You may not realise, but your foot position during your leg press has a significant capacity to bias the work of different muscle groups. As a blanket rule, it is always important to change your workouts, incorporate different movements and bias different muscle groups in order to prevent muscle asymmetries and encourage adaptations in our trained muscle groups.
Squatting v Leg Press
Firstly, let’s look at the primary differences between squatting and the leg press.
Squatting works more major muscle groups than any other resistance training movement (although an argument can be made for deadlifts here- I won’t start that fight!) Not only are the quads, hamstrings and glutes targeted, but the trunk muscles are also incorporated for stabilisation throughout the movement.
The leg press has a reduced demand for our stabilisers due to being seated throughout the movement. For this reason, we can load the legpress with heavier weights than we could otherwise squat. It also allows for different muscles to be biased depending on your foot position.
High Foot Position
A high foot position increases the amount of hip movement achieved with a leg press and reduced the range of movement demands on our knee joints. As such you will feel greater stretch, and a higher load being placed through the glutes and hamstrings.
This is important for the quadriceps dominant athlete!
Conversely, a low foot position decreases the movement of our hip joint but increases the movement of the knee joint. As such, this biases the quadriceps much more strongly, compared to the glutes and hamstrings!
For the quadriceps dominant athlete, or those with knee pain, this increase in quadriceps activation can increase pressure through the knees.
Foot Width
A wider foot stance will place greater emphasis on the muscles of the inner thigh (this may be more quadriceps or hamstrings/adductors depending on your foot height).
When leg pressing in this position, it is still important to ensure that your knees are tracking over the middle of the foot to prevent knee maltracking issues.
A narrow foot stance will increase activation of the quadriceps and outer thigh muscles.
The following image is from simplygym.co.uk/5-ways-to-leg-press
A high foot position increases the amount of hip movement achieved with a leg press
leg press
The leg press is a compound weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight or resistance away from them using their legs. The term leg press machine refers to the apparatus used to perform this exercise.
and reduced the range of movement demands on our knee joints. As such you will feel greater stretch, and a higher load being placed through the glutes and hamstrings.
The higher your foot placement, the more. hip flexion you're gonna be getting on the leg press, which will translate to more glutes. This is also more similar to a low bar squat. Compare that with a more low foot placement.
Place your feet about hip-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward.The balls of your feet should be aligned at the upper edge of the footplate. Push the weight upward using the balls of your feet, extending your legs fully while keeping your knees soft at the top of the motion.
Step 1: Sit in the leg press machine with feet hip to shoulder width apart and straight ahead on the leg press platform. Ensure foot height placement allows for good range of movement at both the hip and knee. Let one foot rest on the foot rest below. Draw in and brace the abs.
Placing the feet higher up on the foot pad encourages the hamstrings and glutes to activate, which takes stress off the quads. This is a great substitute for deadlifts and hamstring curls. Most people will find that they are able to lift the most weight in this position.
The low stance involves placing the feet at the bottom of the foot plate, with toes pointed slightly outward and feet narrower than shoulder-width apart. This foot position places greater emphasis on the quads, with less activation of the glutes and hamstrings.
The vertical leg press is great for targeting the quadriceps, while the leg press and the 45-degree leg press provide a more comprehensive lower body workout. Consider your muscle activation, joint stress, and machine availability when deciding which leg press variation to incorporate into your fitness routine.
Your bottom should be flat against the seat rather than raised.Your legs should form an angle of about 90 degrees at the knees. If your feet are too high on the plate, it will stress your glutes; too low puts unnecessary pressure on your knees.
Generally, the glutes are more active when you place your feet higher on the platform, point your toes outward, and widen your stance. These adjustments increase the range of motion of your hips and knees, which allows your glutes to stretch more at the bottom of the movement and contract more at the top.
Vertical and 45-degree leg press machines are more "knee-friendly" than the horizontal as they allow a more natural range of motion. If you have lower back pain, the vertical leg press is definitely best avoided.
Positioning your feet inwards during the extension will target the vastus lateralis (outer thigh), whilst turning the toes out will target the vastus medialis (inner thigh) also.
Your legs should form an angle of about 90 degrees at the knees. If your feet are too high on the plate, it will stress your glutes; too low puts unnecessary pressure on your knees. Your knees should be in line with your feet and neither be bowed inward nor outward. As you press, make sure to keep this alignment.
The firmer your feet are, the better your control will be over the weight. By correctly planting both feet on the platform and driving the weight through your heels, you'll be able to exert maximum force effectively and give your legs a great workout.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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