There may be a whole lot of love and hate that surrounds the leg press.
Some suppose it’s not very useful since you’re sitting in your butt and urgent, which resembles nothing accomplished outdoors the gymnasium. Different lifters swear by it because it permits them to carry 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. Nonetheless, when accomplished proper, the leg press can construct some severe muscle and power. With the mounted vary of movement and the steadiness of sitting down, you may transfer some severe weight. As a result of you may go heavy, errors will be made.
Though the leg press isn’t a technical train, errors can creep in, resulting in accidents and a lack of good points. Right here we’ll dive into find out how to do the leg press, what’s wanted for good kind, and 4 frequent leg press errors and find out how to repair them.
Easy methods to Carry out the Leg Press
Relying in your physique kind, the leg press will look totally different for various lifters. Earlier than beginning, modify the machine to supply most security and luxury on your physique.
- Sit on a leg press machine and place your toes on the platform in your most well-liked place.
- Decrease the security bars and press till your legs are absolutely prolonged however with a smooth 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 fantastic thing about the leg press is that even you probably have hip mobility shortfalls or decrease again ache, you are able to do it. Listed here are just a few staple items wanted for good leg press kind.
- Take the time to arrange. As a result of all of us include totally different limb lengths, take the time to regulate the seat and carry out just a few reps with the empty platform to see if you may get a 90-degree angle along with your knees with out compensation.
- Maintain your toes flat on the platform at some point of the set.
- There isn’t a must go wild with foot width as shoulder-width aside works for many lifters.
- At all times 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 Widespread Leg Press Errors
Errors will not be unhealthy. It’s the first approach we be taught to do it proper; as soon as you recognize higher, you do higher. Listed here are 4 frequent leg press errors in addition to ego and an excessive amount of weight as a result of you recognize about these two, proper?
Lay Off the 1RM
Going heavy and discovering your 1 RM max on the leg press is simply one thing you need to sometimes do. Largely, you need to leg press so as to add muscle to your quads, and one of the simplest ways to do that is to regulate all components of the rep, together with the eccentric. The load is just too heavy in case you can not management the eccentric contraction.
Repair it: Deal with rigidity and management and rather less on the burden on the platform.
Maintain It Glued
The one a part of your physique you need to transfer and really feel is your knees and glutes. That’s it. In case your toes will not be glued to the platform or your decrease again, and hips will not be glued to the seat, then you’re doing it mistaken.
Repair It: Take note of your setup. Your toes 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 taking place, 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 a large weight, however it can do nothing on your good points, 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 may management at a 90-degree knee angle.
It’s A Quad Train
This will likely ruffle some Instagram influencer feathers, however the leg press is primarily a quad train with a bit of hip extension thrown in. Putting your toes greater on the platform to focus on the glutes and hamstring extra is, IMO a waste of time when there are approach 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.
