Leg Press
The leg press is a great exercise for going heavy and putting a lot of good stress on your body. Unlike squats, using a leg press does not put pressure directly on your spine, so you get a lot of the benefits of squats, without the same risk of spine injury.
Primary Muscles Used
Plate Loaded Leg Press Instructions
- Sit on the machine with your back and head resting comfortably against the padded support.
- Place your feet on the footplate about hip-width apart while ensuring that your heels are flat. Your butt should be flat against the seat rather than raised. Your legs should form an angle of about 90 degrees at the knees. If your feet are too high on the plate, it will stress your glutes; too low and it puts unnecessary pressure on your knees.
- Your knees should be in a straight line with your feet. As you press, make sure to keep this alignment.
- Grasp the assist handles to provide support and keep your spine and head in position. Brace your abdominal muscles and push the platform away with your heels and forefoot.
- While exhaling, extend your legs and keep your head and back flat against the seat pad. Extend with slow control rather than with an explosive movement.
- Pause at the top of the movement. Do not lock out your knees.
- While inhaling, return the footplate to the starting position by gradually bending the knees. Keep the feet and back flat throughout. If you notice your butt begins to raise because of a bend in your lower back, that is too low, stop just before that happens. Stretching can help you get lower without losing form.
- Repeat.
Tim's list of benefits for the Leg Press
- The leg press machine allows you to get the benefits of a barbell squat for developing the quadriceps, glutes, calves, and hamstrings without putting direct pressure on your spine.
- By varying your foot position you can emphasize different muscles. It builds strength in these muscles and you can use it to overcome imbalances.
- If you are taller than 5'10" the leg press should be your go-to mass builder as squats do not work as well at developing size and mass for taller individuals.
- This is the safest exercise for heavy leg workouts.
- The leg press puts a lot of good stress on your body, and your body responds to this stress by increasing testosterone and growth hormone release.
If you are ready to maximize your results, and really get the most benefit out of each and every machine inside our club, give us a call at 770-751-1837 or call Tim Shevlin directly at 470-604-0038 to set up your free session!
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