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Leg Press Machine

A good addition to your home gym is the leg press machine, as it allows you to lift heavy weights and give your lower body a good workout. Read more about them.
A leg press machine is used to exercise and strengthen your leg muscles, it is an effective machine to tone your thigh and calf muscles. Low intensity workouts on a leg press machine have therapeutic benefits for people suffering with arthritis and osteoporosis. Athletes require lower body strength and hence they use the machine to strengthen their leg muscles and include it in their quadriceps exercises routine. Good leg strength is also important for posture and gait. If you are building a home gym the machine will take care of your lower body workouts. The machine became immensely popular when Ronnie Coleman purportedly created the leg press world record by doing 8 repetition of 2,300 lbs.

The quadriceps and the calves are the most used muscles in our body and they support our movement when we walk or jog, making them very important contributors to our range of motion. A good legs workout also acts as a deterrent to joint pains and conditions like arthritis and osteoarthritis. Inducting the leg press machine in your home workout routine will help you strengthen your legs which contain some of the biggest muscles in our body. There are two types of leg press machines, the seated leg press and the horizontal leg press.

Seated Leg Press Machine: On this machine you adjust the seat in such a way that your legs are at a 90 degree angle, when they are put against the push platform. Adjust your legs on the push platform so that they are shoulder width apart. Put the seat rest in a recline position so that you have maximum back support when you push the weight horizontally away from the body. The technique is to keep your legs and knees in a straight line on the leg press exercise machine. It is important not to let your knees point out or inwards and, also keep them from locking. The range of motion on this machine will allow you to push the weight, so that your legs are straight and when the weights come back, your knees will bend and almost touch your chest.

Horizontal Leg Press Machine: In this variant you lie down on the bottom platform and keep your legs on the top platform and push the weight up, against gravity. The weights can be propped on a horizontal bar at the top of the machine, and the machine works in a sled like motion. This machine benefits the quadriceps and, is a good gluteus medius exercise. In this machine you bear the weight of the plates, as the platform comes towards your chest and then push the platform away from the body. The positioning of the legs is hip width apart and your knees should be straight when you get them down and also when you push the platform up.

Benefits

There are many benefits of buying a leg press machine under professional setting or at a home gym. It is a safer way to work out your legs than doing squats. The machine allows an assisted range of motion hence chances of injury are less, making it a good machine for beginners and seniors. If you are interested in bodybuilding this machine will allow you to lift heavy weights and tone your lower body muscles. You can also add variations to your exercises by changing the position of your legs on the platform.

The leg press hack squat machine allows you to perform a multitude of exercises with one piece of equipment, as it has adjustable platforms. It is a good machine for home as well as professional settings with space restrictions. Some bodybuilding sites also offer used leg press machine and it is a good idea to check these out, as new machines cost an average of USD 1,400. If you are on a limited budget and want a new machine keep your eyes on sports goods stores with a 'sale' sign. The average weight is around 500 pounds, although some expensive variants being lighter.

Almost every leg press machine has three safety stops and also has a shoulder and back rest making them comparatively safer and easier to use than other fitness equipment. Always consult a doctor before you start any kind of workout routine and this advisory also goes for the leg press exercise.
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Last Updated: 9/20/2011
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