Different backrest angles on leg press machine

dparm99 · 09-06-2006, 01:47 AM

I bought myself a leg press machine the other day and it has 3 different angles that the backrest can be set at. Anyone know how the emphasis on the muscles worked is changed by altering the angle of the backrest?
Cheers.

dbcb314 · 09-06-2006, 05:58 AM

haha this is a good question... i have no clue...

fchris · 09-06-2006, 06:15 AM

Thats just the setting for people of different heights so your back can be flush to the pad, your feet positioning is whats gonna determine what area your working.

Mike750 · 09-06-2006, 07:02 AM

The only thing I see it changing is ROM.

For legs, I use the more "open" setting to get a better ROM.

If I use it for calf presses, I will put it so that it is at 90 degs. to the platform. This prevents the leg press from pushing me up out of the seat under the heavier loads of the calves and the fact that my feet are at the bottom of the platform.

papi93 · 09-06-2006, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dparm99

I bought myself a leg press machine the other day and it has 3 different angles that the backrest can be set at. Anyone know how the emphasis on the muscles worked is changed by altering the angle of the backrest?
Cheers.

I would think that it just varies the ROM of the exercise. Foot placement, could alter recruitment. With a higher foot placement, you could shift more recruitment to the hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings). With a lower foot placement, you could shift more recruitment to the knee extensors (quads). There are more examples but these are just two.

tjoe · 09-06-2006, 07:15 AM

The higher up the back rest the more stretch you get in the glutes and hamstrings. I prefer this because the lower you go (with the backrest) the more it resembles a squat position. So I try to make the movement "different". Foot position also changes where your legs get hit. All of these variables depend on what you want to emphasize most.

Carmen0857 · 09-06-2006, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjoe

The higher up the back rest the more stretch you get in the glutes and hamstrings. I prefer this because the lower you go (with the backrest) the more it resembles a squat position. So I try to make the movement "different". Foot position also changes where your legs get hit. All of these variables depend on what you want to emphasize most.

I agree. The different seat settings will obviously target the muscle differently, similar to the decline, incline, flat bench relation, they all "target" chest, but form differet angles.