There’s numerous love and hate that surrounds the leg press.
Some assume it’s not very useful since you’re sitting in your butt and urgent, which resembles nothing performed exterior the gymnasium. Different lifters swear by it because it permits them to lift heavy weights and construct muscle with out the compressive load of the barbell on their again.
Most of us although, fall someplace in the midst of this debate. Nevertheless, when performed proper, the leg press can build some serious muscle and strength. With the fastened vary of movement and the soundness of sitting down, you possibly can transfer some critical weight. As a result of you possibly can go heavy, errors will be made.
Though the leg press just isn’t a technical train, errors can creep in, resulting in accidents and a lack of features. Right here we’ll dive into how to do the leg press, what’s wanted for good type, and 4 frequent leg press errors and repair them.
Methods to Carry out the Leg Press
Relying in your physique kind, the leg press will look completely different for various lifters. Earlier than beginning, regulate the machine to supply most security and luxury to your physique.
- Sit on a leg press machine and place your ft on the platform in your most popular place.
- Decrease the security bars and press till your legs are absolutely prolonged however with a tender knee bend.
- Decrease the platform till your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
- Push the platform again to the beginning place.
- Reset and repeat.
What’s Wanted For Good Type
The great thing about the leg press is that even when you have hip mobility shortfalls or decrease again ache, you are able to do it. Listed below are a number of staple items wanted for good leg press type.
- Take the time to arrange. As a result of all of us include completely different limb lengths, take the time to regulate the seat and carry out a number of reps with the empty platform to see if you will get a 90-degree angle along with your knees with out compensation.
- Maintain your ft flat on the platform in the course of the set.
- There isn’t a have to go wild with foot width as shoulder-width aside works for many lifters.
- All the time hold your decrease again and glutes glued to the seat.
- Maintain management of the load on the eccentric and be explosive on the concentric contraction.
4 Frequent Leg Press Errors
Errors will not be unhealthy. It’s the first manner we study to do it proper; as soon as you realize higher, you do higher. Listed below are 4 frequent leg press errors moreover ego and an excessive amount of weight as a result of you realize about these two, proper?
Lay Off the 1RM

Going heavy and discovering your 1 RM max on the leg press is just one thing you must sometimes do. Largely, you must leg press so as to add muscle to your quads, and one of the simplest ways to do that is to manage all components of the rep, together with the eccentric. The load is simply too heavy in case you can not management the eccentric contraction.
Repair it: Concentrate on rigidity and management and rather less on the load on the platform.
Maintain It Glued

The one a part of your physique you must transfer and really feel is your knees and glutes. That’s it. In case your ft will not be glued to the platform or your decrease again, and hips will not be glued to the seat, then you might be doing it incorrect.
Repair It: Take note of your setup. Your ft must be shoulder-width aside in the midst of the platform, and your knees ought to get to a 90-angle with out butting into your torso. If that is occurring, change the seat angle to at least one the place all of your physique components keep glued to the platform and pad.
Don’t Brief Your self

Your knees should get to 90 levels to profit from the leg press most. It would really feel good for the ego to half-rep an enormous weight, however it’s going to do nothing to your features, and your knees could find yourself hating you.
Repair it: Rather less ego and weight on the platform is required right here. Use a weight you possibly can management at a 90-degree knee angle.
It’s A Quad Train

This may occasionally ruffle some Instagram influencer feathers, however the leg press is primarily a quad train with somewhat hip extension thrown in. Putting your ft increased on the platform to focus on the glutes and hamstring extra is, IMO a waste of time when there are manner higher workout routines to focus on them than the leg press.
Repair it: No repair for this per se. Use higher workout routines to focus on your hamstring and glutes, like hip thrusts, RDL, and hamstring curl variations.
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