Stimuli between the horizontal leg press and the 45-degree leg press
🎯Which leg press do you usually do? Do you know if it’s the best option for you? First of all, on all machines, there is knee or hip extension, and the force acts (almost) perpendicular to the torso.
The weight moves toward your body, and you push to move the platform back. To sum it up, without overcomplicating things, there are no major differences in terms of muscle action between these three leg press variations.
A few details are worth highlighting
The horizontal leg press generally provides less stimulus, and there’s a tendency to have trouble staying stable against the backrest when using very heavy loads.
The 45-degree leg press (the most traditional one) and the vertical leg press allow for heavier loads and a greater range of motion. And here’s a very important point: both exercises raise blood pressure significantly. So, people with risk factors are advised to be cautious, especially on the vertical leg press, when the head is lowered.
Has anyone here ever felt dizzy after doing a really intense leg press? When getting up after these exercises, some people typically have trouble standing and end up feeling nauseous and dizzy; in extreme cases, it can even get worse hours later!
So what should you do to avoid this? Well… avoid getting up quickly from the machine… But if it’s a serious issue, the solution is to avoid the leg press variation that raises blood pressure excessively.
How to do the leg press correctly
Keep your back fully supported: It’s important to keep your entire back well supported against the back of the machine. Also, relax your neck so you don’t strain your cervical spine and can take care of your back while performing the movement.
Bend your legs gently: When returning to the starting position, it’s important to carefully bend your legs and lower the weight. Try to lower it as far as possible, but avoid excessive posterior pelvic tilt!
Avoid fully extending your legs: Fully extending the joint at the top of each repetition reduces tension in the quadriceps while increasing stress on the knees.
Don’t make sudden movements: It’s better to work slowly and steadily, moving the platform up and down without jerking!
