Do leg press and be surprised by the size and strength of your muscles! The leg press movement is one of the most popular bodybuilding movements that bodybuilders go to with the aim of bulking up and making their legs stronger.
The leg press movement is the same squat that is done in reverse and has small details that can make the result of your training completely different. You may not believe that many bodybuilders do the movement wrong without knowing it.
In this article from Vitamin, we will tell you everything about the machine leg press movement, we will reveal the big and small mistakes of bodybuilders in performing this movement, and we will also introduce you two methods to perform this movement without a machine.
What is the foot press machine good for?
The leg press movement is a specialized movement and can be very effective and useful for bodybuilders. Now we mention several of the benefits and advantages of this move.
1. It is easy but specialized
The leg press is a great exercise for beginners. It has a relatively simple pattern and technique and easily targets the leg muscles, and at the same time, it has less risk and injury than other lower body exercises. Mastering the correct execution of the leg press is much easier than the squat and does not require special skills and technical experience. The machine leg press is an excellent movement for hypertrophy – muscle growth and effective engagement of the quadriceps muscles.
2. Prevents injury
Doing the leg press has a lower risk of injury compared to using free weights such as squats and deadlifts. With the leg press machine, you no longer need barbells and other free weights. At the same time, these exercises do not contradict each other and you can benefit from all of them. In addition, the leg press does not put pressure on the spine, so it does not aggravate back problems.
3. Strengthens muscles after injury
The leg press movement of the device can be a good option for athletes who have pain and discomfort (due to injury) during squats. You can use this device to strengthen the strength of the quadriceps during rehabilitation and treatment
4. It causes the growth of quadriceps muscles
In order to increase the volume of the quadriceps muscle or even just to strengthen it, you can do leg press in addition to squats. The leg press allows athletes and bodybuilders to focus solely on the quadriceps without engaging other muscle groups.
tip: Please note, the leg press is a useful lateral movement for strength, endurance and fitness athletes, but should not be used as a primary substitute for most squat forms.
How many kilos should we do leg press?
Determining weight for leg press depends on various factors such as gender, body structure, level of physical fitness and your goal.
A general rule is to choose a weight that is not too light or too heavy for you. The light leg press movement does not put any pressure on the leg muscles and therefore will not be of any benefit. Working too hard can also injure you.
What are the muscles involved in leg press?
The leg press is a multi-joint exercise with weight that engages almost all muscle groups of the lower body. By performing the correct and precise leg press technique, you will use all four main muscle groups of the lower body. This movement has different types, in each of which, the weight and repetition and the way of doing the exercise changes. Also, the involvement of muscles is different in each one. In the following, we will name all the muscles involved in the leg press movement.
- quadriceps
The quadriceps muscle group is a large, four-part muscle group that makes up the front half of your thigh and is most involved when lifting and lowering the machine. Quadriceps muscles include rectus femoris, latissimus dorsi, latissimus dorsi, latissimus dorsi, and latissimus dorsi. - pelvic muscles
Many lower body exercises involve the gluteal muscles (buttocks and hips) as stabilizers, and the leg press is no exception. The gluteal muscles are the main muscle group in the buttocks, and the leg press fully engages them in the lift phase and the control phase.
Since there is no direct pressure on the buttocks in the leg press movement, this movement alone will not cause significant growth of your buttock muscles. Bring your feet closer to the top edge of the platform for more hip engagement. - hamstring
The machine leg press also affects your hamstrings, but to a much lesser extent. The hamstring muscles are most involved in the second phase of the leg press (i.e. lowering the machine), when you bring the weight down from the top and you have to have good control, this is when the hamstring muscle is involved, also when lifting the machine, some force is applied to the weight. They import. - leg
The leg press engages almost the entire leg muscles as the secondary muscles involved. Performing the machine leg press alone may not help you build significant muscle mass in your calves, but it will strengthen the muscle. To train the legs with this movement, you need to press the leg without moving the knee.
In order to reach your desired body without injury and in the shortest time, you must have your own personal plan and work according to principles. You can consult with vitamin trainers right now and get your own plan.
Introducing the leg press machine
This device is mostly used by bodybuilders to engage the leg muscles and is considered as the most challenging exercise for building leg muscles, but how is the leg press performed?
The bodybuilder should first lie down in the designated place at the bottom of the machine, straighten the knee and move the weight away from him, and then bring the leg press machine platform closer to him again by bending the knee. In performing this exercise, the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings are involved.
How to perform the leg press movement of the device
Now we teach step by step how to do this movement correctly:
- AFirst, sit on the seat of the device;
- Now spread your legs shoulder width apart and place them on the platform;
- The way the legs are placed is directly related to the involved muscles;
- So you should pay attention to the shape of your feet (we will explain about the position of the feet);
- Now adjust the weight of the leg press machine and release the lever of the machine after placing the legs under the platform;
- Then, push the platform up with your legs (your knees should not be locked);
- Your upper body and legs should be at a 90-degree angle (this is the starting form of the movement);
- As you inhale, slowly lower the platform of the device;
- Try to put the most pressure with your heel and using your quadriceps;
- Return the platform to the top and the starting point of movement;
- Do the number of repetitions mentioned in your training program and then return the lever of the machine to its place.
Types of foot press machine
Leg press movement is a movement that involves quadriceps, gluteal muscles and hamstrings as well. But with a slight change in the location of the legs, the movement pressure on some muscles will increase and you will get a different result from the exercise.
In this movement, the location of the feet, the distance between the feet and the angle of the toes change the involved muscles. Below, with an example and picture, we specify the types of leg press movement and the muscles involved in it.
Standard status
Placing your feet on the leg press machine platform has a standard or normal position where you place your feet shoulder-width apart and place them exactly in the center of the leg press machine platform. This form of placement causes the quadriceps and buttocks muscles to have the most involvement.
Above standard
If you place your legs in an open position, higher than the standard, more pressure will be applied to the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus muscles, and you will witness the greatest contraction in these muscles; Because by being in this position, the angle of movement of your knees will be less and the stretch of the hip muscles will be more. If strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes is important to you, we suggest placing your feet on the machine in this position.
Below standard
If you place your feet lower than standard on the machine, you will completely target the quadriceps.
Wider than standard (open toe)
If you want to engage the latissimus dorsi more than other areas, spread your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. In this case, the most pressure and conflict is on the muscles of this part and your proximal muscles.
Keep in mind that the greater the distance between your legs in the leg press movement, the more pressure will be on your inner thigh and quadriceps muscles.
Closer than the standard position (feet together)
If you move your feet, which are in the center of the platform, a little closer together, the weight of the machine will be on the latissimus dorsi (quadriceps), or the latissimus dorsi (quadriceps), and the hip abductor. These parts get more pressure.
frog form
Now we want to introduce you to another position of the foot which is also known as “frog”. To place your feet in this position, bring your heels together and point your toes outwards. This will make your quadriceps more involved than you think.
single leg press
In the single leg press, you only need to place one foot on the platform and perform the movement. This movement is done only to compensate for the muscle asymmetry between the two legs and targets the gluteal and quadriceps muscles.
Remember to start this model of leg press without weights or with low weights. If you do it wrong or if you are heavy, it will put a lot of pressure on your lower back. As a result, this form is not suitable for beginners and those with weak back muscles.
Machine leg press movement with paws
If your toes are on the platform and your heels are in the air, the most pressure will be on the biceps.
Of course, the point that you must pay attention to when performing this movement is that this will put a lot of pressure on your knees. Therefore, if you have a knee problem or injury, it is better to avoid doing this type of leg press without consulting a doctor.
Cable standing leg press
The muscles involved in this quadriceps movement are the gluteus maximus.
Single leg press to the side
The muscles involved in this movement are gluteal and quadriceps muscles.
Exercise tips for working with the leg press machine
The most important thing in the gym is to perform the movements correctly. Remember that in bodybuilding, performing a movement correctly once is better than repeating it incorrectly ten times.
Because working with machines and heavy weights can seriously damage your spine. Be sure to ask your trainer to teach you how to do it properly before starting any movement. It’s best to have him watch you do the move to make sure you’re doing it correctly. We ask you to be sure to pay attention to the following things when performing the leg press movement.
1. Choose the right weights!
One of the main points about using this device is making sure to choose the right weights; Not too heavy and not too light. If you can’t control the movements, you need to reduce the weights. Remember that doing the movement correctly is much more important than the weight of the weights.
It is true that this exercise should be a challenge and involve your muscles, but it should not be too much and beyond your ability. So never rush to progress in sports movements.
2. Do not remove the hips from the press machine!
To properly perform the leg press movement of the machine, your hips must be completely on the back seat of the machine and the leg should not move or lift at all with the back and forth movement, but if you do not keep your hips steady during the exercise; In fact, a very big and dangerous mistake is happening. This situation causes irreparable damage to your back over time.
If the hips rise from the machine, it means that the weights are heavy or the seat angle is bad, both of which should be checked and then corrected.
3. Do not put your hands on your knees!
Many people place their hands on their knees while performing this movement. This is a fairly common mistake. But this seemingly unimportant task will disturb the correct form of your body on the machine and will cause displacement of the applied pressures. The solution is to grip the side handles of the device instead of your knees.
4. Do not raise your head!
Elevating your head while doing the leg press is a common but important mistake that many bodybuilders make all the time without realizing it. If you lift your head, the correct position of your spine will be disrupted and additional pressure will be applied to your lower back and knees.
The head should rest on the back of the device and be smooth and comfortable. If you lift your head while performing the movement, it is a sign of excessive weight.
5. Do not lock the knees in every repetition!
Please never lock your knees during leg press; This mistake seriously hurts your knee joint. When you lock the knees completely in the leg press, you simultaneously take the pressure off the quadriceps and put it on the knee joint instead!
This is one of the common mistakes in the leg press that not only makes your entire workout ineffective; But it will break your knees. In this exercise, your knee should not be locked at all, because it will cause excessive and inappropriate pressure on your knee joint, which will cause severe injury to you over time.
6. Have a good range of motion!
In the movement of the leg press machine, having a low range of motion will reduce the effect of the machine on your muscles and will be of almost no benefit to you. No one likes to put in effort that is fruitless.
Sometimes the reason that your range of motion is very low is the heaviness of the weights, which shows that the plates you have chosen are not suitable for you and you need to modify the weights, but if the weights and the seat angle of the device are suitable, there is no reason why your range of motion is less than the permissible value. be Therefore, it is necessary to perform the leg press movement in the appropriate range.
7. Do not put the weight of the device on the chest!
This is one of those mistakes in the leg press movement that most bodybuilders probably don’t even pay attention to. But if you want to maintain the health of your knee joint, you should be aware of this important point.
The constant pressure of the weight on the toes and the instep of the foot puts a lot of pressure on your knees, and if you are not careful, it will turn into a disaster over time.
In order to simultaneously stress the quadriceps muscles and keep your knees safe from injury, it is better to always concentrate the pressure of the weights on the entire soles of the feet.
8. Breathe properly while doing the movements!
Avoid holding your breath or holding your breath while performing the movement. Correct breathing is as follows:
- When folding the legs: tail
- When opening the legs: exhalation
If you focus on this task for a while, correct breathing will become a habit for you and you will do it automatically.
How can I do the leg press movement at home without a machine?
Is there a way to do the leg press and get the benefits without a machine? Fortunately, yes. In this part, we will introduce this method and give an explanation about it.
Leg press using a resistance band
A resistance band can replace the weights of the leg press machine. Your home leg press with resistance bands does the same thing as a machine, but resistance band training is easier, cheaper, and more portable!
necessary equipment: Resistance bands and mats or seats
Muscles involved: Quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, calves
- Leg press on the floor
You can easily perform this movement without the need for special facilities.
- How to move
- Lie face up on a mat;
- lift your legs off the mat;
- Bend your knees, creating a 90-degree angle;
- Bend your legs, point your toes towards the ceiling.
- Wrap the elastic around your legs and hold the ends with your hands. (keep the legs together).
- Press your legs on the elastic until they are completely straight;
- Bend your knees to return to a 90-degree angle.
- Start with 8 to 12 repetitions in the first set.
- Chair leg press
If your back needs a break, you can do leg press on a chair.
- How to move
- sit upright in a chair;
- Contract your stomach and keep your back straight;
- Wrap the elastic around both of your legs and keep the end just above your thigh;
- Press your legs into the elastic band until your legs are straight;
- Bend your knees to return to the starting position;
- Start with a set of 8 to 12 repetitions.
How can I improve my practice?
To increase the resistance of this movement, you can use a stronger or thicker resistance band. In this case, the amount of pressure and conclusions from this exercise will increase.
final word
The machine leg press movement is a useful and effective movement for bodybuilders; As long as it is done correctly and principled and without mistakes. The position of the legs is important in doing this movement, because it involves different muscles.
In this article, we introduced the correct way to move the presser foot, its benefits and common mistakes in doing it. Finally, we explained how to perform this movement without a device.
References: livehealthy – healthline
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