squats vs leg press

[kappakai]

hi all,

i'm recovering from a slight back injury i suffered a few months ago. during that process, i moved from squats to leg presses. i feel like i'm getting a better quad workout from leg presses because i can put up more weight than i can with a squat due to my back.

should i just forego squats? i feel like i will miss out on the other positive aspects that i get from squats. or, should i keep presses for quads and do lighter weight squats for overall strength? or should i really work back to 100% squats?

i currently do

leg press
feet forward smith squats
leg extensions

for quads.

thanks.

[crofty22]

work back into putting squats as your main exercise on leg day .. its ok to replace them with leg press occasionally to mix things up but if your goal is to build big legs then the squat is definetly your best option. just work your weight up slowly and be patient, dont hurt yourself.

[jocularric]

work back into putting squats as your main exercise on leg day .. its ok to replace them with leg press occasionally to mix things up but if your goal is to build big legs then the squat is definetly your best option. just work your weight up slowly and be patient, dont hurt yourself.

Ditto

IMO, Squats will improve your functional and over all strength better than leg presses will.

If you want to focus on your quads throw in some front squats. Again, work your weight up slowly and be patient.

[Hard Drive]

its ok to replace them with leg press occasionally to mix things up but if your goal is to build big legs then the squat OR leg press is definetly your best option. just work your weight up slowly and be patient, dont hurt yourself.

Fixed.

[JBElite]

Leg press hits my quads twice as hard as squats do. Trap bar deads do as well.

If the leg press stimulates your target muscle better I would not drop them if your main goal is size. You don't have to squat just because the internet people tell you to.

Personally I love back squats and would never drop them, but nothing gets my legs wobbly like high rep leg presses.

[Hard Drive]

Leg press hits my quads twice as hard as squats do. Trap bar deads do as well.

If the leg press stimulates your target muscle better I would not drop them if your main goal is size. You don't have to squat just because the internet people tell you to.

Personally I love back squats and would never drop them, but nothing gets my legs wobbly like high rep leg presses.

<3

[spot_skater]

Leg press hits my quads twice as hard as squats do. Trap bar deads do as well.

If the leg press stimulates your target muscle better I would not drop them if your main goal is size. You don't have to squat just because the internet people tell you to.

Personally I love back squats and would never drop them, but nothing gets my legs wobbly like high rep leg presses.

Agreed.

I did a 35 rep set and a 25 rep set on the leg press today. Man... I saw some stars, lol.

[Hard Drive]

Agreed.

I did a 35 rep set and a 25 rep set on the leg press today. Man... I saw some stars, lol.

Doing 100 reps with the platform, 80 reps with 1 plate each side, 60 reps 2 plates, 35 reps 3 plates, 25 reps 4 plates, 10 reps 5 plates, pretty killer workout. Then it's 8 reps 5 plates, 15 reps 4 plates, and 25 reps 3 plates.

Don't walk down stairs afterwards>.<

[Gainwithfailure]

I used to be super anti machines and would touch leg press. I would do leg with 6 sets of squats and other crap. Now ive matured and can see that machines have great benefits. if available they should be taken advantage of. so now i do 3 sets squats and 3 set leg press and a few other machines for legs. My legs are probly 3 times as strong now alll thanks to machines.

[Hard Drive]

I used to be super anti machines and would touch leg press. I would do leg with 6 sets of squats and other crap. Now ive matured and can see that machines have great benefits. if available they should be taken advantage of. so now i do 3 sets squats and 3 set leg press and a few other machines for legs. My legs are probly 3 times as strong now alll thanks to machines.

But...

That's anti-bodybuilding.com!
Ou Kent git big ligs frum Nethen odor dan SKUATS!

[Defiant1]

hi all,

i'm recovering from a slight back injury i suffered a few months ago. during that process, i moved from squats to leg presses. i feel like i'm getting a better quad workout from leg presses because i can put up more weight than i can with a squat due to my back.

should i just forego squats? i feel like i will miss out on the other positive aspects that i get from squats. or, should i keep presses for quads and do lighter weight squats for overall strength? or should i really work back to 100% squats?

i currently do

leg press
feet forward smith squats
leg extensions

for quads.

thanks.

Though I think your leg program is good in terms of exercise selection, you shouldn't use amount of weight used as the determiner of what exercise is more effective.

It should be results based. Is there a possibility that the Leg Press works your quads more? Yes. Though MOST people seem to get a better workout from Squats overall, there are also those who seem to get better results from leg presses.

[LungeManiac]

If leg press works - Do leg press.

If squats work better - Do squats.

What did the world of body building ever do before machines were invented?

[SomethingToSay]

Fixed.

Every one is entitled to their own opinion without you changing their post by altering the quote to suite your own opinion. This is an act of someone who is both intolerant of other's opinions and who's also immature.

[spot_skater]

If leg press works - Do leg press.

If squats work better - Do squats.

What did the world of body building ever do before machines were invented?

I think they both work. In my opinion the leg press/squat press machines will target the quads better, and obviously squats are more of a full body/compound movement incorporating tons of muscles, but when done deep enough will hit the hamstrings and glutes really well.

With that, I incorporate both into my workout on leg days.

[jhb07c]

If leg press works - Do leg press.

If squats work better - Do squats.

What did the world of body building ever do before machines were invented?

I feel like everyone is ruling out the option of doing both. Work back into doing squats with lighter weight and work your way back up, but keep doing presses. Make sure not to rush yourself, always be on the safe side when it comes to back injuries. Personally i use to cheat and be lazy with leg days but now i'm really hitting them hard doing squats, presses, calve raises, lunges, and extensions and i can see an overall difference in my total body strength.

[drjoe]

Once your back is doing O.K. I would return to doing some squats. You can use both in your workout. Personally, I feel that squatting is a safer movement. When you squat your back stays nice and flat. On leg press, people tend to let their backs "round" as the lower the weight down. That can be dangerous. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[Bodysteele]

Lolapopalooza at people pointing out you can do more weight and hit quads better on leg press....OF COURSE YOU CAN ITS DESIGNED THAT WAY.

I dont think quads=legs I think Glutes/hamstrings/calfs/quads= legs.

And I RARELY see people whose quads are lagging while their hamies and glutes are overbuilt in fact its usually the other way around.

Now maybe with you its not the case...who knows but probably 80+% of the male trainees I see are lagging in the hamstring/glute area more than in the quad area...its not hard to work quads at all...try light to moderate weight extensions after squatting if you need to drop the weight on the squats.

Or, here is a novel idea...try some front squats...they hit your quads harder and more directly than back squats.

p.s. If your not feeling a squat in the hammies and ass you arent performing a squat...you are most probably performing a 1/4 or 1/2 squat which is so common in todays gyms...which is about useless...if thats how you squat and you refuse to go deeper than go ahead and move to the leg press bc at least you are protecting yourself against injury.

I dont see why you cant use both exercises as well...I do on occassion.

[chillaz]

do both, with squats i find it hard to reli focuse on quads and end up building up groin area, mailny due to my wide stance. i use front squats back and leg press, i would say get back into squatting slowly have u though about lunges?

[MoGeaYuglay]

Lolapopalooza at people pointing out you can do more weight and hit quads better on leg press....OF COURSE YOU CAN ITS DESIGNED THAT WAY.

I dont think quads=legs I think Glutes/hamstrings/calfs/quads= legs.

And I RARELY see people whose quads are lagging while their hamies and glutes are overbuilt in fact its usually the other way around.

Now maybe with you its not the case...who knows but probably 80+% of the male trainees I see are lagging in the hamstring/glute area more than in the quad area...its not hard to work quads at all...try light to moderate weight extensions after squatting if you need to drop the weight on the squats.

Or, here is a novel idea...try some front squats...they hit your quads harder and more directly than back squats.

p.s. If your not feeling a squat in the hammies and ass you arent performing a squat...you are most probably performing a 1/4 or 1/2 squat which is so common in todays gyms...which is about useless...if thats how you squat and you refuse to go deeper than go ahead and move to the leg press bc at least you are protecting yourself against injury.

I dont see why you cant use both exercises as well...I do on occassion.

why not just do exercises that are better at targeting hamstrings and glutes than squats if the guy wants to use leg press? squat is a good exercise, but my goodness it's not vital.

[Bodysteele]

Depends on what training stage he is in...

For the first 2 years of serious trianing its pretty damn vital if you want OPTIMAL results...especially size wise.


If youve spent years building a base...then of course iso work can be useful...but I dont think i would ever TOTALLY stop squatting. I might bring down the poundages or squat less often but its EASILY the most important exercise I feel I perform.

Please note; im not only lifting for looks so.....

[kappakai]

its been about a year of solid training (7 years on and off ****ing around prior).

this is my full leg workout in the span of a week:

day 1
back squats
feet forward smith squats
leg extension
leg press calf raise
standing calf raise

day 3
SLDL
feet forward smith squats
leg curls
seated calf raise
donkey calf

what i had been doing was a set or two of light weight squats and then 3-4 sets of heavy weight presses instead of just a full on back squat. my squat is deep so i hit the glutes, but because of the light weight, i feel like its more of a warm up set to the presses.

the presses leave my legs shaking.

however, like bodysteele says, i subscribe to the theory that squats are an overall body exercise, and have contributed to core strength in a way that a press or the feet forward smith cannot.

based on what has been said here, i will work back up to full weight squats while still maintaining presses in my repetoire. as strength returns, i think emphasis will be back on squats, with presses thrown in for isolation.

btw, kalt, that set you put up looks absolutely killer. i'm going to have to incorporate that.

thanks to all!!

[kappakai]

p.s.

i do not do lunges. i abhor lunges from my tennis days. maybe one day i will work them in, but i'd rather do a 10 minute wall sit than another lunge. lol.

convince me otherwise!!

[Hard Drive]

Every one is entitled to their own opinion without you changing their post by altering the quote to suite your own opinion. This is an act of someone who is both intolerant of other's opinions and who's also immature.

And many people saying that people who don't squat are pussies isn't a sign of intolerance and immaturety?

Quit pretending it's anywhere NEAR onesided and grow up.

[SomethingToSay]

And many people saying that people who don't squat are pussies isn't a sign of intolerance and immaturety?

Quit pretending it's anywhere NEAR onesided and grow up.

I've never used those words. I don't speak for others and I don't alter other people's posts. Those are things you do. Why you do them? Good question? I believe you are short and have a chip on your shoulder. You always have something to prove. Try posting respectfully and allow others the right to their opinions then maybe you will earn respect. Until then, many on this forum look at you like a joke. I know I do.

[Dragk913]

I've been pondering this for a little while now [I was gonna make a thread but I saw yours].

I've never been much of a leg man - I never did squats or deadlift, etc - but the other day I decided to start. I worked my way up to 145lbs x 5 on my squat [mind you this was my first time in about 2 yrs for squatting] but 15min later I did 300 x 5 on Leg Press.
I'm confused because according to the Bodybuilding.com Exercise Database [http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exer...le=Quadriceps] They work basically the same muscles.

Any input would be appreciated!

[Jayel]

Just be like the jackasses @ the gym I workout at & skip legs all together. I think they subscribe to DoucheBag Body Building which requires you to do bench & curls 3-5 times a week.

[kappakai]

Just be like the jackasses @ the gym I workout at & skip legs all together. I think they subscribe to DoucheBag Body Building which requires you to do bench & curls 3-5 times a week.

why, so i can look like vin diesel?

[zpnq]

I love squats, no one seems to do them at any of the gyms i have been at. I do squats followed by leg press, so i use both methods. But i used to only do squats 2 times per week, once low reps and once higer reps. When i felt like i was in good enough shape to do leg press on top of my low reps workout. The first time i sat at the leg press i lifted well over double i had ever lifter on it before, this having not done them for a long time. Squats made the difference.

Do 10 sets of squats 10-12 reps, deep squats with a weight you just manage to get the lifts with. Feel your legs the next day, they should be pretty fkn sore (unless you are conditioned to squats). No go forwards and use every other machine and leg exercise you can think of without squats and try to duplicate that pain....IF you succeed, it'll take countless sets on a bunch of exercises.

Squats to me are king.

[zpnq]

I've been pondering this for a little while now [I was gonna make a thread but I saw yours].

I've never been much of a leg man - I never did squats or deadlift, etc - but the other day I decided to start. I worked my way up to 145lbs x 5 on my squat [mind you this was my first time in about 2 yrs for squatting] but 15min later I did 300 x 5 on Leg Press.
I'm confused because according to the Bodybuilding.com Exercise Database [http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exer...le=Quadriceps] They work basically the same muscles.

Any input would be appreciated!

If you substitute your leg press for squats, and concentrate on adding weight to the bar, your leg press will go up with out ever sitting down at it. The vice-versa isn't true. If you concentrated on making a 300lb squat x5 your leg press would be be closer to 600lbs.

[Hard Drive]

The vice-versa isn't true.

That is not at all the case.

One can leg press to improve one's squat.