Everyone knows that if you allow your lower back to come off the pad (or round) at the end of the leg press movement where your knees are close to your abdomen - it is bad for your back.
However, with perfect form on the leg press, is there still a lot of compression on you back?
With perfect form on squats, there IS still compression on your back as the load is acting parallel to the long axis of the spine. With the leg press, the load is acting perpendicular to the long axis of the spine, so it is unclear if using perfect form with the leg press will allow, essentially, zero compression on the back?
I am not a biomechanic expert but my feeling is the leg press is safe for our back unless using an old freeky machine or doing reps in a weird way. My guess is your back is problematic for you now. If it is the case, you might start with light weight wait 2 days add progressively if all goes well.
0 is never an option breathing affects our spine but generally it is not problematic.
All the best
What usually causes damage to the disks is shear force and not necessarily compressive. If your hips are pinned to the seat and you limit your rom to keep it that way, there shouldn’t be any shear or compressive force.
Read articles by Eric Cressey(and similar authors on this site) lower back savers and research by Dr. Stuart McGill since many of your questions are of this nature.
I actually have no back pain at all whilst squatting yet I do have a hard time using the leg press machine. I just find I can’t get into a good position where my lumbar can stay at least flat.
It always rounds as I lower the weight once it gets heavy. I don’t have this problem with squats as I only go to parallel and I maintain an arched back powerlifting style.
As JoabSonOfZeruiah said if I shortened my ROM and kept my hips pinned down I should be fine but I just find that hard to do.
IMO…this really depends on the machine. I have used some machines that seem to support the back in a manner that allow for some serious work, and some I wouldn’t more than isolation work on.
The way I fucked up my back twice was after using the leg press. It took me a while to figure out that it was the leg press, but I’m sure it was.
Of course, if you use it and have no problem, fine…but there’s no way I’m using a leg press again with how awful my back was. I was in pain for 2 weeks each time and the lower back was just ready to go at a a moment’s notice for months after, like tight every time I stood up and all that.
The classic 45 degree leg press has never worked too well for me. The last time I used it was when I sprained my abdominals because I was going for depth.
However… there are other angles which I prefer. The lying down leg press, and the standing “hack squat machine” are nice for doing higher rep sets and getting the pump on after barbell work.
I also don’t really know how to use the 45 degree leg press. I’ve tried different foot placement, high reps, low reps, heavy weight,light weight, going to different depths etc all with the aim of developing my quads but it didn’t work. Actually got achy knees and an achy lower back from it one time.
On the other hand, I love the horizontal leg press, there was one at a gym I used to train at that had individual pads for each foot so you could do it unilaterally. Was awesome, then they shut down.
Anyway, as long as you know what your doing, you can use the leg press without a problem. Rounding at the bottom while going for some crazy depth is likely to hurt you though.
I have to add something here. I’ve never had back problems from squatting, even when I go up to 415 for reps. Even though this is the case, like an idiot I did two sets of 30 reps leg press with a pretty light weight and can’t walk for the past two days due to lower back pain. Luckily it’s most likely not a disc, but shit, I can’t put my socks on. I think I’ve strained a lumbar paraspinal because of really crapy hip mobility. Freaking leg press, last time I ever use that garbage.
Ok, i’m done bitching.
I don’t know why it’s so much easier for your back to round when using the 45 degree leg press rather than the horizontal one?
You’re still in exactly the same position, just with your whole body tilted 45 degrees, why should one make it easier for the back to round than the other?
[quote]alternate wrote:
I don’t know why it’s so much easier for your back to round when using the 45 degree leg press rather than the horizontal one?
You’re still in exactly the same position, just with your whole body tilted 45 degrees, why should one make it easier for the back to round than the other?[/quote]
[quote]alternate wrote:
I don’t know why it’s so much easier for your back to round when using the 45 degree leg press rather than the horizontal one?
You’re still in exactly the same position, just with your whole body tilted 45 degrees, why should one make it easier for the back to round than the other?[/quote]
What would you do if you knew the answer? [/quote]