If you want to target your glutes and hamstrings more, place your feet higher up on the platform, says Rivera. From there, move through your reps as usual. hip adductors), place your feet slightly wider than hip-width distance apart and point your toes 45 degrees outward, Thomson and Rivera suggest. To target your inner thigh muscles (a.k.a. In this position, the exercise primarily targets your quads, Rivera says. In a traditional leg press, position your feet in the middle of the leg press platform hip-width distance apart and with your toes pointing straight upwards. 6 Leg Press Machine Exercises That’ll Maximize Lower-Body GainsĪs long as you’ve got your leg press form locked in, incorporate these different moves into your routine to really make the machine go the extra mile for your muscles. Instead, press out just until the point at which your knees are about to lock, then lower the platform back down, she says. Doing this can put you at risk of knee damage and injuries. “One mistake I see people making often while leg pressing is that they lock out their knees when they reach the top of the rep,” says trainer Rachel Rivera, C.P.T., of The Clean Happy Life. You’ll also want to be cautious with your knees as you churn out those leg press reps. “To avoid this, make sure to sit up tall in the leg press machine and keep your hips touching the back pad the entire time,” she advises. This can put unnecessary pressure on the lower vertebrae and potentially lead to injury. When you’re using the leg press machine, make sure you don’t let your lower back arch, says Meier. Keep in mind that as you gain experience it’s important to work until muscle failure, when your muscles are fatigued and can’t perform another repetition, in order to maximize results, shares trainer Jordan Thomson, C.P.T., with The Perfect Workout. ![]() As you get stronger, increase the weight but keep your rep scheme the same. If you’re new to the leg press machine, Grainger recommends starting with three sets of 10 repetitions, using as much weight as you can handle resting as needed between sets. Read More: The 6 Biggest Strength Training Form Mistakes Trainers See ![]() In case you’re wondering where the leg press fits into your workout, “I would incorporate it into a lower-body workout after performing free-weight exercises such as squats and lunges in order to burn out the legs,” says personal trainer Kate Meier, C.P.T., of Garage Gym Reviews. Incorporate the machine into lower-body days strategically ![]() General Tips for Using The Leg Pressīefore you switch up how you use the leg press machine, make sure you’re following these trainer tips for locked-in form that’ll keep you safe-and every rep effective. Īhead, trainers share their top tips for getting the most out of the leg press machine, from how to use the machine properly to how to mix up your routine to maximize the stimulus on your lower body-and your gains. “The leg press engages most of your lower body, from your calves to your hamstrings, quads, and glutes, and gives you much more stability and lower injury risk than barbell squats or similar exercises,” says personal trainer Caroline Grainger, C.P.T., of FitnessTrainer. Not only is it an approachable machine that’s great for varying fitness levels, but it also targets all of the major muscle groups in your legs, so long as you know how to use it to its full potential. Even in a gym full of shiny new equipment, the tried and true leg press remains a trainer favorite for lower-body strength training exercises - and for good reason.
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