Exercise “leg press in a simulator”: technique and variations


The exercise for squeezing weights with legs is very often used by bodybuilders. With the use of simulators, the load can be significantly increased. The advantage of bench presses versus squats is that squeezing weights with your leg limbs does not load the lower part of the dorsal vertebra.

The action of the limb press contributes to the load on the thighs and buttocks, and a significant portion also falls on the hamstrings. There are different exercise machines; it all depends on the inclined angles at which certain exercises are performed. But the results are the same for everyone.

Execution technique

The leg press in the simulator requires correct and serious working out of every detail of the action, since it is followed by your entire further training program. Technical nuances must be mastered like a multiplication table.

  1. Initial preparation: The position of the legs should be directly proportional to the width of the shoulders on the platform, with the feet facing outward.
  2. Sit on the simulator, your legs raise the platform to the top point, your knees should not be straightened completely. The lifting part is secured with a lever.
  3. Bend your knees. The platform moves at a slow pace to the bottom point. At the very end, your knees should be at your chest, at ninety degrees.
  4. The lumbar part constantly touches the seat; for this reason, you should not move your legs to an acute angle and increase the load on the lower back.
  5. Until you finish the workout, you cannot fully extend the knee joint, otherwise you risk getting injured, which will cause pain in your knees.

The surface of the thighs on the inside is worked out if the feet are well apart. The photo shows different foot positions; it plays a big role in working out various leg muscles.

Platform press technique for girls

Foot placement varies depending on your goals. Narrow allows you to transfer most of the load to the muscles of the back of the thighs, but requires significant flexibility in the hip joint, therefore it is not recommended for fitness clients. In health training, the natural position of the feet is used, when their separation corresponds to the position of the hip joint. The heels are placed slightly wider than the pelvis, the toes are turned to the sides as if a person were standing in a squat rack.

Platform leg press for girls: technique

The exercise is performed as follows:

  • The starting position is assumed - sit in the simulator so that the angle of the woman’s back corresponds to the natural position of the back when squatting. The body should not rest on the hips at the bottom of the press, and the hip joint should not be tense. If necessary, the angle of inclination of the exercise machine bench is adjusted. The feet are set to their natural width. The abdomen is pulled up, the shoulder blades are brought down to the spine and lowered to the pelvis, all this should ensure a neutral position of the back. The lower back touches the machine bench, and does not come off upward with an arch;
  • Next, you need to push the platform away from you with your feet and remove the limiter;
  • after this, flexion is performed at the knee and hip joint to a comfortable depth. Usually they require that the thigh be perpendicular to the spine or go slightly lower if there is no pain in the hip joints;
  • after this, the actual press is performed - smoothly moving the legs away from the body of the platform

Technical errors include moving by inertia, abruptly lowering the platform towards you, changing the placement of your feet during movement, and actively helping yourself with your body.

The exercise for beginner girls is usually performed in 8-12 repetitions in 3-4 approaches; in training at a more advanced level, various options are possible.

Performing bench presses for girls

Details of the exercise technique to help girls:

  1. Initial position lying down.
  2. Feet on the platform in such a position that the feet are at the top perpendicular to the shoulders, you can increase the distance a little.
  3. Release the support from the weight and do not quickly lower the platform, the limbs bend at the knee joints.
  4. Make an effort to lower the weight until your legs are at a 45-degree angle.
  5. The number of repetitions and approaches must correspond to the program.

Some tips and recommendations:

  1. Start training at a slightly lighter weight than usual.
  2. When performing the exercise, it will not be superfluous to adjust the technique in order to feel the work of the gluteal muscles and rear thigh.
  3. First of all, be careful, lowering the weight too low can stretch the muscle group of the posterior thigh.
  4. Slowly lower the platform and jerk it up.

With these exercises you will achieve lifting of the gluteal muscle groups.

Leg press at home

The leg press, as already mentioned, can be done at home. To do this, it is enough to purchase a special simulator, which you can find or order at any sports store. However, is it possible to do it yourself? To do this you need to have design skills and the necessary drawings. Making a simulator with your own hands is difficult. It's easier to buy a ready-made option.

If you still want to make a projectile with your own hands, then you should seek help from professionals who have encountered this design. If you are not going to make a machine with your own hands, but you do not have sufficient funds to buy it, or to visit the gym, then replace the leg press with another exercise.

At home, you can do various squats with a barbell, dumbbells, etc. They will also help effectively pump up the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.

If you regularly and correctly perform an exercise such as the leg press, you can quickly pump up the muscles of your thighs and buttocks and then admire the beautiful relief of your body.

Horizontal press

In the horizontal weight press, you relieve your back of the load. Therefore, completing this task will contribute to good training of the muscle group of the legs. You are often looking for a replacement for heavy barbell squats for various reasons. Leg squeezes in equipment can fully increase the mass and strength of the thigh muscles. The position of the feet in relation to the platform and the amplitude of the movement have a lot of weight.

How to position your feet correctly when doing presses:

  1. We set it high - the load falls on the muscles of the buttocks and femoral biceps, the knees are minimally loaded.
  2. Legs are almost at the edge of the bottom of the weight - the front of the thigh is working, the knee joint muscle is swinging.
  3. Feet set wide with toes to the sides - the load is on the inner thighs.
  4. Narrow setting - moving the main work to the inner thighs.
  5. Sharp angle of the knees - the muscles of the buttocks are loaded.
  6. Legs at a straight angle - muscle groups of the thighs are worked out, the load on the knee ligaments and the muscular system of the buttocks is reduced. This position of the legs is desirable when pressing heavy weights.

High stance

The higher you position your legs, the more hip extension and flexion increases and the less range of motion your knees have. What does it mean? You will feel more engagement in your hamstrings and buttocks and they will contract more strongly. In other words, if you want to train your glutes and upper hamstrings, then place your feet high on the platform.

You will feel more engagement in your hamstrings and buttocks and they will contract more strongly.

Of course, this shift in focus won't be absolute—you won't be able to isolate one muscle from the others, so your quadriceps, and especially your vastus lateralis, will get plenty of work, too. And since you're in a seated position during the leg press, your upper hamstrings and glutes won't receive the same load as they do during "standing" exercises like squats.

Working out in the gym for women

Is your goal to achieve success on the machine? This decision deserves a lot. Not every woman is capable of performing strength exercises. But the speed of burning calories is tempting. The leg press in the simulator will give you the opportunity to correct your figure, strengthen the gluteal muscles, muscle groups of the legs, and the lumbar area. If you have a weak back or have had a spinal injury, don’t hesitate to sit on the exercise machine.

It will only take you about three minutes to burn eighteen calories. In half an hour of strength training with a weight of up to seventy kilograms, there is a chance of burning one hundred and fifteen calories.

Step-by-step execution of the exercise technique:

  1. Attach weights to both sides of the equipment.
  2. The initial position is lying down, legs on the middle of the weight plate perpendicular to the shoulders.
  3. Press against the platform and move it slightly to remove it from the rest. Keep the plate at the top.
  4. Calmly lower the weight until your knees reach ninety degrees.
  5. We straighten the knee joint, lifting the platform with the heels. Came back.
  6. The number of executions must meet the software requirements.

If you perform tasks technically correctly, they will not seem easy as at first glance.

Leg press while sitting on a machine

This exercise is performed while sitting in a special leg press machine. It is a frame with a seat and a platform for the feet located opposite it. Doing the exercise in the car is very easy, so it is ideal for women.

If everything is done correctly, then when performing such an exercise, first of all, the muscles of the thighs and buttocks will work, and more precisely, the main load will fall on the quadriceps and gluteus maximus muscles.

The stabilizer muscles in this case will be the hamstrings and calf muscles.

The leg press while sitting in a special machine has the following execution rules:

  • Keep your back firmly pressed against the apparatus.
  • Hold the special handles with your hands. This will help you maintain your balance.
  • Push the platform with your heels.
  • Perform the exercise slowly, without sudden movements.
  • You should do the bench press 15-20 times. You also need to perform 2-4 sets.

The technique for performing this exercise will be as follows:

  • Sit on the exercise machine. Bend your legs so that your knees form a 90-degree angle. Press your feet to the platform. The distance between them should be equal to the width of the shoulders. Use your hands to grasp the handles located on the sides of the seat.
  • Inhale and straighten your legs, but not completely, so that the muscles do not relax. This will tilt your seat back. The platform can also move, or both at the same time. There is no difference what exactly will move. Freeze in this position for a couple of seconds.
  • Exhale and come back.

These are the types of leg exercises in the gym. Whichever one you choose, you need to do it correctly and the result will not be long in coming.

Vertical press

The technique for performing a seated vertical press is to hold the body level and maintain a straight back. The following muscle groups are involved; gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, medial, lateral thighs, tendon. From the starting position, sitting vertically, legs against shoulders.

Take a deep breath and lift the weight to the top point, slowly exhaling. The rise takes two seconds; you should not hold in the air. The muscle group is in constant tension. We lower the plate for three to four seconds along with exhalation. Pushing the platform is done only with the heels to avoid problems with the knee joints.

Training the muscle groups of the legs is of great importance for both bodybuilders and any normal person. The easiest way to do this is to squat, but many people don’t like enlarged calves and therefore working on a machine is more suitable for this type of exercise. They are performed on special equipment for the lower extremities and help to quickly achieve results for certain groups of the muscular system. Working on the exercise machine is recommended for people with back problems. Here the force loads on the vertebra are minimal.

Smith machine leg press

The leg press can also be performed in a Smith machine or, as they also say, a Smith exercise. It is suitable for both men and women. Next, this exercise will be discussed in detail.

When doing the Smith leg press, the muscles of the buttocks are worked, and more specifically the gluteus maximus muscle, as well as the hamstrings. The main burden falls on them. Therefore, the exercise is primarily recommended for women.

In addition, stabilizing muscles also take part in the exercise. These include the abdominal and calf muscles.

If you do this exercise correctly, the result will not be long in coming. Therefore, when implementing it, you should adhere to these recommendations:

  • Choose a wide bench for the exercise. This will help you maintain your balance.
  • When doing the lying leg press in this machine, you should wear comfortable sports shoes. This will help you position the barbell correctly in the arch of your foot.
  • Hold the edge of the bench with your hands to avoid falling.
  • Use someone's help when fixing the bar, because... doing this yourself will be extremely problematic.
  • The exercise should be done 15-120 times and 2-4 sets.

The technique for performing an exercise such as the bench press in a special Smith machine will be as follows:

  • Lie face up on a bench with the bar parallel to your solar plexus. Place your feet on the apparatus so that the bar is located in the notch. Keep your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grasp the edges of the bench with your hands.
  • Take a deep breath and pull your legs towards your chest so that a 90-degree angle is formed at the knee joint. Hold the position for a couple of seconds.
  • Exhale and return your legs to their original position, but do not straighten them completely, so that the muscles of the hips and buttocks receive maximum load.

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