[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
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I agree with this 100%. I could squat 455 for reps long before my legs stopped looking like complete shit (not saying they’re amazing now, but they’re a hell of a lot better). I didn’t see any shape improvements until I started really learning how to recruit the quads with isolation/machine moves under Thibs’ direction. That’s when the squats started to really pay off. Without the isolation moves, squats can just be a matter of “moving weight from A to B” rather than “moving weight from A to B using certain muscles.”
I do think a balance between both elements is necessary to maximize gains though.
P.S. Your wheels are ridiculous lol[/quote]
Ya. This.
Squats are great. If you can squat a lot of weight, there’s a good chance you’ll also have pretty big legs…however, in my experience, the Tom Platz “heavy weight for high reps” really does apply to legs. You can only go so heavy for so many reps on squats before your core gives out as the weak link or something else other than legs. On hacks/leg press, you can push your legs much further and get into that “high reps/heavy weight” zone better.
[quote]kox wrote:
I train at home so I don’t leg press at all. But if I was training at the gym I probably wouldn’t leg press either. My legs grow faster than anything. I just do 8 sets of squats (to failure) to release some GH and testosterone. And after this I’m so drained I sometimes do deadlift sometimes not. Hams will grow even from squats. [/quote]
If you have any goals with your leg training besides “Squat a lot” (and even if that is your only goal), good luck reaching them if this post is serious. You’ll need it.
Interested in just how amazing your legs apparently look from just squats and sometimes deadlifts. [/quote]
i just laughed at the GH and testosterone relase part
[/quote]
x2, srs lolz.
I like leg press a lot for unilateral work. Not really a fan of using both feet at the same time though. Front squats all the way for bilateral work.
I wish the rec had a plate loaded, angled hack squat machine. They only have the POS one that’s parallel to the floor and maxes out at a 400 lbs stack. I R MAD!
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
[/quote]
This is interesting because even though you and I have similar structures I am the complete opposite, my legs blow up if i concentrate on squats, the other stuff does not do a lot even though my legs more or less respond to anything
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
[/quote]
This is interesting because even though you and I have similar structures I am the complete opposite, my legs blow up if i concentrate on squats, the other stuff does not do a lot even though my legs more or less respond to anything[/quote]
Very interesting to me also. Hacks and leg press do feel great for my quads specifically.
I like to do both though, the minimalistic workload I would consider productive for me is something like squats, high rep front squats, leg ext, done. But I always feel I’ve hit quads specifically much harder with other variations thrown in. (speaking of variations, doing leg work in olympic shoes definitely gives the quads an extra challenge, which is what I do now for everything that isn’t hamstring work)
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
[/quote]
This is interesting because even though you and I have similar structures I am the complete opposite, my legs blow up if i concentrate on squats, the other stuff does not do a lot even though my legs more or less respond to anything[/quote]
If you have good quad recruitment already and know how to make the muscle work right for squats, that could be a part of it.
I don’t do much isolation these days (pretty much just front squats and ghetto prowler/sled stuff on the treadmill) and I’m still gaining at a solid rate. That’s following isolation-heavy days of up to 150 sets over the summer though haha.
EDIT: Specifically, I seem to have good luck with lighter, explosive front squats ATG performed 4-6 days per week (at the beginning of each workout as a part of high frequency strength work). I haven’t back squatted in awhile because it kinda shits on my knees when I go ATG.
a low and close foot position(think ball of you foot)without a lock-out is great for ‘teardrop’ isolation. Higher rep ranges work best…IMO.
the leg-press is a great station for drop-sets.
the leg-press is ideal for partial range of motion work.
the leg-press works great as the second station in a super set. Pre-exhausting the quads w/extensions, the foot placement described above or even hamstrings depending on the foot placement at the press.
**I have only used the gliding type of machine. Although I rarely use it as my primary station, when I do I’m in the 800+ range for 6-10 reps.
[quote]kox wrote:
I train at home so I don’t leg press at all. But if I was training at the gym I probably wouldn’t leg press either. My legs grow faster than anything. I just do 8 sets of squats (to failure) to release some GH and testosterone. And after this I’m so drained I sometimes do deadlift sometimes not. Hams will grow even from squats. [/quote]
If you have any goals with your leg training besides “Squat a lot” (and even if that is your only goal), good luck reaching them if this post is serious. You’ll need it.
Interested in just how amazing your legs apparently look from just squats and sometimes deadlifts. [/quote]
i just laughed at the GH and testosterone relase part
[/quote]
x2, srs lolz.
I like leg press a lot for unilateral work. Not really a fan of using both feet at the same time though. Front squats all the way for bilateral work.[/quote]
Ive never tried it for unilateral, that probably would be a lot better just because I wouldnt have to hog all the plates lol
Defintiely a big discrepency with the ‘leg press’ machines you use. The image in the original post shows a machine I’ve used at my brother’s gym and stacked a hell of a lotta plates on it. Normally though, I focus more on Limited ROM (but fully bringing my knees to my chest), very explosive, non-lockouts, with a narrow foot placement. Weight wise, 6 plates per side. Not impressing anyone -lol. Usually done after exts and squats though.
when I was 15 I used 200kg/440lb x reps at horizontal/Panatta leg press,then I started football and did just squats for years,2 years ago i did 380/840 x 8,then i discovered that my knees-cartilagins-ligaments are gone/fucked and i’m doing now just box-squat high reps (20/30),they work but my legs lost a lot of size :-((
any tips to train legs with light weights because of injuries??
i have also a trap-bar in my warehouse gym (if it helps…)
thanx
This was a set of mine from a DC blast in late 2010. At the time this was the best ROM, foot placement and rep range that worked for me. Touch and go helped with the explosiveness under a heavier load. These sets were typically followed up with a WM for 20+ reps at 6-7 plates per side. Having said all that, my philosophy has changed quite a bit on set-up, foot placement, exercise selection, etc.
I found that for me, while the leg press did help me add 2’ to my legs, that I relied on it too much and eventually did my self a disservice. In a perfect world we don’t have to worry about muscle imbalances and dominant muscle groups. Unfortunately that shit didn’t apply for me. The importance of the squat movements as it pertains to abductor and adductor strength is huge if you don’t train them directly. In the end it really gave me alot of issues in my hips.
I hardly ever go REALLY heavy on any leg movements anymore and stay in the higher rep ranges over 12. Use alot of the intensity techniques like pauses, 3-6 sec negs, partials, etc.
[quote]Tatsu wrote:
But I like the leg press for constant tension on the legs without the lock out, 3s negative and so on. [/quote]
I have recently started implementing the above, always believed in the past I needed to be stronger. Been really happy personally with the progress since switching.
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
[/quote]
When I did leg press for a significant amount of time (more time then I have not done it) I felt it mainly stimulating in my glutes and hips, although it did hit the quads to some degree. I’ve dropped it now substituting setting the hack squat machine so I’m leaning as far back as possible throughout the squat and doing a bunch of variation.
Cool! Another thraed where everybody can lie about their lifting numbers. I leg press 2000 pounds too. Anybody who can’t leg press 2000 pounds clearly has some sort of physical disability.
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
I think squats are a good addition to other exercises, but my legs didn’t start to take on serious shape until I began focusing on leg press/hacks with different rep techniques etc.
[/quote]
