Most bodybuilders look at the leg press machine and just think of it as a movement (and a very painful one at that!) for building up the front thighs. When it comes time to train the calves, they look to battle with everyone else in the gym for a shot at the 2 or 3 calf machines the gym offers. The next time your need to train calves and don’t feel like waiting in line for 30 minutes between three housewives taking their sweet time training calves, jump over to the leg press machine and hit your calves there! To use the leg press machine to train your calves, begin with a fair amount of weight on the machine. If you normally leg press 600 pounds, then you can easily move 300 to 350 pounds on the calf raise. ...

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The leg press is a standard when it comes to adding mass to the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Most bodybuilders use this movement from their first day in the gym, as it is an exercise which can be completed safely by beginners as well as one that can add substantial size and shape to experienced bodybuilders. Let’s address some of the commonly asked questions regarding the leg press. Q: First off, how is this movement completed? A: Have a seat at the leg press machine. Slowly press the weight out, then adjust the side safety handles so that the weight has full range of motion. Lower the weight down slowly to a point where your knees are bent. Slowly return the weight to the starting position. Q: What muscle groups does this movement target? A: The front thighs ...

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So you’re a new bodybuilder, and you want to experience the leg press machine for the first time? Or you’re a veteran to the bodybuilding game, and just want to refresh yourself on the basics? Let’s look at the very popular and very useful movement known as the leg press. Q: How do I perform a leg press? A: Have a seat at the leg press machine. Place your feet on the metal pad and press the weight upward. Move the handles, then proceed to lower the weight down until your knees are bent, almost to your chest. Then press the weight forward until it returns to the starting position. Complete 7 to 15 repetitions, for a total of 3 to 5 sets, including warm-ups. Q: Should I stretch first? A: Actually, stretching might loosen up your muscular integrity ...

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It’s undeniable that the squat is the king of leg movements. If you want to stimulate growth all over your body (as well as the legs), the squat is definitely number one on your list on leg day. However, after you complete squats, the next step on your path to tremendous squats should almost always be the leg press. Or, if you have sustained a knee injury making squats impossible, then you should start leg day with this very useful movement. The leg press is a very popular movement among bodybuilders because it allows for the thighs to be fully stimulated, without a lot of the dangers that squats deliver. If you reach a point of failure at the bottom of a squat, you are looking at a few undesirable scenarios. If training alone, you have ...

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The leg press is a unique exercise. Depending upon the placement of your feet and the range of motion employed, you can work your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. However, done incorrectly, the leg press can be detrimental to the knee joints. Gym rats have argued for decades about the angles the toes should point, and the distance between the feet, when doing leg presses. It’s often been stated that the more outward the toes point, the more the inner thighs are worked. By the same belief system, the more the toes point inward, the more outer quad “sweep” is emphasized. Distance between the feet is another hot button topic. Many believe that a shoulder-width distance for the feet is optimal. Others believe it puts more strain on the knees, and that a slightly wider stance ...

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Q:  Does it matter where you position your feet on the leg press machine? A: Yes, it does. In fact, foot position on this exercise has more impact on the targeted muscles than with any other movement in the gym. The leg press works the thighs, the glutes and the hamstrings. Altering your foot placement will shift the emphasis to specific parts of these muscles. For fully developed legs, it pays to know where to position yourself to put the emphasis on the areas you need to bring up. There are four different areas of the thigh that can be focused on during the leg press. Bear in mind, however, that the change in emphasis is quite subtle and you will not be able to exclusively target any particular area. Each part has a fancy Latin name but for our purposes, we’ll refer to ...

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Q:  Does it matter where you position your feet on the leg press machine? A: Yes, it does. In fact, foot position on this exercise has more impact on the targeted muscles than with any other movement in the gym. The leg press works the thighs, the glutes and the hamstrings. Altering your foot placement will shift the emphasis to specific parts of these muscles. For fully developed legs, it pays to know where to position yourself to put the emphasis on the areas you need to bring up. There are four different areas of the thigh that can be focused on during the leg press. Bear in mind, however, that the change in emphasis is quite subtle and you will not be able to exclusively target any particular area. Each part has a fancy Latin name but for our purposes, we’ll ...

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