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View Full Version : Classic Question - What do you leg press?



Singel
12-03-2004, 08:04 PM
I dunno if anyone works their legs here, or if everyone just had unproportionally large upper bodies. I think I really should do my legs more, cuz I hope to dunk one day and its basically the base for a lot of your strength in real life...

I only ever really do Calf raises and Leg Press, and I've done it maybe 3-4 times in the last 6 weeks, b4 that I'd probly done it a bunch when I was like 15-16.

So I did 600 last time twice for like 10 reps each, and I definately feel like 7-800 are probable, but didn't want to push it too far (next time).

Everyone at the gym looks amazed since they just did like 300, so I'm not sure if its a case of them not knowing how much they can do, or maybe im just strong :dunno: , or maybe 600 is just weak?

I look forward to seeing some BS #'s now...

Kirbs17
12-03-2004, 08:06 PM
I played soccer and football for a couple years, and at our team practices, we'd have tests from the coachs just to see the maxs on the teams bigger guys, and me and some of the other guys could do 750 5 times. I just about shat myself trying that, it was soooo tough.

rahim
12-03-2004, 08:14 PM
When you are doing 600 are your legs coming down to your chest? if they are that is very respectable.

BTW squating is the best leg exercise you can do, works the whole leg not just your quads.

DUBBED
12-03-2004, 08:45 PM
When I do leg press I drop my knees right to my chest, and push 320. I'm pretty much a big pussy when it comes to lower body strength though.

I squat 155, and go right down til my chest is almost touching my knees.

Singel
12-03-2004, 08:58 PM
Yup, knees to chest. I'ma try and start doing squats and some other leg curls and stuff to, but whenever I'm at the gym I just seem to do upper body.

Will doing like 600 on my legs be more beneficial to the rest of my body...I mean like I hear from lifting your body kind of keeps working out by itself over the next few days while repairing the muscles, so is me doing a lot on legs better for that than doing only an avg. amount on upper body? I guess I mean does leg pressing 600 pounds burn more calories than bench pressing 100?

My main fitness goal right now is burning, with a little bulking. So I guess I'm asking what is better towards that, legs, upper body or cardio? I do all 3 now, just thinking maybe I should concentrate more on 1 of them...

rahim
12-03-2004, 09:24 PM
you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time without outside help, so you should pick one (gain or lose) and do it in phases, ie bulk in the winter, cut in the spring, you'll get better results that way

Zero102
12-04-2004, 12:34 AM
I leg press 850, 3 sets of 10 reps, usually by the end I can barely walk =)
However, each time I do it, it's getting easier, the first time I could only do 1 set of 10.

statick
12-04-2004, 12:37 AM
i can do 8-10 reps of 680...usually would do a couple of sets(3-4)

YCB
12-04-2004, 12:47 AM
how much can u squat? thats a real mans excersise hahaha

ne ways leg press is 540 for 8...

Wildcat
12-04-2004, 01:32 AM
dropping you knees to your chest is a good way to pop a disk. your putting alot of pressure on your vertabrae and your loosing all the tension in your muscles, doing this will result in less gains.

rahim
12-04-2004, 03:09 AM
Originally posted by Wildcat
dropping you knees to your chest is a good way to pop a disk. your putting alot of pressure on your vertabrae and your loosing all the tension in your muscles, doing this will result in less gains.
you gotta touch your chest not rest your legs against it

energie23
12-04-2004, 03:33 PM
i hate doing legs but i have to do them or i'll disproportioned, i do 320lbs 3 sets 8 reps.

Wildcat
12-04-2004, 06:23 PM
Originally posted by rahim

you gotta touch your chest not rest your legs against it

i never said that. if you feel you really have to touch your quads to your chest go ahead, you'll be a cripple in no time.

rahim
12-04-2004, 06:28 PM
Originally posted by Wildcat


i never said that. if you feel you really have to touch your quads to your chest go ahead, you'll be a cripple in no time. i don't actually leg press, so i'll pass on the cripple part, just stating what i read in arnolds encyclopedia

BloodBaneZXY
12-04-2004, 06:34 PM
Gah, I hate how everyone reads arnold's book and faithfully believes in it. A lot of the stuff arnold did/wrote about wasn't ENTIRELY 100% flawlessly benefical, taken also into account that he juiced following arnold's regiment won't work out too well..

rahim
12-04-2004, 06:42 PM
faithfully believe? I took one look at his workout routine and knew it would be impossible to follow without burning out in 2 weeks.
I think maybe 60% of the book is accurate, just didn't realize they used to do legpresses wrong too

tsi_neal
12-04-2004, 06:50 PM
Squats and lunges is where its at. Works MUCH more of the leg, works the core and helps improve balance.

At that, the last time i did leg press (it bothers my knees, ontop of me not liking it) i think i was reping 450 for 3 sets of 8, and im not a big guy.

BloodBaneZXY
12-04-2004, 06:59 PM
In the context of your reply rahim it basically sounded like "Well, it's justifiable because ARNOLD did it" but as long as you know that arnold isn't entirely accurate then it's cool.

and yeah... Squats >>> Leg Press

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 05:05 AM
i dont prefer squats over leg press or vice versa, you should do both. my quad rountine is as follows:

Leg Extensions
Leg Presses
Hack Squats
Lunges w/ Dumbells
Front Squats
Heavy Leg Extensions

Chim
12-05-2004, 02:49 PM
I've never tried leg presses before.

For squats I'm doing only 235 x 6 reps for sets right now, too scared to try my 1 rep max

rahim
12-05-2004, 05:55 PM
Originally posted by Wildcat
i dont prefer squats over leg press or vice versa, you should do both. my quad rountine is as follows:

Leg Extensions
Leg Presses
Hack Squats
Lunges w/ Dumbells
Front Squats
Heavy Leg Extensions
you do all that in one day?

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 06:27 PM
Originally posted by rahim

you do all that in one day?

ya, and abs too.

Abs:
Crunches
Rope Crunches
Hanging leg raises

I do this as an AM workout, usually takes 1.5-2 hours

BloodBaneZXY
12-05-2004, 06:43 PM
Uhh, that's a pretty weird leg workout..despite the fact that Squats and lunges do cover most of the lower body there's still no emphasis on Hams/Calves ..and that's ALOT of work on your quads, may be overtraining..

Mine is :

Squats (Free barbell, no smith machine bs) 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Leg Press 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift OR Lying leg curls (alternate weekly) 3 sets x 8 reps
Standing Calf Raises 2 sets x Failure
Seated Calf Rasies 2 sets x Failure

Considering throwing in Leg Extensions at the end, not sure though..

rahim
12-05-2004, 06:48 PM
mine is even more basic then that

squats - 2 easy sets to warm up then 5x5 working sets
sldl - 5x5
standing claf raise - 2 easy sets to warm up then 4x12

by the end of that work out my legs shake when i bend over the sink to wash my hands and i can barely make it up the stairs out of the gym, its all about intensity

BloodBaneZXY
12-05-2004, 07:08 PM
^^ Yep, that's more than enough

I've tried 5x5's (tried with chest days), not a big fan, I can't keep the intensity up throughout the whole workout, so that's why I mix it up a bit with difference exercises..

rahim
12-05-2004, 07:09 PM
i only do 5x5 for legs, if i do more reps i seem to grow but not gain any strength :(

EG STyLeZ
12-05-2004, 07:14 PM
i've seen idiots in the gym load up the leg press machine with like 800 lbs, but when they do it, they're doing less than half the range of motion ie. lowering the weight 2 inches. this is pretty useless and doesn't work out your legs at all basically.

my leg day looks like this:
squats
leg press
seated calf raise
leg extension
seated/lying leg curl
standing calf raise
dumbell lunges

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 07:16 PM
Originally posted by BloodBaneZXY
Uhh, that's a pretty weird leg workout..despite the fact that Squats and lunges do cover most of the lower body there's still no emphasis on Hams/Calves ..and that's ALOT of work on your quads, may be overtraining..

Mine is :

Squats (Free barbell, no smith machine bs) 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Leg Press 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift OR Lying leg curls (alternate weekly) 3 sets x 8 reps
Standing Calf Raises 2 sets x Failure
Seated Calf Rasies 2 sets x Failure

Considering throwing in Leg Extensions at the end, not sure though..

i do hams and calves but not in the same workout. theyre big muscles and they deserve their own day.

Hamstrings:
Lying Hamstring Curls
Stiff Legged Dumbbell Deadlifts
Seated Hamstring Curl
Hamstring Curls

Calves:
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Donkey Calf Raises

i do both of these routines on seperate days and combine each of them with another different muscle group. Im not saying its what someone should do, but its what I do.

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 07:20 PM
alot of you guys seem to be doing the entire lower body in one day, does that mean you do your entire upper body in one day? im not trying to say whats right or wrong, just think about it a little.

rahim
12-05-2004, 07:33 PM
you have alot more muscles in your upper body, if i could properly hit my entire upper body with 3 exercises I would

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 07:35 PM
Originally posted by rahim
you have alot more muscles in your upper body

you have alot bigger muscles in your lower body :)

rahim
12-05-2004, 07:38 PM
Originally posted by Wildcat


you have alot bigger muscles in your lower body :)

thats why they get a week of rest after a workout

EG STyLeZ
12-05-2004, 07:44 PM
Originally posted by Wildcat
alot of you guys seem to be doing the entire lower body in one day, does that mean you do your entire upper body in one day? im not trying to say whats right or wrong, just think about it a little.

i do my whole lower body in one day because i don't have time to split it up. yeah, i end up spending a long time in the gym, but whatever.

theken
12-05-2004, 07:57 PM
between 8-9 plates aside for 12-10-8 sets

Wildcat
12-05-2004, 07:58 PM
Originally posted by rahim


thats why they get a week of rest after a workout

so your telling me your upperbody muscles dont get a weeks rest but your legs do?

dirty_magic
12-05-2004, 08:02 PM
I maxed out a leg press machine before, I think we equated it to be around 1200 or so. Im a hockey goalie and move furniture during the day, so my quads are always being worked. But I did 12 reps of that and could have done more. Felt like a million bucks, just did some other leg workouts, rode the bike a bit more after I was done and stretched extensively.

rahim
12-05-2004, 08:15 PM
Originally posted by Wildcat


so your telling me your upperbody muscles dont get a weeks rest but your legs do? i work smaller muscles groups like shoulders, bi's and tri's twice a week, once on their own day and once with their corresponding larger muscles, bi's with back, shoulders and tris with chest

delsol_rockstar
12-08-2004, 12:45 AM
820 x 8 Reps for me

Tyler883
12-20-2004, 12:36 AM
My trainer has me started on something he calls "periodization"

He has me doing a period of high rep workouts(15-20 reps per set, with extra sets for each muscle) ,

followed by another period of heavy lifting(6-8 reps per set with 2-3 set per muscle but only after a real careful warm-up ),

followed by another period of inbetween(8-12 reps per set, 6-10 sets per muscle group, 10-15 sets for larger muscle groups) This is the way I used to always workout, and I've always be taught to train at a level that will make alot of sore muscles.

He says that each period can vary depending on how it benefits the person. Some people rotate continually, other have periods that last 3-8 weeks.

I'm starting with a one month period because its easy to remember, each calendar month is a change of workout. The first 2 weeks of each month is a killer, the last 2 weeks is where I have a chance to find my limits.

BTW, Singel, 600 lbs is very respectable. I ussually only get in a set or 2 at 6 plates per side, but I start at 2-3 per side, and add a plate per set until I reach failure at about 12 reps. Last summer, I hit 8 plates per side, and the guys at work were wondering if I was in an accident - LOL I dont go above 6 anymore.

w.r.t. the knees to the chest thing....i would go only as far down as you can go without working your lower back. You should feel the leg press from the heels of you feet, to the support behind your hips. Its suppose to isolate your legs from your back, so if your back is part of the lift, I would recommend having someone check your technique.

calgarygts
12-20-2004, 04:04 PM
periodization workouts are more about performing within a certain window of time, rather than producing 'sore muscles'. This is the kind of training olympic athletes use to be at their 'peak' during the olympics. When you hit a peak in your training everything feels sooooo good. You are strong, fast, energetic - it feels incredible.

And leg press sucks, squats are where it's at.

Foreign1
12-27-2004, 06:38 PM
1200 LBS?!?! that's intense man!

anyways.. its never good to do the same workouts everytime you go... that's how you build a muscle.. not your core muscles!

i have a vert of something like 38inches (if that doesnt make sense... im 5'9 and i can hang on a regulation size basketball net)... and i dont even work my legs hard!

pinoyhero
12-28-2004, 10:48 PM
500 for 10 x 3