Leg Press Questions

[cyrex]

I have two questions about a leg press (one of those 45 degree LP machines)
1) How good of a replacement is this for a squat. Of course you are missing the stabalizers, but what else is missing from a leg press that a squat works?
The reason I'm asking is because I have great difficulty with squats, my back/shoulders do not supporta barbell very well at all. I cannot find a comfortable position with it at all.

2) Tonight on the leg press I did the max weight I could get on the thing (900 lbs + whatever the base weight of the platform is) for 12 reps. Being at a 45 degree angle what kind of weight would this translate into a squat assuming I was able to use proper form?

 

[cyrex]

hmm guess no one here does leg presses (bump )

 

[bignate73]

900 on a 45 deg angle translates into approx 636lbs...of leg press weight.

it doesn't translate into the squat because the squat is a full body exercise. if you have a weak link in your lower back, it doesn't matter how strong your legs are.

 

[roidpuple]

you should work on form.... google..dr squat for good form....
do some shrugs to get some meat on your traps... I hated squats for a while til i got my form down..... if you get all your strengh fom presses... its not strength you can use in the real world....
the question should be how can i learn to love squats.....? takes a man to squat...

 

[OKLAHOMA STATE]

"The reason I'm asking is because I have great difficulty with squats, my back/shoulders do not supporta barbell very well at all. I cannot find a comfortable position with it at all."

Squats aren't comfortable at all, which is why most people don't do them. Hardly anyone likes doing squats. They are hands-down the best single exercise you can do. No other exercise will give you all-around strength like the squat.

Ditch the leg press. Its a joke. There are people who in my gym who can bang out sets with 700,800 even 900 pounds on the leg press but can't do 225 correctly (i.e.- down to at least parallel) on the squat. Simply put, the leg press doesn't mean squat, no pun intended.

The first time I did squats (freshmen year of high school) 185 was uncomfortable. I hated the feel of the bar digging deep into my traps. Its still the same (although now my max is in the 430-450 range). Start slow and MAINTAIN GOOD FORM!! Try to increase in 5-10 pound increments every week. You'll see far better results both in size and strength from the squat than the silly leg press machine.

 

[bignate73]

actually its a toss up between squats and bench press which is my favorite...GM's a close second.

maybe I'm weird....

 

[roidpuple]

well i would say if you are not going to do legs at least do leg press..... so.. is it the bar on your neck?? that hurts... or what it the worst part about it maybe we can fix it so it feels better.... smarter not harder is what i say.... but squats are pretty smart done right... How much weight do you use??
you can actually use lighter weights and get a very good work out from squat.... i would say go to the squat rack and do the bar... practice form....and do 20 or 30 reps perfect form ..... then go do your leg press workout..... fallowing you last set of leg presses go to the squat rack again do the bar til failure... in a few weeks add some weight maybe 10's or even 25's..... and if you stay with this your body will lowly be changing and getting use to this and the form will become more comfortable.... and all of the sudden it will click... and they will feel comforable..... the only part is getting over the light weight... thinking about people looking... fuckem you are there for you and they are probably not even doing squats...... let me know what you think ... of if i should go to hell.....
Roid,

 

[cyrex]

I will continue to do leg press until I can get form down on squats, but I agree I need to get the form down. As far as building my traps up to get meat up there, I don't think that is a problem.

do some shrugs to get some meat on your traps... I hated squats for a while til i got my form down..... if you get all your strengh fom presses... its not strength you can use in the real world....
the question should be how can i learn to love squats.....? takes a man to squat...

http://www.sitemason.com/files/c/cogFO0/jan2jan10.jpg

Also my lower back is very strong as well It'll take some work just being able to squat. I had a terrible knee injury and now have some dead guy's achilles tendon stuck in my knee to replace an ACL that was not there. I am still not 100% confident with my knee yet.

 

[roidpuple]

great you had a pic man how much weight have you lost??...
Well i am with you on the ACL i had the surgery done was 2 years this augest..
fuckin sucks mine came from my peteller tendon..... they turned a piece of my tendon into a ligament.. and ya i can see your traps... looks good... keep up the good work......

 

[cyrex]

I've lost about 15 lbs so far in under 2 weeks, I expect those numbers to slow down dramatically after all my water weight is gone, but i've been working my ass off like no tomorrow.