A lot of “hardcore” lifters nowadays say things like:
“Leg presses are for soft lifters, the squat is the king of lower body exercises”
“Leg presses aren’t functional”
“Athletes shouldn’t be doing leg presses”
“Leg presses are bad because they don’t work your core and stabilizers”
While some of these arguments and statements could be true to a certain degree, a wise coach knows that every exercise is nothing more than a tool and you use the right tools for the right job.
So does the leg press really belong in your program?
Let’s look at the pro’s and cons of the leg press.
PRO’S
• Overload the legs without the lower back being a factor, not to mention that the grip isn’t a factor either.
• Great hypertrophy compound movement that works the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
• Single leg presses have use when dealing with a leg injury.
• Easier to do high rep leg presses than high rep squats for the majority of people because you don’t have to worry about your core breaking down.
• Might be a good exercise for tall lifters with poor squat mechanics.
CONS
• The leg press isn’t “sport specific”
• The core doesn’t gets worked in the leg press
• Just because you leg press a lot of weight doesn’t mean you can squat heavy
Leg presses are just another tool in the toolbox and can be a great addition to squats.
I don’t care what anybody says, leg presses are a great leg exercise and can be a good addition to squatting. They add a lot of volume and frequency so you can maybe do squats on a heavy lower body day and do leg presses for higher reps on another day or even later on in the workout, the possibilities can be endless.
You also have to take into consideration that back pain is common. Putting a heavy barbell on people’s backs for squats might not always be the answer. Leg presses can be a safer option for some people with chronic lower back pain in certain cases too. Leg presses may not be the most exciting exercise, but they work and they are a staple in bodybuilding circles.
Final words on the leg press
Many lifters will argue that leg presses will destroy your lower back. This statement is true, but only if you don’t do the exercise properly. Here are some ways to make the leg press safer.
• 10+ reps are good for the leg press. I would never do a 6-8 rep max on the leg press and I feel like it is safe to bump up the reps a bit to 10+.
• Control the negative for at least 1-3 seconds. Most people just drop the weight on the negative while focusing on the concentric part of the lift to get more weight up. This approach will destroy your lower back and knees if done too excessively.
• Don’t make your knees touch your chest. Some people take the “ATG: Ass To Grass” squat mentality and try to apply it to the leg press. This approach will make your lower back round at the bottom and will cause back problems. Don’t go too low on the leg press, but don’t do quarter reps either.
• Find a foot stance that doesn’t hurt you. I find that when my feet are too low I tend to get knee pain. When my feet are high I feel like my hamstrings and glutes are engaging more so I stick with that variation.
• Always push with your heels and not with your toes to avoid knee pain.
CONCLUSION:
Leg presses are an amazing mass and strength builder. If you are trying to get big legs and aren’t doing leg presses then you are leaving a lot on the table. If your goal is size then they should be in your program if you can do them pain-free. If your goal is strength then they can be in your program too depending on the athlete or trainee. I know that a lot of rowers do leg presses so it depends on the individual, the goal, injury history, mobility and factors of that nature.