Squats, leg press....same exercise?

sissiluv

Noob question here. I recently started going to the gym and right away went to the squat rack, starting with nothing on the bar and eventually working myself up to ten pound weights.

I ascertained I could not do the squat with correct form, and had to wait forever to do the next one in my set, because I got too dizzy doing them? My case manager says this is normal, due to the size of the glutes and blablabla.

So I tried out the leg press machine and my doms seem to be in the same area as they were when I was squatting? I honestly prefer the leg press because this way when I get dizzy at least I'm not at risk of hurting myself.

But I wanted to know if they could at all be considered the same exercise, in that do they target the same area as long as I get parallel?
Or should I woman up and go back to the squat machine like a big girl? lol

Thanks!


ETA: I'd do five reps of five on the squat rack and five sets of ten on the leg press.

wapan

I do both. Squats are good exercises though because you engage more muscles to stabilize yourself. Maybe lower the weight and do more reps when you're squatting?

AJ_G

Squats are to leg presses as bench press is to chest press machine etc etc. Machines don't require you to stabilize the weight and therefore there is less muscle fiber recruitment. The both have advantages, machines allow you to use more weight, but not as many muscle fibers, whereas free weights don't allow as much weight, but recruit a greater number of muscle fibers. I suggest you do both.

MikeyM1982

Squats are probably the best exercise for overall muscle engagement. And some say that you will find it difficult to get a 6 pack without squats, as you need to tense them to stabilise your core, otherwise you will be a flop on the floor...

RebekahR84

Just be careful on the leg press. I've over-extended on it and it hurt like HELL, for a long time...

sexymuffintop

Of course you prefer the leg press, that's because it's easier. I like all the easier exercises more. Doesn't mean they are doing more for me though. Squats are hard. They use more muscle than the leg press and require more effort. It maybe won't feel that comfortable at first, you need to work on form, it doesn't come naturally to us all. I often felt awkward and out of sync doing squats but you have to persist. Google good form vids, watch yourself in the mirror, practise at home if you need to, but don't stop squatting.

DopeItUp

Of course you prefer the leg press, that's because it's easier. I like all the easier exercises more. Doesn't mean they are doing more for me though. Squats are hard. They use more muscle than the leg press and require more effort. It maybe won't feel that comfortable at first, you need to work on form, it doesn't come naturally to us all. I often felt awkward and out of sync doing squats but you have to persist. Google good form vids, watch yourself in the mirror, practise at home if you need to, but don't stop squatting.

Yup. Leg press is a far cry from a squat. Maybe address what's making you dizzy? Are you getting dizzy after you're done? This is typical. It happens to just about everyone when squatting maximal weights (or doing almost any compound movement to maximum exertion level)

Form-wise, it takes lots of practice and hundreds or thousands of reps. Read Starting Strength, watch videos on youtube, video yourself for form checks, etc..

sexymuffintop

Sorry, yes meant to add...Dizziness. Depends to what extent. Lightheaded yes. I often get it when i've exerted myself on an exercise. To the point that you can't stand and feel faint, perhaps no.

RebekahR84

Of course you prefer the leg press, that's because it's easier. I like all the easier exercises more. Doesn't mean they are doing more for me though. Squats are hard. They use more muscle than the leg press and require more effort. It maybe won't feel that comfortable at first, you need to work on form, it doesn't come naturally to us all. I often felt awkward and out of sync doing squats but you have to persist. Google good form vids, watch yourself in the mirror, practise at home if you need to, but don't stop squatting.

DAMN YOUR TORSO IS NICE! :noway:

Lupercalia

Of course you prefer the leg press, that's because it's easier. I like all the easier exercises more. Doesn't mean they are doing more for me though. Squats are hard. They use more muscle than the leg press and require more effort. It maybe won't feel that comfortable at first, you need to work on form, it doesn't come naturally to us all. I often felt awkward and out of sync doing squats but you have to persist. Google good form vids, watch yourself in the mirror, practise at home if you need to, but don't stop squatting.

Yup. Leg press is a far cry from a squat. Maybe address what's making you dizzy? Are you getting dizzy after you're done? This is typical. It happens to just about everyone when squatting maximal weights (or doing almost any compound movement to maximum exertion level)

Form-wise, it takes lots of practice and hundreds or thousands of reps. Read Starting Strength, watch videos on youtube, video yourself for form checks, etc..

^^Both of these responses. Address the dizziness and your form and continue to work on the barbell squats. You'll find them to be far more beneficial than the leg press machine. Nothing wrong with leg press--it's just not really comparable to squatting with a barbell on your back due to the fact that weight machines isolate muscle groups rather than involving multiple groups of muscles, as is true with the compound lifts.

Faery_Dust

Sorry, yes meant to add...Dizziness. Depends to what extent. Lightheaded yes. I often get it when i've exerted myself on an exercise. To the point that you can't stand and feel faint, perhaps no.

I'm no expert but to the OP, are you breathing properly when squatting? I have a tendancy to just hold my breath when exerting myself and then when I start breathing again I get all dizzy!

xampx

I can leg press 96kg, I can squat just over 20kg. Too right the leg press is easier!

CarlKRobbo

Re: breathing on Squats...

BIG breath in at the top, Hold it all the way down, Exhale when you stand up. Repeat on each rep. DROP THE WEIGHT DOWN, Nail the form, which INCLUDES the breathing, and only increase when you've got the hang of it. It will pay off big time

That should sort the dizzy spells

On topic, already been said, but no, not the same. Squats recruit the stabilizer muscles more. Better Exercise IMHO.

DopeItUp

Re: breathing on Squats...

BIG breath in at the top, Hold it all the way down, Exhale when you stand up. Repeat on each rep. DROP THE WEIGHT DOWN, Nail the form, which INCLUDES the breathing, and only increase when you've got the hang of it. It will pay off big time

That should sort the dizzy spells

On topic, already been said, but no, not the same. Squats recruit the stabilizer muscles more. Better Exercise IMHO.

One addendum, make sure you're taking this breath into your belly, not your chest. Can cause issues with the vagus nerve and passing out (as I found out the hard way) if you breath into your chest and bear down.

pcastagner

Re: breathing on Squats...

BIG breath in at the top, Hold it all the way down, Exhale when you stand up. Repeat on each rep. DROP THE WEIGHT DOWN, Nail the form, which INCLUDES the breathing, and only increase when you've got the hang of it. It will pay off big time

That should sort the dizzy spells

On topic, already been said, but no, not the same. Squats recruit the stabilizer muscles more. Better Exercise IMHO.

One addendum, make sure you're taking this breath into your belly, not your chest. Can cause issues with the vagus nerve and passing out (as I found out the hard way) if you breath into your chest and bear down.

So, not to nitpick, but I really can't stand when people say to breathe in the belly, because your lungs are in your chest. Breathing well is about maximizing the motion of your ribs, which means paying attention to posture and the intercostals. When you get the ribs and spine right, the diaphragm (which is involuntary) will simply do its job more, which will displace the viscera, which can look as if one is breathing into the belly. However when someone with stiff intercostals and insufficient rib motion attempts to "breathe low", the result is usually further compromise of posture (the distance between the top and bottom vertebrae is shortened), which is the worst thing possible for a squat.

I think it's much wiser to advise newbies to "breathe into the back", rather than the belly. This applies to my job (singing opera), but also to any sport from running to squats to golf.


As for leg presses, if you choose to use the sled, please don't be like me. I thought of it as "easier" and didn't pay attention to my form, and injured my core. Twice.

HelloDan

So everyone has already hit on the stabiliser muscles, and the difficulty difference, but there is another thing to consider - mobility and balance.

In a squat you must keep the combined centre of gravity of yourself and the bar over your feet, too far forward and backward and you will fall over. To do this well, you need decent mobility on the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and in the case of overhead squats the shoulders.
With a leg press, you can get into a position that would have you falling on your face or backside, but because of the machine, this won't happen.

lts42uk

bump