Uses of the leg press for strength...

[supmannn]

So I know that bodybuilders use the leg press a lot to really hammer on the quads and make them grow, but I'm not too sure about the leg press's usefulness for strength training. Rippetoe says it's completely and utterly worthless, and lots of S&C coaches don't use it either since it can potentially cause lower back problems and doesn't translate in to useful strength like the squat and deadlift do. But on the other side you have people like Wendler recommending it as an assistance movement for the squat, and it seems that lots of the EFS guys use it also. I'm curious what you all believe and what your personal experience is with how well the leg press translates over to improving the squat and providing useful strength.

[Heavy_Beats]

I would be too overwhelmed with shame to sit in that seat.

I think the two leg press machines at my gym should be sold off and replaced with power racks.

[SPFjudge]

I know some people that put their feet in their sumo DL position and do it from there. Ed Coan did leg presses. Seemed to be an ok accesory for him.

[rbelsito427]

Andy Bolton leg presses

[austin.j.taylor]

I leg press to focus on my quads. Quads are the weakest part of my legs at the moment.

[kraven]

I had in the past used the leg press regularly. Then I started squatting and never looked back. My legs have blown up since then. Squat is King! for leg training and leg development.

[mEDo]

If you wonder about leg press - you should try it yourself - 4-6 weeks as main exercise for quads and than maybe 4-6 weeks as auxiliary exercise.

Personaly - been there, done that. Now I do only squats, front squats, lunges, good mornings etc ... not even close to the leg press.

[Torrtrefireto]

I think if done right it can be a great accsessory. I've been without one for 2 years now and my leg size has taken a hit. Think id squat a little more if I had one, not much more thhough

[John Prophet]

I think they can be a good accessory lift. For example if u tend to squat with a wide stance, you could do leg press with a narrower stance. That could also be looked at as a help to your deadlift if u use approx the same foot width on leg press as u do on deads.

IMO the same thing goes for hack squats and also machine squats. If you squat with a powerlifting style (wide stance, sitting back motion) then you arent really hitting much thigh when u squat. So u could use leg press or hacks or narrower stance machine squats to hit the actual thigh mass.

In my workouts right now I am squatting fairly wide and I am not doing actual deadlifts....so where is any thigh mass going to come from?? So I am doing hack squats with a fairly narrow stance.

My main beef with the leg press is that it takes too long to load and unload plates, lol.

[Seanzilla HCPL]

One legged leg presses work well as a squat and deadlift assistance exercise. Just make sure and use a full ROM and keep your hands on your knee so you don't get out of allignment and tweak something.

[karl123]

I would be too overwhelmed with shame to sit in that seat.

Please explain.

[coachdeez]

I say if you want to hit thigh mass, that's what front squats are for. I suppose the leg press can be used as a decent accessory...obviously there are world class lifters who use it....but I'm pretty firmly located in the "machines are gay" camp.

[John Prophet]

One legged leg presses work well as a squat and deadlift assistance exercise.

haha, I was going to suggest one legged leg press but I got tired of typing. IMO, a guy who squats wide with a sitting back motion isnt hitting a lot of thigh muscle. More specifically he isnt going to simulate the teardrop side much at all. If you look at powerlifters, 90% of them have big outer/upper thighs but not too many have big teardrops (vastus medialis)

for that reason it would seem that something to more directly hit the teardrop would be a big help for long term knee stability and health etc. Stuff like one leg press, bench step ups, hack or machine squats with certain foot placements, even--gasp, leg extensions could come in handy.

I used to like narrow stance db squats with the heels elevated up on a 2x4 and I let the knees go forward etc

[A_Hard_Rain]

might just be broscience, but i do it with a pretty narrow stance just like i do on deadlifts, since i'm weak off the floor i figure it'd help with that some