Squats vs. Leg Press?

[megad]

I've been fighting patella tendonitis for a while now. I've noticed that the leg press causes much less pain than squatting does. My main goal is to just get my quads stronger.

With that said, what are the cons of using the leg press instead of freeweight squatting?

 

[amuro]

leg press is a whole lot easier on the knees but the thing is it isn't quite as taxing or productive as the squat....i personally stick to leg press but it is good to do both but since u have that whatever the hell u said, stick with what doesnt hurt

 

[Nonerz]

I love squats! I don't know how I could train without them!

Anyhow, from my understanding, squats incorporate a lot more muscles than the leg press. Definetly more "ass" work than in the press. It also works your core as opposed to the leg press where you are in a stable position...primarily working quads.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Bottom line is this... if you have to adapt to an injury then you have to adapt.

If you can only do leg press because of your knees then do leg press.

I once had to switch to leg press and Smith squats for a year because of a leg injury. It was better to do the leg press than to not work my quads at all.

 

[Deepsquat]

I am all about the squat...but if your knees arwe hurting when squating...styop...jut do legpress fo 3-4 months and then go back and try light squats again...I had to take a whole summer off from squatting 3 years ago...but when I went back to them my knees were much better...and they had been hurting for 5-6 years.

 

[daok]

And what about Hack Squat? Can it be an alternative for traditionnal squat?

 

[needsize]

And what about Hack Squat? Can it be an alternative for traditionnal squat?

Somewhat, but it is even harder on the knees

 

[daok]

It may help for my back, in normal squat it curve but in hack squat it cannot curve

 

[beefybull]

Patellar tendonitis is also known as "Jumper's Knee".

The main culprit for bodybuilders getting it is allowing your quads to greatly overpower your hamstrings.

Provided you arent going to be in a contest, take 1-2 weeks off of quad exercises period. If you feel you must, just do VERY light exercises. Work on strengthening your hamstrings with deads, leg curls, all the other stuff you've been neglecting.

Go to Wal-mart and buy a set of Jumper's Knee straps. They strap on your legs just under the knee. Usually you'll see basketball players and track athletes wearing them, but its no big deal. The ones I bought were little black straps, they help keep the knee in place when you jump/move.

 

[strider364]

I agree with Sofa, conform your training to what you can do now pain free. Something is better than nothing at all.

 

[b fold the truth]

Few thoughts...

1) Run a Search..

2) Find other ways to squat before you leg press, ie the box squat

3) Make darn sure that your squat is perfect in technique and that you don't have a muscular imbalance somewhere.

B True

 

[Nonerz]

Go to Wal-mart and buy a set of Jumper's Knee straps. They strap on your legs just under the knee. Usually you'll see basketball players and track athletes wearing them, but its no big deal. The ones I bought were little black straps, they help keep the knee in place when you jump/move.

for someone who has a nagging knee injury and uses the knee straps, should they use it all the time or only when the exercise becomes challenging for them.

kinda like not using straps for your warm up and lighter sets...

 

[bignate73]

for someone who has a nagging knee injury and uses the knee straps, should they use it all the time or only when the exercise becomes challenging for them.

kinda like not using straps for your warm up and lighter sets...

just to differentiate. these are smaller thin straps, versus knee WRAPS. knee wraps are used to stabilize the knee as a whole. knee straps apply pressure to the connective tissue below the kneecap to the shin. similar to someone with tennis elbow wearing those forearm bands.

pain is an indicator of something being wrong. is there a need to mask it? these products are used to give minor stabilization. the situation will dictate whether it is necessary to wear it. if someone is wearing it to go heavier on squats, then its the risk that person has to take on whether their body becomes reliant on that. basically, make the gains with the apparatus, then when the apparatus is gone, are the gains there still or are you prone now to further injury? (due to stress youve never adapted to WITHOUT the apparatus?)

 

[Nonerz]

a-ha...makes sense.