In the recent interview with Joe DeFranco, he mentions that the leg press is “more damaging” to the lower back than squats or deadlifts. I’m not disagreeing, I’m just wondering exactly why this is the case.
Funny…a few years ago during a leg workout I was squatting, which was fine, then after my sets I went to do leg presses. During leg presses I hurt my back, which ended up hurting about three weeks straight.
Don’t have a biomechanical answer, but I’m sure it had to do with the position of my feet…my lower back ended up being off the seat. If you watch someone doing leg presses, it looks unnatural…kind of like a car accident, the way your knees go up to your face.
the leg press kills my low back! im no expert but i believe that the reason for this is because when your sitting on the leg press all of the weight and pressure is on your low back. which compresses the spine and causes me great pain. i have to do single leg presses with much less weight in order for my back to not tighten up.
Yes, Heavy leg press can be damaging to the lower back. The problem is that when people use correct form their gluets come off the bench and that will overload the lower back there for cause injury. No with-out having the knees touching the chest the leg press will not cause lower back problem.
In Health,
Silas C.
When squatting your coremuscles have to stay “tight” to support the weight, no need for that when legpressing which meens that in the low position it’s very easy for the hips to tilt forward which puts alot off stress on the lower back. Especially if your sloppy and “bounce” on the botton.
Next time you see somebody legpressing, look what happends to the hips/lower back when at the “bottom” of the lift.
The leg press can be damaging, especially when poor form is used. Most people allow their lower backs to be pressed into the back pad, thus losing neutral spine. As the legs loweer the pelvis tilts backward causing spinal flexion. Most disc herniations happen from excessive spinal flexion.
For the Leg press I would suggest a rather controlled concentric/eccentric speed to avoid possible injuries. Squats and deadlifts, properly executed, are definitively safer and productive.