Things You Need To Know About Leg Press Machines

Thinking of buying a machine that will keep your lower body stronger and firmer? Then, leg press machines are the ones for you. It’s definitely a powerful workout machine that strengthens muscles in your quadriceps, knees, calves and hamstrings.

Perfect for those who are not fond of running, aerobics or walking, this is just the best gym equipment for you.

leg press machinesPrimarily used in weight trainings, these leg press machines are equipped with counter-weights that gravitate towards the legs and which when pushed will provide resistance.

If you are just starting with the machine, opt for lighter weights to avoid muscle strain or injury.

Types of Leg Press Machines

Sled type

There’s the sled type which is also referred to as diagonal or vertical leg press. It comes with a cast iron weight discs that are attached directly to the sled.

For better comfort, it had a padded backrest and a sled mounted on rails.

If you want to try this out, be sure that you are seated below the sled and continue pushing upward with your feet.

Oops, just a piece of advice though, the sled will only move once your knees are at the right angle.  It will prevent your knees and lower back from straining.

Cable type

Cable type machines are common in home gyms. Also known as seated leg press, the plates or weights are attached to a weight stack and held in place by a steel cable.

Simply sit upright and let your feet push the padded brackets. This is very ideal if you only have a little space available at home.

Using either of these two types will give you the same benefits. It’s really a choice, which of these will work best for you.

So why should you use these machines? Here are their major benefits:

Complete leg development. No other equipment gives you the benefit of a total and complete leg development the way leg press machines do.

As a compound exercise, more leg muscles are used and trained at the same time. It quickly builds strength by teaching the leg muscles to function in a coordinated fashion.

Strength and muscular size. Because of the heavy weights that can be used in relative safety, it makes the leg press a strength builder in itself.

The squatting movement is a very fundamental technique used in athletics and everyday lifts thereby building functional strength.

Significantly, since a leg press machine signal the back muscles to lift the weight, the lower body musculature is further developed.

Variation. Probably the most versatile of all gym equipment, leg press machines allow the user various stances to achieve greater variation in training. One can focus on posterior muscles or more on the quadriceps as well as perform calf exercises thereafter.

Safety. This is one of the reasons why most people rely on leg press machines. They are designed to be safe such that they are equipped with safety patches in place so there is no need for a spotter. As a very simple machine, it has very few moving parts which most beginners can use.