Leg Press Machine

[Lentils]

So now that gyms are reopening, I was thinking of joining one because I'm really struggling to work out my lower body at home. Body weight squats / lunges / Nordic curls are fine but they are just inconvenient and time consuming and I feel like if I had access to a gym, I could hit my legs harder, and more effectively, in less time.

So I figured the leg press machine is the most obvious way to work my legs in a gym without needing much expertise or assistance. Does anybody use this machine much? Have you had good results? I figure it works the quads, hams, and glutes, so it seems like a one stop shop for the lower body.

I have never been to a gym before so I know I'm going to feel super self conscious, so I wanted to get some advice before heading in there.

Googling around, I think my lower body must weigh about 1/3 of my body weight, so if i can do body weight squats (easily, for hundreds of reps) then I must be able to do 2/3 body weight on a leg press, and then I can build from there.

I might also use the calf raise machine, but I am pressed for time (hence preferring to work out at home in general) so I want to be in and out in less than 30 mins.

 

[twoton]

It would be better, obviously, to do squats, but leg press machines definitely help.

I wouldn’t get too wrapped up in details about 1/3 and 2/3 and such.

When I do leg presses I try to position my feet as they would be in a squat, and I lower the weight to the same point that it would be in a squat, all the way through a full range of motion.

I’d skip the calf raise machine. You can do that with the leg press machine as part of the “squats.”

 

[Motion-of-the-Ocean]

Since I can no longer do squats, I have come to relay exclusively on the leg press for mass building followed by leg extensions, hamstring curls and glute kick-backs for isolation. I'll then finish off with the calf raise, although I usually don't put as much effort into it since my calves are naturally large and strong and thus it's hard to really spur any more growth.

Although it used to take me at least an hour on leg day, cutting out squats will allow me to finish in half that time, although at present I do legs on the same day as upper since I'm playing catch up on the parts that fell into disuse during the shut-down.

While you should do squats as they are the king for leg development, I think you can still get pretty good results with just the leg press since it works every muscle of the lower body and I've done so with my legs feeling totally trashed the next day (or even several days after). Additionally it allows advanced moves like drop-sets that will really burn the hell out of them and that is next to impossible with squats unless you have two other guys to help you strip the plates.

It's good you have interest at least to do lower body work. Nearly every guy I've seen in my gym ignores their legs (or does them half-heartedly) and then tries to hide their chicken legs with sweat pants. It seemed at times I was the only one who even had a dedicated leg day. Many don't do it for the simple fact it is hard. One can curl or press a barbell all day, but squats or heavy leg presses will require work and a high discomfort threshold. But the rewards are worth it. Unlike upper body, whenever I did legs, I really felt like I was accomplishing something and pushing myself to the max. Good luck.

 

[socalfreak]

So now that gyms are reopening, I was thinking of joining one because I'm really struggling to work out my lower body at home. Body weight squats / lunges / Nordic curls are fine but they are just inconvenient and time consuming and I feel like if I had access to a gym, I could hit my legs harder, and more effectively, in less time.

So I figured the leg press machine is the most obvious way to work my legs in a gym without needing much expertise or assistance. Does anybody use this machine much? Have you had good results? I figure it works the quads, hams, and glutes, so it seems like a one stop shop for the lower body.

I have never been to a gym before so I know I'm going to feel super self conscious, so I wanted to get some advice before heading in there.

Googling around, I think my lower body must weigh about 1/3 of my body weight, so if i can do body weight squats (easily, for hundreds of reps) then I must be able to do 2/3 body weight on a leg press, and then I can build from there.

I might also use the calf raise machine, but I am pressed for time (hence preferring to work out at home in general) so I want to be in and out in less than 30 mins.

Can't think of much that can make an experienced gym goer cringe more than hearing somebody say they've never been to a gym... Want to use a heavy piece of equipment with no knowledge of how it works.... And workout their legs fast, because they're in a hurry.
Yikes.
Out of all the machines in the gym, leg press is one of the things that gets misused the most. People regularly put themselves in vulnerable positions on that thing, to exercise their egos & hurry thru leg day, because it's hard work.
You might get to a point where you can get thru a very modest leg workout in about 30 minutes. But, it's not likely going to happen overnight.
Even very small adjustments on a leg press can have big differences.
Get the seat in a position the feels best for your range of motion.
Set the emergency stop, if it has one.
Start with a light weight, to get the feel of it.
If all you're doing is legs, then warm up.
Stretches, etc.
This next part, I can't emphasize enough...
Keep your hands off your knees & go slowly!!
Control the weight, all the way thru the movement. Don't bounce. Don't rush.

As far as working the entire leg...
Foot position determines what gets worked.
Toes at the top of the platform will get your glutes and hamstrings more.
Feet more in the center of the platform will hit quads more.
It's very clear from your post that you're in a hurry.
If your goal is to put on mass , using only the leg press, and you want to be in and out in thirty, I wouldn't hold your breath.
If you just want to improve your conditioning a bit, it's doable.

 

[Snarky_succubus]

So now that gyms are reopening, I was thinking of joining one because I'm really struggling to work out my lower body at home. Body weight squats / lunges / Nordic curls are fine but they are just inconvenient and time consuming and I feel like if I had access to a gym, I could hit my legs harder, and more effectively, in less time.

So I figured the leg press machine is the most obvious way to work my legs in a gym without needing much expertise or assistance. Does anybody use this machine much? Have you had good results? I figure it works the quads, hams, and glutes, so it seems like a one stop shop for the lower body.

I have never been to a gym before so I know I'm going to feel super self conscious, so I wanted to get some advice before heading in there.

Googling around, I think my lower body must weigh about 1/3 of my body weight, so if i can do body weight squats (easily, for hundreds of reps) then I must be able to do 2/3 body weight on a leg press, and then I can build from there.

I might also use the calf raise machine, but I am pressed for time (hence preferring to work out at home in general) so I want to be in and out in less than 30 mins.

Get a trainer. Period. You’re the perfect candidate for a trainer. Absolutely no idea what you’re doing and feeling self conscious. A trainer fixes both. You have a bodyguard, instruction, and you learn how to get results without killing yourself.

“it’s expensive”. Yeah... not as expensive as MRI’s, surgeries, specialists, PT, chiropractic, and whatever else you could end up needing because you decided to just have a go at it in a hurry.

Even if you only keep the trainer long enough to get you familiar with the equipment... spend the money.

 

[Lentils]

Get a trainer. Period. You’re the perfect candidate for a trainer. Absolutely no idea what you’re doing and feeling self conscious. A trainer fixes both. You have a bodyguard, instruction, and you learn how to get results without killing yourself.

“it’s expensive”. Yeah... not as expensive as MRI’s, surgeries, specialists, PT, chiropractic, and whatever else you could end up needing because you decided to just have a go at it in a hurry.

Even if you only keep the trainer long enough to get you familiar with the equipment... spend the money.

I am semi in agreement about a trainer... Or at least somebody to show me the ropes for a couple of weeks.

But I'm not trying to be the biggest or strongest or best looking guy at the gym. It is just that at the moment I am very tall and my legs are very thin and my height does me no favours... I'm lucky in that I'm naturally quite lean so if I gain a small amount of muscle, it shows up fairly well.

At the moment in doing virtually no lower body work, and whilst I don't have the time/energy/enthusiasm to become a full time gym going body builder, there must be some kind of inbetween step

 

[Snarky_succubus]

I am semi in agreement about a trainer... Or at least somebody to show me the ropes for a couple of weeks.

But I'm not trying to be the biggest or strongest or best looking guy at the gym. It is just that at the moment I am very tall and my legs are very thin and my height does me no favours... I'm lucky in that I'm naturally quite lean so if I gain a small amount of muscle, it shows up fairly well.

At the moment in doing virtually no lower body work, and whilst I don't have the time/energy/enthusiasm to become a full time gym going body builder, there must be some kind of inbetween step

Most people are the in between step. Still a good idea to have someone show you how to safely execute movements and a basic idea of how to get the best result for whatever time you're choosing to spend.

 

[pwrdick]

I have to agree with Snarky. PLEASE get a trainer so that you learn how to use the leg press without causing injury. Socal freak gives some good tips, but the trainer will show you exactly how to arrange your legs, feet and, most importantly your knees so that you do not stress your knee joints in the wrong way. The big bonus is that your trainer can set up a more complete workout regime to help you look good all over, and not just your legs. Stick with them for at least 3-4 workouts for each of the different daily routines they set you up on.

I think I have great legs and get loads of compliments on them. Leg presses are one of my weekly leg exercises and, I have to admit, something that has always been a prideful piece of equipment for me. Before the shutdown of my gym, I was at 740 pounds and that made me feel awesome (20 years ago I think I was pressing 850). When the gyms re-open more permanently (ours here were open about a month and we just shut down again) I will return and drop way back down in the weights and slowly build up to make sure I keep proper form and do not over-stress my muscles as I build back up.

Hope this helps!
Marc

 

[sodominsane]

My opinion

fuck the leg press machine

the only thing leg press machine is good for is putting a shit ton of wieght on it and feeling good about yourself

the machines force you to follow a set pre determined track.... and since no two people have the same body ergonomic and sizes your very likely to not track properly

squat deadlift and clean jerk

I’ve been on college level football teams and they care about

squat deadlift and clean jerk

what do competitions care about?

squat deadlifts and clean jerks

Want best results fast?

squats deadlift and clean jerks

And also as a bonus in real life it’s much more functional strength ...got to help a buddy move a sofa your deadlifting it.... put a heavy item on a shelf your cleaning jerking it

do you really want to be the buff muscle dude who pulls his back out changing you daughters tire

now here is where I’m gonna break with a lot of folks on here....snarky and social are generally more knowledgeable at exercise and I would generally defer to their opinion

however...get a trainer...shit I have seen so many really bad trainers helping out beginners at gyms that that is a recommendation I can’t fully go by. Also it seems that the worse the trainer is the more beginners seem to love them.

now best case scenario... you go to a weight lifting coach...yeah coach ....weightlifting coaches are usually quite skilled in Olympic lifts and powerlifting

next best choice is powerlifting coach

but not everyone has access to these

so if you must have a trainer go for it , however this is 2020 and the amount of resources at you disposal is amazing (I wish I had this when I started)

you are not blazing new trails so follow the trails of others before you

Search how to videos ...how to squat by blank...., good names To fill in blank

Ed coan( not sure but he might know a bit about how to squat ...just kinda guessing..could be wrong)

mark bell

untamed strength (thall does a pretty good job of explaining movements to ya)

And if you get a trainer and he’s not describing the lifts similarly you probably should look elsewhere

 

[Gerony]

I am a recreational and future competitive powerlifter. I feel the leg press can be used as an accessory, bodybuilding exercise if placed in a routine properly. I use it occasionally at, when I am not doing lunge or stepup variations on my max effort deadlift/squat day for 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps, working up to 2 heavy last sets. Contrary to the posterior chain craze, your quads DO have a place in powerlifting!

 

[someperson]

Googling around, I think my lower body must weigh about 1/3 of my body weight, so if i can do body weight squats (easily, for hundreds of reps) then I must be able to do 2/3 body weight on a leg press, and then I can build from there.

I might also use the calf raise machine, but I am pressed for time (hence preferring to work out at home in general) so I want to be in and out in less than 30 mins.

When i first tried the leg press machine I was able to do 300 pounds when I was 225 pounds. you should be able to do your own weight at a minimum...

try at lest 10%/15% more of your weight .. at minus-33% of your weight it will not do anything

 

[socalfreak]

When i first tried the leg press machine I was able to do 300 pounds when I was 225 pounds. you should be able to do your own weight at a minimum...

try at lest 10%/15% more of your weight .. at minus-33% of your weight it will not do anything

Complete garbage.

To anybody seeking advice on fitness/health/gym practices, I'd strongly advise you to look at the person offering it, to assess their credibility.

 

[Big_a_20]

I agree with everyone that suggested getting a trainer. I was very self conscious when I wanted to start going to a gym. I put it off for a whole year because it gave me anxiety. I told the trainer this for our first session and he just looked at me and said “everyone starts not knowing anything, just some people stay stuck there”. He was diligent about correcting my form and what to look and feel for with every exercise. Set me up with a routine I did for about 6 months. Once I got my comfortable in the gym I started realizing: 1) no one really cares about what you’re doing unless you’re hogging equipment, not wiping down, or being obnoxious and 2) most of the “bros” tend to have shit form and use the same three pieces of equipment. Do what you need to do, do it well, and get out.
I’m a tall guy too so I get the leg thing. I have decent legs from previous sports and dance but wouldn’t mind getting them a little bigger. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are key. I find leg press doesn’t challenge me or engages my core which is more important for you physically especially being tall as our center of gravity is much higher that shorter guys. Riding a bike or spinning will also be good for building up legs but you gotta remember to stretch and roll out your legs or your ligaments will get tight AF. Good luck man!

 

[51arledge]

I didn't go to a gym until I was 50!
Prior to that, as a contractor/carpenter, I had great functional fitness, but I wanted to build more muscle.
What I have found is that for tall guys like me the leg press is nearly worthless. My go-to (s) have been:
A) front squats because they really build quads for tall guys like nothing else will, as well as great core strength
B) Bulgarian split squats for glutes and core
C) deadlifts.

For all of these you are going to need a trainer so that you learn to do them safely.

As for time, I used that excuse for years. Once I learned how to use the gym, I MADE the time and had so much more energy that I had more time in my daily energy budget.

 

[roundmidnight01]

I don't use the leg press machine much. For legs, it's hard to do better than squats, hip thrusts, and deadlifts.