LEG PRESS light or heavy?
zakbailey7
Posts: 28 Member
As today (Wednesday) seems to be leg day for most lol I thought I'd bring up the subject of light or heavy leg press... For me personally my body responds better on leg press when I train light. So for example I'll do 3-6 sets (depending on other exercises that day) of a fairly light Weight and do as many as I can to failure and what this actually does is bring the ENTIRE leg into operation forcing every muscle to kick in and start working especially the carves. It does this because once you get past so many reps your quads start fatiguing and the whole leg starts working and forcing all muscle to support the rest getting better results... Any other similar experiences?
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Replies
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IS your goal strength/power or Bulk/hypertrophy?
It might help folks figure out whether or how useful your advice is.1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »IS your goal strength/power or Bulk/hypertrophy?
It might help folks figure out whether or how useful your advice is.
For size and muscle definition otherwise I'd just go heavy if was strength training like I used to. But as I said I have noticed a better response going lighter and doing as many reps as possible, working my whole leg....2 -
I mix it up with leg presses. I tend to do them after squats or deadlifts. Some days I'll go lighter for reps, other days I'll go heavy, still for higher reps (8-10). Never really leg press for a 1rep max.3
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I mix it up with leg presses. I tend to do them after squats or deadlifts. Some days I'll go lighter for reps, other days I'll go heavy, still for higher reps (8-10). Never really leg press for a 1rep max.
OK, similar to myself really. I've just noticed legs are fuller and calves are getting bigger since going light for reps...1 -
zakbailey7 wrote: »OK, similar to myself really. I've just noticed legs are fuller and calves are getting bigger since going light for reps...
That's likely because you're getting a bigger pump due to the higher number of reps. Chasing the pump does nothing for actual strength and muscle, however. Number of reps is redundant, you should be focusing on progressive overload. If you're serious about lifting, you should drop the leg press and start squatting and deadlifting.
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zakbailey7 wrote: »OK, similar to myself really. I've just noticed legs are fuller and calves are getting bigger since going light for reps...
That's likely because you're getting a bigger pump due to the higher number of reps. Chasing the pump does nothing for actual strength and muscle, however. Number of reps is redundant, you should be focusing on progressive overload. If you're serious about lifting, you should drop the leg press and start squatting and deadlifting.
I couldn't disagree more lol and I prefer leg press over squats tbh and I do dead lifts. I usually train quite heavy but just been noticing good results going light on the leg press for more reps. I hear what your saying about the pump and yes the pump is good but doing more reps until complete muscle exhaustion has had a big impact on my calves as well as quads....5 -
I would consider leg press and assistance lift to squats. I don’t really go all that heavy for assistance lifts. Last time I ran them I went 5sets of 10reps with about 1 or 2 reps left in tank.1
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Both serve a purpose.3
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I would consider leg press and assistance lift to squats. I don’t really go all that heavy for assistance lifts. Last time I ran them I went 5sets of 10reps with about 1 or 2 reps left in tank.
Same here. I don't even use them very often for assistance work since I respond better to other things.2 -
zakbailey7 wrote: »I mix it up with leg presses. I tend to do them after squats or deadlifts. Some days I'll go lighter for reps, other days I'll go heavy, still for higher reps (8-10). Never really leg press for a 1rep max.
OK, similar to myself really. I've just noticed legs are fuller and calves are getting bigger since going light for reps...
I do squats and deadlifts. I've had to buy new pairs of jeans 2x in the last 12 months. That's with bf% staying roughly the same but having gained about 7lbs. Obviously my bf% has gone up a bit, but ya.
Low weights for both. The most reps I've done for either in months has been 9. I prefer major compound movements couple with high intensity lifting.
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zakbailey7 wrote: »zakbailey7 wrote: »OK, similar to myself really. I've just noticed legs are fuller and calves are getting bigger since going light for reps...
That's likely because you're getting a bigger pump due to the higher number of reps. Chasing the pump does nothing for actual strength and muscle, however. Number of reps is redundant, you should be focusing on progressive overload. If you're serious about lifting, you should drop the leg press and start squatting and deadlifting.
I couldn't disagree more lol and I prefer leg press over squats tbh and I do dead lifts. I usually train quite heavy but just been noticing good results going light on the leg press for more reps. I hear what your saying about the pump and yes the pump is good but doing more reps until complete muscle exhaustion has had a big impact on my calves as well as quads....
You could also just focus on your calves.
How are you determining this muscle growth that you're referring to?
What are you comparing your current progress to compared to in the past?3 -
Well, not sure why you got the Woo's.
Your method is almost exactly the method used in study review by Schoenfeld and detailed by MacDonald.
For the same reasons almost.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/effects-of-low-versus-high-load-resistance-training-research-review.html/
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Well, not sure why you got the Woo's.
Your method is almost exactly the method used in study review by Schoenfeld and detailed by MacDonald.
For the same reasons almost.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/effects-of-low-versus-high-load-resistance-training-research-review.html/
I skimmed that study as well. I just find it interesting that every one of his posts just seems so rehearsed.
I think that the woos are due to many of his posts sounding very black and white.4 -
I do a moderate weight leg press at the end of my deadlift day. Honestly, it takes longer to load the plates than it does to do 3x10-15 at 630 lbs.1
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So does the OP not have a method of tracking his muscular growth or..2
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^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.1
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^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it3 -
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^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
I don't think he is active anymore; RIP bro zakbailey...his way was the only way at least in his mind. Sure seemed to want others to know that or at least argue/fight about it.
Who does leg press over squats anyways? (j/k...trolling...injuries, different strokes for different folks, etc.)
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Keto_Vampire wrote: »^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
I don't think he is active anymore; RIP bro zakbailey...his way was the only way at least in his mind. Sure seemed to want others to know that or at least argue/fight about it.
Who does leg press over squats anyways? (j/k...trolling...injuries, different strokes for different folks, etc.)
Yeah I didn't think so. I didn't have much hope left haha. He definitely had some interesting opinions.0 -
Keto_Vampire wrote: »^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
I don't think he is active anymore; RIP bro zakbailey...his way was the only way at least in his mind. Sure seemed to want others to know that or at least argue/fight about it.
Who does leg press over squats anyways? (j/k...trolling...injuries, different strokes for different folks, etc.)
I actually hope he’s not gone. I like a spirited discussion now and then. It gives people a chance of seeing options. I just don’t like when people become too abrasive or rude.
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^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
From what I read, I believe he was disagreeing with the last sentence that you are only a serious lifter if you squat and deadlift. Implying that leg press were for folks not so serious.0 -
I do both. Depends on my current goals. Do a lot of single leg presses as well.1
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Keto_Vampire wrote: »^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
I don't think he is active anymore; RIP bro zakbailey...his way was the only way at least in his mind. Sure seemed to want others to know that or at least argue/fight about it.
Who does leg press over squats anyways? (j/k...trolling...injuries, different strokes for different folks, etc.)
Hmmm. Never really thought about one being superior over the other. Just another way to target similar muscle groups based on what your goals are. I guess if you're a power lifter, leg presses may have little benefit. IDK, I don't power lift. For body building, I think Leg presses are at times, a really good exercise that allows me to put more focus on my legs without focusing on stabilization. Some days I do them in addition to squats, some days instead.0 -
^^ I think the OP was just sharing and inquiring what others do. Don't think he was advocating a right/wrong approach or anything else for that matter.
If you read further up the OP was disregarding people's experiences and their opinions. Especially when they stated they believed squats were the superior movemrnt. So I simple was curious as to how he was determining his muscular hypertrophy. From what it seems he did not have a means for determining it
From what I read, I believe he was disagreeing with the last sentence that you are only a serious lifter if you squat and deadlift. Implying that leg press were for folks not so serious.
Great read on the topic here, with some good insight: https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/squat-versus-leg-press-for-big-legs.html/3 -
^^ Good read!!0
This discussion has been closed.
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