The leg press machine is a well-liked selection for lower-body exercises for a cause. You may carry heavy weights with wonderful stability. It targets your quads and glutes and doesn’t require the stability or approach that barbell squats want. It makes leg day easy and efficient.
However there’s a catch.
Not each gymnasium gives one, and it’s an train that doesn’t go well with everybody. Some lifters really feel jammed up in the course of the setup, whereas others expertise extra stress on their knees than of their quads. And when you’re coaching at residence? Overlook about it.
Right here’s the excellent news: You may nonetheless construct sturdy, muscular legs with out ever utilizing a leg press machine. We’ll clarify why the leg press is nice, what to search for in an alternate, and 5 choices that may depart your legs pumped.
What Makes the Leg Press Efficient?
The leg press may not get as a lot hype as squats, however in the case of constructing leg measurement and energy, it will get the job executed. Right here’s why it really works effectively:
- Heavy Loading Minimal Danger: You may load the leg press machine with a ton of weight with out the necessity for stabilization. Moreover, the fastened motion path, mixed with a secure atmosphere, signifies that your legs do extra of the muscular work.
- Quad-Dominant Emphasis: With the right foot placement, the leg press is especially efficient for juicing up the quads, particularly in high-volume units.
- Decrease Again Saver: Since you’re not stacking the load in your backbone, it’s simpler on the decrease again than barbell squats, making it good for lifters with decrease again points.
- Simpler to Carry out: The leg press is a machine-based, closed-chain train the place the machine controls the motion path. These elements make it simpler to carry out than a barbell squat as a result of it requires much less technical ability.
However you don’t want a leg press machine to get these advantages. The best free-weight or body weight options can match the leg press by way of constructing sturdy, muscular legs.
What Makes For a Good Leg Press Various?
A very good leg press different will goal the identical muscle tissues, primarily the quadriceps and glutes. Which means that all squat variations are choices, as each the squat and leg press interact these muscle tissues collectively. We’re inspecting squat variations that place minimal load on the backbone, which eliminates the necessity for the barbell again squat.
Whether or not you’re utilizing free weights, machines, or body weight workout routines, the choice ought to permit for progressive overload and supply some stability, serving to you push your self with out compromising your type.
Now now we have that out of the best way, let’s get to the good things.
High 5 Leg Press Various Workouts For Dimension & Energy
With out additional ado, listed below are 5 quad and glute-building options to the leg press.
Hack Squat
The hack squat is a machine-based squat variation the place your again is supported in opposition to a sled as you carry out a squat with a hard and fast vary of movement. Consider it as an upright leg press as a result of it mimics the leg press’s secure, fastened motion path whereas placing much more emphasis on the quads. The again help protects the backbone, permitting you to deal with leg drive. Hold your ft barely larger on the platform to cut back knee stress, and drive by means of your heels to interact the glutes and hamstrings.
Units & Reps: 4 units of 6–12 reps
Supported Bulgarian Break up Squat
You carry out the Supported Bulgarian Break up Squat by elevating your rear foot whereas holding onto a hard and fast anchor level to help with stability and stability. Just like the leg press, this transfer means that you can isolate one leg at a time, overloading the quadriceps and glutes on account of its means to go deep. Hold your torso upright, push by means of the midfoot of your entrance leg, and deal with stopping your entrance knee from caving in.
Units & Reps: 3 units of 6–15 reps per aspect
Belt Squat
You carry out the Belt Squat utilizing a belt that means that you can load weight round your hips, moderately than putting it in your shoulders or holding it in your palms. It gives the loading advantages of a leg press with out the spinal compression that comes with the barbell squat. The glutes and quads have all of the enjoyable whereas your decrease again stays out of the equation. Keep an upright torso and let your hips drop straight down between your ft—don’t lean ahead or rock again.
Units & Reps: 3–4 units of 12–16 reps
Lure Bar Squat
You carry out a Lure Bar Squat by stepping contained in the lure bar, which aligns the load along with your middle of gravity for higher stability and management. These elements assist keep a extra upright torso and shin place, permitting you to deal with the quadriceps extra. Moreover, there may be much less compressive load on the backbone, making it an acceptable different to the leg press. As a result of lowered vary of movement attributable to the plate top and D handles, you’ll be able to elevate the ft or use the low handles to realize extra ROM. Push your knees out and over your toes as you decrease, maintaining your shoulders down and chest up.
Units & Reps: 3 units of 10 -16 reps
Sissy Squat
The Sissy Squat is a quad-dominant body weight squat the place your knees journey over your toes, and your torso leans again. It focuses on the quadriceps as a result of a considerable amount of knee flexion requires excessive quad activation. Nonetheless, in case you have any knee points, it’s finest to think about the opposite options on this record. Management the descent and don’t let your hips break—preserve your physique in a straight line from knees to go as you lean again.
Units & Reps: 2–3 units of 12–20 reps
