition to muscles. In addition, it is capable of increasing the intensity of training at times and for this reason it is successfully used both in fitness and bodybuilding, and in functional training.

Depending on the position of the feet on the platform and the range of motion, with the leg press in the simulator, you can work out different muscle groups:

• quadriceps;
• inner and back of the thigh;
• gluteal muscles.

Of course, the bench press in the machine will not completely replace heavy squats with a barbell, but it still creates very serious stress on your muscles. Subject to high-quality recovery, good rest, periodization of loads and proper nutrition, this will lead to muscle hypertrophy and an increase in strength indicators in basic exercises.

After reading this article, you will learn how to do the leg press, how you can replace this exercise, and how to achieve a truly serious increase in muscle volume with it.

What muscles work?

This exercise can locally load any muscle group in the lower body. It should be understood that the narrower we put our legs, the more the quadriceps are involved in the work.

Vertical press

In addition to the classic angle leg press, there is also the vertical leg press. In the vertical leg press, the platform is strictly perpendicular to the position of the athlete. The movement is carried out in a fairly short amplitude. This allows the lower quadriceps (teardrop muscle) to be loaded in isolation, which will add bulk to the leg in the lower thigh, closer to the knee. In Russia, this simulator has not yet received a special distribution, and you can find it only in premium fitness clubs. However, nothing prevents you from doing almost the same in a conventional Smith machine, for normal execution you only need the help of an experienced partner who will open and close the safety mechanisms.

Horizontal press

There is also a horizontal leg press. Working in this simulator, you increase the range of motion by several centimeters. This is the peculiarity of this simulator: you do a huge amount of work without using a huge weight. Also, this exercise option perfectly works out the lateral head of the quadriceps, making the thigh visually larger and more muscular.

In all these variations, the abdominals and extensors of the spine serve as stabilizers. Without a strong lower back and core muscles, it is unlikely that you can technically correctly perform a leg press with a decent weight. Also, the leg press machine is great for working out the calf muscles. The technique of the exercise is exactly the same as in the block simulator for working on the calves while standing, where the athlete rests on the roller with trapeziums. There are no special differences between these two exercises, choose the option that is more convenient for you to do.

The benefits and harms of exercise

The leg press in the simulator is the second exercise after the classic squat with a barbell to build strong and massive legs. With its help, you can perfectly develop the muscles of the legs without creating an excessive axial load on the cervical and thoracic spine.

Benefit

It is much easier for most athletes to focus on leg work when doing leg presses than doing back or shoulder squats. We all remember very well that a developed neuromuscular connection is simply necessary for muscle growth and progress in strength. So, to tone the muscles and gain muscle mass, the leg press is perfect. Of course, heavy basic squats are just as important for this, and you shouldn't forget about it. Especially if you are a beginner and your priority is to create some kind of strength foundation in basic free weights movements. Without this, it will be much more difficult to move on. By squatting, we raise hormones and set the prerequisites for progress. By doing this exercise, we begin to "grind" what we asked for squats.

To give the leg muscles relief and stiffness, experienced athletes can be advised to perform the leg press in a super series with other exercises. For example, squats, barbell lunges, and seated leg extensions. Such a complex load on the quadriceps will lead to the strongest pump, which will allow you to have prominent and well-developed legs even when the level of body fat exceeds 12-15%.

Injury risk

Potentially, the machine leg press is one of the most traumatic exercises you can do in the gym. Perhaps it can be put on a par with deadlifts and squats with a barbell. However, this question is directly related to the technique of performing the exercise and the athlete's excessive egocentrism.

Many athletes perform the exercise as follows: they hang a huge weight (from 500 kg and more) and perform 3-5 repetitions with an amplitude of no more than 15 centimeters. Remember, you've probably seen this more than once. In no case should you do this. Sooner or later, this approach to strength training will lead to serious injury, and you run the risk of ending up in sports forever.

In the leg press, the feeling of muscle work is paramount for us. Working in such a small repetition range, this is impossible to achieve - failure will come sooner than you will achieve blood circulation in the muscles. In addition, in the leg press, the amplitude of movement is important for us, and these 10-15 centimeters are clearly not enough. Legs should be lowered as low as you have enough stretch marks, without lifting the tailbone from the simulator.

Crazy working weight is not needed here either. Work with a weight that you can do 10 or more reps. If you are already an experienced athlete and are technically able to do heavy leg presses, use knee wraps to minimize the risk of injury to your knee ligaments.

Contraindications for implementation

There are a number of situations in which it is worth refusing to use the exercise during training:

• This exercise is not recommended for athletes who have suffered injuries of the knee joints and ligaments. Working in this trajectory, and even with a lot of weight, can lead to recurrence of injury and serious complications.
• In addition, the leg press puts stress on the lumbar spine. Not as strong as squats and deadlifts, but just enough to make your problems worse. Therefore, such a load should in no case be done by athletes with hernias or protrusions in the lumbar spine.
• With scoliosis, lordosis or kyphosis - you can do this exercise, but very moderately, with light weights and under the constant supervision of a fitness instructor. It is recommended to use an athletic belt to relieve some of the pressure on the lower back. However, do not tighten it too tightly - during the leg press, we need even and unobstructed breathing.

The arsenal of leg exercises is large enough, so there is always something to replace the leg press. If, for a number of medical reasons, this particular exercise is contraindicated for you, replace it with various variations of the barbell and dumbbell lunges, the hack squat, or the Jefferson deadlift. The axial load on the lumbar spine in these exercises is much lower, and you can concentrate on high-quality pumping of the leg muscles just as well.

Leg press options

There are three types of simulators for this exercise:

1. at an angle;
2. vertical;
3. horizontal.

Bench press

The angle leg press machine is one of the most widely used machines in all fitness clubs in the world. During execution, the angle between the athlete's torso and platform is approximately 45 degrees. This allows you to work in a sufficiently large amplitude and use a serious weight of the weights.
The other two types of leg press machines have not yet received well-deserved distribution in Russian gyms. It's a pity, because with their help you can perfectly diversify the load and make the leg muscles work at new angles, which will lead to even greater progress.

Vertical leg press

The beauty of the vertical leg press is that the movement vector changes fundamentally. The knees do not go down to the shoulders, but to the stomach. This makes it easier for us to focus on the quadriceps, especially when using a narrow parallel stance. It is not recommended to do variations of the buttock or hamstring leg press in the vertical press machine. The slightest technical oversight will lead to the coccyx being twisted and lifted up. This position of the lower back during strength exercises is extremely traumatic.

Horizontal trainer

The horizontal leg press is an even rarer beast. But damn interesting and effective. The seat and bench are in the same plane, there is almost no tilt. This significantly increases the range of motion. Some exercise machines help you add an extra 10-15 centimeters! At first, it may turn out that there is no significant difference, but these additional centimeters significantly complicate the task, as new "blind spots" appear. And the working weight is immediately reduced by almost a quarter. The muscles just begin to tear from the strongest pumping.

Load variations

The load during the leg press can be varied in different ways of setting the legs.

1. We put our feet parallel and narrowly - the leg press turns into an isolated exercise for the quadriceps, the adductors of the thigh and buttocks cease to participate in the movement.
2. If you put your feet at the very bottom of the platform, then we will increase the range of motion, and the quadriceps will do even more work.
3. If you rotate your feet outward at 45 degrees and set your legs wide, the leg press will load the inner thigh, hamstrings, and glutes.
4. When pressing the legs for the buttocks, on the contrary, the legs should be placed at the very top of the platform. Blood filling and burning sensation are guaranteed.

Use different options and do not forget about the principles of periodization of the load. Then you will get proportionally developed and aesthetic leg muscles.

Exercise technique

Regardless of which version of the exercise you perform, the basic principles and technique of performing the exercise are always the same, so we will tell you the rules common to all options on how to do leg press:

1. We are located in the leg press simulator. The back should be fully flattened, especially in the lumbar region.
2. We put our legs at the right angle. Raise the platform to full extension of the knees and open the safety mechanism. Hands hold tightly to the handles on the sides of the simulator.
3. Taking a breath, smoothly lower the platform down. All the weight rests on the heels, we try not to transfer the center of gravity to the forefoot, otherwise you will immediately lose control over the movement. The negative phase of the movement is very important both for working out the muscles and in order not to get injured. It is very important to monitor the position of the knee while lowering the platform down: it should never bend inward.
4. We lower the platform as deep as possible. Of course, within reasonable limits, there should be no pain or discomfort. The lower back should also not come off the simulator at the lowest point.
5. Without pausing at the bottom point, we begin to squeeze the platform up. At the same time, we exhale sharply. It is not necessary to raise the platform completely; it is better not to bring the movement to the end by five centimeters. So the muscles will have no time to rest, and the effectiveness of the approach will increase from this. In addition, fully straightening your knees at the top, and even when working with a lot of weight, can be very dangerous. There are times when the legs simply do not stand up and bend in the opposite direction. It is extremely rare, but there are. At the same time, the platform falls directly onto the athlete.

Crossfit training complexes

Below is a small list of functional complexes, the center of which is given to our today's exercise. It is mainly used to further increase the intensity of the training process. Agree, the leg press is not an easy exercise in itself. And to perform it in conjunction with other movements, and even without rest, is a serious test for athletes strong in body and spirit.

Watch the video: BH G152X Global Home Multi Gym with Leg Press Exercise Demonstration (November 2024).