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.

 

[Sub-Zero]

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.

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.

how the hell did ur traps get so huge in just 8 days!?

 

[roidpuple]

hello good question i just noticed the dates on that pic...wtf... ha ha 8daya??
.......i am wasting my time.......

 

[riverrock]

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?

Nil! I'm a PowerLifter like a number of other people on this board, and the Leg Press will do nothing for your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings which are all key squatting muscles

 

[Lee]

that much progress in 8 days? i dont see how that is possible.

 

[roidpuple]

maybe a miss print on the month??

 

[cyrex]

nope not a missprint
I did shrugs that night so they were still pumped a bit and my traps have always been pronounced. I think my posture was a little different in the picture too causing them to show better. But yes that is the progress I've experienced so far. I am trying to take a picture every few days if not every day. Eventually I'm going to make an animation showing start to finish when I'm down under 15% bf.


BTW all I went ahead and did some squats on smith machine today and it really didn't feel as bad as they used to. Next week I will start doing them on a squat rack.
I was able to do 225 very comfortably so I will try to start working up on them.

I did about 1 and a half hours of cardio today after a full body weight training session.
I plan on doing 4 more days of heavy cardio this week (60 min+).

 

[bignate73]

can I ask why so much cardio? just curious...

 

[cyrex]

to lose weight fast. At this point I do not care about losing muscle with weight, but of course I am trying to keep the loss low. The extreme intense cardio is only for another 2 weeks, then I am down to 3 days a week of 30 minutes.

 

[Griz1]

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.

Well, if what you've done isn't bullshit (dates seem to be a bit in question). Yes you are correct the weight loss will slow down. However, keep in mind that as you body adjusts (assuming you're in this for the long term - ie. years), your weight loss will stagnate to the point of frustration many times. Other times it's gonna fall off.

If it stagnates, keep at it, it just means you have to keep at it for another month til your body kicks into weight loss mode again. You can move things faster by changing up your routine whenever you hit a plateau.

I looked like you about 3 years ago. I look a whole lot better now. The trick for me was to KEEP AT IT. Just like you have to go take a shit, or pay your bills, you have to hit the gym every fucking day. No excuses (injury and illness aside)!!! "Sorry I can't, I have to go to the gym." should become part of your standard responses.

Keep it up! Never mind how fast you're getting there. As long as you keep seeing some progress that's what's important, no matter how small it might be.

Oh yeah, if you stop, all the brothers on EF are going to come to your home and shit-kick you till you cry for mommy. So you're committed now whether you like it or not! (didn't you read the fine print when you registered?)

 

[yomama1]

If you cant squat, do leg lunges, then move onto leg press, then leg extentions and leg curls. Then finish off with your calves!

 

[cyrex]

griz1:
thanks for the support and I assure you.. no bullshit I was in the hardcore for life training mode until my knee was destroyed, then I got better and for about 8-10 months I continued to use my 'knee' as my excuse. I tossed that crap out the window and am in it for the long run. So if I do quit, I beg you EF people to come to my home and shit kick me till i cry for mommy

yomama1: Thanks I have actually added in squats to my leg workout I'm still working on doing sets with only 225 on them, but after doing some arm stretches before hand to losen up my right shoulder and using some padding on the bar I am able to do it pretty comfortably. I am still doing the leg press as well though for now

 

[Royster]

im willing to bet you dont deadlift either

 

[cyrex]

im willing to bet you dont deadlift either

hehe. how much ya wanna bet

 

[football63]

Im definately on the "I love squats" side. I find it funny to watch people put on 315lbs or so and can barely do half squats. I do deep full squats even if its a lighter weight. If you work your way up slowyly you should have no probelm with it. Your their to work your muscles, not impress others with weight.

 

[cyrex]

still doing leg presses but squats are now an integral part of my training