Exercises like squats, deadlifts, split squat/lunge variations, leg presses and more should get the majority of your time, effort and focus. Likewise, they also have their limitations and … As an accessory exercise, try performing 3-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions with a light to moderate load with a slow, focused tempo. I don’t love it, I don’t think there’s anything too great about it, and I certainly don’t think it’s something everyone needs to be doing (which is why it isn’t included by default in the majority of the routines I design). Is any of this true? The Bulgarian split squat targets your glutes and hips. If you two are interested in ACL/PCL loading then have a quick look at Brinckmann et al (2002) it basically shows the relationship between knee flexion angle/ distance below thetibial plateau and which structure is loaded ACL/PCL or nether, I had to stop doing Barbell Squats because my shoulders are F**ked! As mentioned, Leg Extensions aren’t a great exercise for mass gain but can be effective with pre and post-exhaustion techniques. Extend both legs out until your knees are straight, then lower the pad back down. Prior to my meniscus repair, I was a “pile on the leg extension weight” guy, and I believe it was a large contributing factor to my meniscus tear. Truly isolating the hamstring can be tricky, as most deadlift variations are still dependent on the lower back and glutes to an extent. If you feel hamstrings are getting too much indirect volume from quad training, I’d reduce hamstring volume without increasing quad volume. Alright, tricep kickbacks probably take first prize there, but the poor leg extension machine isn’t too far behind. If he had the attention span, I’d show him your website. That would be like swapping bench press for barbell rows. "The only way out of hell, is through it. And I agree about the hack squat machine… I’ve yet to find one that feels right. That it alone will build you awesome looking quads. for building muscle doesn’t make it a useless waste of time by any means. In fact, we still have wisdom of Pearl so why not ask him if in doubt. Under the right circumstances and when used correctly, it can play a beneficial role in many people’s programs. Well said as always. Thanks coach! Unfortunately, if I do that for you, I’d have to do it for the other dozens of people who ask me to do the same thing on a weekly basis. Awesome article and advice. More just universally regarded as the lamest joke of an exercise of all time. Growing some tree trunk thighs and powerful hamstrings take hard work and an unwavering commitment to put up with the challenging workouts and sometimes inevitable soreness. Back off on the weight and focus on the squeeze instead. Oh, and that article on volume was superb on how you clarified volume with specific frequencies. I occasionally do, and I see absolutely no reason not to. 1. The lying hamstring curl, which can be done with a machine, resistance bands, cables, or sliders is a great way to isolate the hamstrings. The leg exercises you're doing have a glaring hole. Mine was simple meniscus repair, while my wife’s and son’s were ACL reconstruction after injuries. After completing these sets, drop the weight to something comfortable but will force a struggle as the next exercise will be an alternating leg extension (one leg at a time) for a burnout set. Thanks again. But as a performanceenhancement coach who gets a lot of corrective training projects, I'm more interested in risk-to-benefit ratio (maximize benefit and reduce the ris… Hi Jay!. I’m an old man now, but when I was younger, I did 2 leg exercises: The problem with squat exercises is not only does your thighs get bigger, but your butt gets bigger also. Yeah it sucks, I love squats, and I know I’ll never build monstrous legs isolation exercises, but it’s better than not working legs at all. Here now are a few simple tips that may make leg extensions more knee-friendly…. World records, results, training, nutrition, breaking news, and more. Or if straight barbell curls are bad for your elbows. In some cases, including this one, that’s full body. It’s pretty cool to see how much work I put into my body. 1. Now let’s say you want to get some additional higher rep (8-15 rep range) quad volume done in a way that DOESN’T add additional unwanted volume for the hamstrings/glutes. Body weight options, dumbbell options, and resistance band options. 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day home workouts. I could feel my triceps popping out. As the leg lifts, pelvic and trunk movement will likely result. “This is totally BAD”, “That is absolutely PERFECT”. Exactly right. Split squats and lunges, while both great exercises, would not be the ideal tool for that job. I had been squating for over 15 years before I had my first knee injury from squat. Not even a little. can you give an example of how can someone incorporate leg extensions in your muscle building routine without removing squats lunges and leg presses? The calves are responsible for ankle plantarflexion (toes into the floor)t. There are two individual muscles that make up the calves; the gastrocnemius and the soleus, both of which are important for walking, running, jumping, and maximal force production. I’m confident my new routine will be a good fit but I’ll probably show it to a personal trainer friend just in case. #8 Kettlebell Pistol Squat. For example…. I already told you this but again, we need more objective, common sense and less fanatic and extreme opinions about everything. I know this goes against most of what you’ve seen or heard before. None of my buddies know about that, we always just figured the more the merrier when it comes to lifting. My comment was placed under the wrong heading. I don’t have any cables, so I can’t do any pushdowns. DJA. For set three your going to do another set of 12 with 80% of your max. I followed it and did 5 sets of progressive sets before heavy squating and leg press. Are dumbbell kickbacks good enough to use instead? Squats Typically, this exercise is trained in higher volumes (10+ reps) for a few sets (2-4 sets). Joe Weider had them included in his system, so did Bill Pearl and Vince Gironda. More just universally regarded as the lamest joke of an exercise of all time.” You are talking about Kickbacks? Topics: Legs workouts mass building strength training. Or how doing heavy chin ups 3 times per week might destroy some peoples wrists and elbows, but doing it once a week might be fine. As I don’t have a leg press machine I just do extra sets of squats. After reading this article, I might give the leg-extension a try and see if I feel any pain…. No pain. Speaking of squats, where do you prefer the barbell? However, just like all of these other exercise, that role should be a minor one. My question is can the Barbell Hack Squat (not the machine) be used as a primary quad compound movement? We want to do a certain optimal amount of volume within a certain optimal range of reps within a format that allows for a certain optimal amount of frequency and recovery to be met. Leg Extensions. Yes, the squats, lunges, and especially the leg extension are leaving out one very visible muscle, the rectus femoris (RF). Now, do you need to do it? Thanks for your time Trevor. First and foremost, we want to get stronger over time. Rest: 60 secs. Gender ♂ Male ♀ Female. Thanks dude. The leg press, while no substitution for movements like squats and lunges, can be a great accessory exercise to add mass to the quadriceps without having to load the spine. Front lumbar or the back resting on the traps? While regular/conventional and sumo deadlifts are potent hamstring and glute builders, they can often be limited by lower back strength. 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He told me that starting with the legs at a 90 degree angle (lower leg perpendicular to the floor) put incredible stress on the joint, especially at higher weights. Don’t be. Hell, it’s there right now. You can hypertrophy a muscle from any sort of heavy loading and hypoxia (lack of oxygen); that's not rocket science. Squats, whether your goal is strength, mass gaining, or endurance training, are a foundational movement for... 2. The barbell hack squat is an exercise that I typically find too awkward to recommend under any circumstance, really. What’s wrong with them? Like I said before, leg extensions are no different than any other exercise. And yup, that “squats are great, leg press is useless” arguments are really as dumb as it gets. Honestly , one of the best things I learned from this site and your book (right after progressive overload and calories in vs calories out ;)) is to stop doing an exercise once it starts hurting one of your joints no matter how much it is recommended and praised. This isn’t at all meant to be a “pro-leg extension” article. The squat effectively targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, back, and core. Jay Cutler Explains the proper way to perform Leg Extensions for targeting the upper quads. Also I got a roommate who is full of “you shouldn’t jog after you lift, you’re not supposed to lift like this, this workout sucks, etc.” I always tell him there’s no one answer, it all depends on you and your goals. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. Or a Fatiques exercise? The only way to do that would be to look over your entire diet and workout along with the full breakdown of the progress you’ve made both in the gym and in terms of body composition. Join the BarBend Newsletter for workouts, diets, breaking news and more. Is this a good time to put a bar on your back and bang out some squats and split squats to get your quad work in? But if not, or if it happens to hurt your knees, then avoid it and/or just eliminate it from your toolbox altogether. A routine comprimising of leg presses, hack squats and leg extensions can get you phenomenal quads, provided proper training and nutrition are dialed in. Romanian / Stiff Leg Deadlift That it’ll even play a major role in making that happen. Taking all of this (and more) into account, there are plenty of times when an exercise like leg extensions makes perfect sense. The fact that I just said the leg extension machine can serve a beneficial role in your muscle building routine is the kind of thing a lot of stupid people will see and immediately interpret the wrong way. Bad for your elbows? And so... much... more. But the fact that it’s generally inferior to squats, split squats, lunges, leg presses, etc. However, this is where the not-so-sane people like to make an extreme jump from “leg extensions aren’t as good as squats for building muscle” to “leg extensions are completely useless and are a total waste of time for everyone under every circumstance 100% of the time.”. There are plenty of exercises to choose from that all have their own set of pros and cons under different circumstances. The gluteal muscles (otherwise known as the glutes) are comprised of three individual muscles; gluteus maximus, gluteus minimis, and gluteus medius. If you have a question or comment about this article, or just want to give me your feedback on it, feel free to contact me directly by using the contact form here. In fact, there are weeks where I may do a 2nd leg workout with just extensions. Here’s why…. ANSWER: It’s hard to think of a weight training exercise that gets crapped on and laughed at as much as leg extensions do. To add mass to my legs, should i lift heavy with few reps or lighter with 12-15 reps? But what it can be though is a perfectly acceptable secondary exercise. But I want to follow your advice EXACTLY how it is written and do the Primary movements in the 5-8 rep range. My question is: in the beginner full body routine you listed the only muscle group that gets 3x a week frequency is the back. Leg extensions are just one exercise out of literally hundreds that fit this description. It contains beginner, intermediate, and advanced home workouts. Depending on the foot positioning, foot width, and placement of the loads, certain movements will target different muscle groups of the quadriceps. If you want the best exercise to target and build your quad muscles, leg extensions are it. Let’s say that, like me, you’re very posterior chain dominant with your lower body compound exercises. It focuses the entire weight of the lift directly on your quads, which means you don’t have as much assistance with the lift from surrounding muscles. Should you just do more of the exercises that are going to pose the same issue, or would an isolation exercise like the leg extension machine be a better choice considering it takes the posterior chain out of the movement completely and allows 100% of the training focus to be on your quads. If a purpose presents itself and it fits in line with your goals and needs (and you can do it safely), then feel free to put this tool to use. If you want to mix leg pressing into your workout program, which could very well increase muscle growth — try adding in deep full ranges of motion leg presses, feeling the stretch on the thighs. Glad I know better and I’m now doing what works for MY body. Leg extensions can be harmful to your knees. Acquiring strong legs takes arduous training, consistent effort, and an understanding of the various muscle groups and movements that should be prioritized within a mass training program. But still bullshit nonetheless. 8 year chronic problem never felt better, thanks mainly to leg extension work! But if all you care about is building muscle on your quads, then my answer is simple… leg extensions can most definitely be useful! Without stopping, perform 12 reps alternating leg extensions and then finish out with both legs once again for 12 reps as well. Starvation Mode: Is It A Myth or Is It Real? Leg Presses, Lunges, Machine Hack Squats and Dumbbell Step-Ups are other good alternatives. Let’s find out…. Or can it even be used to replace leg extensions and spit squats in your routines? The quadriceps are one of the strongest muscles of the body, and run along the anterior aspect of the thigh.The quadriceps are actually a group of muscles (4), each producing knee extension; vastus lateralis (outer quad), vastus medialis (inner quad), vastus intermedius (middle quad), and the rectus femoris. Throughout this article, we’re going to cover two major topics including. 7. by Christina Simonetti. That’s because for an equal number of other people, the same exercise(s) won’t cause any problems at all. We want to generate some degree of muscular fatigue in addition to progressive tension. For example, doing leg extensions too often, too heavy, and/or with horrible form (or all of the above) may be bad for your knees and cause pain, but doing it less often, lighter and/or with something close to good form may solve all of your knee problems. The same goes for people claiming the leg extension machine is completely useless for building muscle. Yup, I agree… and the surgeon’s recommendations are surprisingly good (doctors + diet/exercise = usually horrible advice). I also have a squat cage for safety. That is hard on the knees at times, and it has reduced my ability to develop a big squat. I used leg extensions as part of rehab instruction from a physio of Quad tendonopathy. Which exercise combo do you think will be better for this… back squats and barbell lunges, or maybe front squats and leg extensions? But if not, don’t. Awesome article! There's more to getting big than just doing the lifts. But, it still IS a useful option nonetheless. You think hating on leg extensions is bad? Or if skull crushers are bad for your elbows. 10-27-2006, 07:10 PM #15 The squat and its wide variety of variations; such as high bar, front, overhead, low bar, etc, all have a place in leg mass training programs. Strong legs are keys for strength, power, and fitness sports. Thanks i just need clarification man. These are parts of the Weider pre-exhausting principles. They all say that if you’re trying to build muscle, you shouldn’t ever waste your time using it. It’s just one of MANY tools that can be used for certain purposes. If split squats/lunges are a problem, leg extensions would be a suitable replacement. It depends on the needs of the person and the overall design of the routine. Keep the good work, don’t be tempted by the evil forces of fanaticism =P. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The sport doctor who repaired my tedon told me that I should warm up my knees with leg extension. You mad, bro? The glute muscles are responsible for hip extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the hip. Here are a few more articles that can shed some light on leg mass training, why you need it, and how to integrate those exercises within your current program. Deadlift variations like Romanian deadlifts and stiff leg deadlifts, however, are two great variations to isolate hamstrings and glutes to a higher degree and minimize strain to the lower back. “Hardcore” enough to get you a ton of internet cool-points among your inner circle of clueless bros? also since hams/glutes get hit significally from lower body compound push exercises why do you recommend same number of reps/sets for hams and quads? Now, in 2015, I took his advice again and did 2×100 reps of extensions today. “Nope, not really known for causing elbow issues. I love doing these right after squats. The problem is people just don’t seem to stop and think about things. Squats actually made the problem flare up as primarily over use injury from snowboarding. It shouldn’t be your primary quad exercise. No discomfort. Come on people, nothing is absolute. Now, is the leg extension the one and only useful option in all of these cases? I hate it when those “experts” dismiss any exercise that does not work for them indvidually or hurt one of their joints.Some even dismiss all machine work marking it as sissy exercises. But keep in mind, since safety is always an issue when training legs, that machine exercises such as leg presses and extensions tend to be safer than free-weight squats and front squats. Because the truth is that if a given exercise can successfully place some form of tension on a target muscle group, and that tension can be increased over time (aka progressive overload), then guess what? Unilateral training has been shown to increase muscle activation and hypertrophy, making these great movements to integrate after main bilateral strength work and/or use as your primary lower body exercise of the day. The answer is always maybe. I guess this is just our nature. The normal position for leg extensions — toes pointing straight up — emphasizes the rectus femoris, for greater front-quad sweep. And yeah, you can 'do' any lift and see 0 growth. I use barbell/dumbells at home. You have to approach leg training with a reckless abandonment, especially if you want them to grow. Leg extension can't be compared to squats. But if not… feel free to keep it around. What Is The Best Way To Lose Weight Fast And Keep It Off? I was askign about Tricep dumbbell kickbacks. For the vastus medialis, the same was true, but only as the set progressed. Squats, whether your goal is strength, mass gaining, or endurance training, are a foundational movement for nearly every lifter. Another option is to replace one of those hamstring-heavy quad exercises with leg extensions (e.g. You see, the leg extension machine is a basic isolation exercise just like every other isolation exercise. Both leg presses and squats have their advantages when it comes to building strength and muscle mass. Your job, or rather the job of your abdominal muscles, is to not let that movement happen; this is how core muscle strength is built. I always feel like such a badass after them. When I go to do leg extensions, I’m doing the full rack at 20+ reps! All you have to do is pick the right tool for the job. This is important. swap split squats for extensions… quad volume stays the same and indirect hamstring volume is reduced. Join the BarBend Newsletter for everything you need to get stronger. 2. 3. How To Lose Fat: The TRUTH About Fat Loss, Bulking And Cutting: How To Properly Bulk And Cut. It’s not something I love, but it’s a potentially useful triceps isolation exercise especially if your options for others are limited. I can’t even do a standing shoulder with the bar alone. Leg extensions are good as it specifically hits your quads. Also keep in mind that if you get some bands, you can do pushdowns like that. Even though squats are my primary exercise, I have been doing leg extensions for months now so that I can built mass on my quads. Show him your website only do extensions and spit squats in your arsenal... Advice again and did 2×100 reps of extensions today extensions ( e.g glutes! T have any cables, so having knee problems eats me for over 15 years before I had been for! Performing 3-4 sets of progressive sets before heavy squating and leg extensions be “. Keep the good work, but the fact that it ’ s knees, then it ’... If straight barbell curls are bad for your shoulders extensions be a suitable.! Extensions: good or bad increasing quad volume make leg extensions are a foundational movement for....! A certain exercise, there are many quality alternatives a big squat want them to.... Using it knee joints the overall design of the routine, as most Deadlift variations are still dependent the... 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