By... retracting your shoulders back into their sockets
*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***
- Thread starter Morba
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Soldato
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Does anyone have any ideas how I can get more out of my leg press work?
Over the last few weeks I have been experimenting a little with split squats other types of leg press machines, lunges etc....
Unfortunately they all cause me problems due to my arthritis in right knee and it takes weeks for the irritation and pain to go down.
Luckily one thing I can do and really push my self with out holding back is this machine:
Now at the moment, I do 3x10 reps/sets. It's OK, but wondering if there is any thing more I can do to get more of a workout out of it, considering it is my sole quad workout?
Over the last few weeks I have been experimenting a little with split squats other types of leg press machines, lunges etc....
Unfortunately they all cause me problems due to my arthritis in right knee and it takes weeks for the irritation and pain to go down.
Luckily one thing I can do and really push my self with out holding back is this machine:
Now at the moment, I do 3x10 reps/sets. It's OK, but wondering if there is any thing more I can do to get more of a workout out of it, considering it is my sole quad workout?
Does anyone have any ideas how I can get more out of my leg press work?
Over the last few weeks I have been experimenting a little with split squats other types of leg press machines, lunges etc....
Unfortunately they all cause me problems due to my arthritis in right knee and it takes weeks for the irritation and pain to go down.
Luckily one thing I can do and really push my self with out holding back is this machine:
Now at the moment, I do 3x10 reps/sets. It's OK, but wondering if there is any thing more I can do to get more of a workout out of it, considering it is my sole quad workout?
What are you asking exactly? Are you wanting something to work your Quads more or are you asking what else you can do with that machine?
First off, I presume you are doing it with both feet on the plate? If so, you could try it using one leg, you could do pyramid sets, drop sets, depends entirely on what you want to do with it. You could even do calve work on the thing
EDIT:
People are going to ask again, you must be split squatting/lunging in a funny way, as it's essentially the same movement, what are you pressing on the machine and what have you tried on lunges?
Try changing your feet placement to make as many variations as possible. High & Wide, High and Narrow, High and close etc.
Personally if I'm on a leg press and I'm not targeting strength then my sets aren't going to be less than 20 reps.
3 x 10 on a leg press is a **** poor amount of volume for legs imo. Pull your finger out and push yourself harder.
Soldato
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snip
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Leg press is the only resistance machine I touch. We've got the one in that picture above in our gym. I've seen good progress by using it as I'm still learning to perfect my squat technique before I'll risk using heavier weights. Leg press means I can go full bore and not worry so much about screwing up my back.
Caporegime
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If your spine's not neutral and your core nice and tight it's incredibly easy to injure yourself with the leg press, if not more so than squats, given the additional weight people use compared to the squat. You can also injure yourself by lowering the weight too low which I've done myself.
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Soldato
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Yep to the above. I was a bit blasse when I started doing single leg presses after squats as a cool-down / check equal strength in legs type thing and ended up feeling it in my lower back. This compared to my squatting where, touch wood, my back is never an issue.
Fully aware but learning to squat properly is like learning to juggle. Juggling takes practice and practice and loads of time before it comes naturally. The press is, relatively, a straight forward movement and significantly easier to apply. I've never once injured myself as a result of the leg press.
I've been going over old workout logs and data tonight.
In October 2012 I had roughly the same strength as I have now. I'm lifting a bit more across the big-3 now (except deadlifts which I didn't do) and significantly more on secondary compound exercises. My average weight back then was 81.9kg.
I'm now averaging around 76.0kg!
Just given me a huge mental boost to keep up with the LG IF diet I'm doing
In case anyone is wondering why I haven't gained strength, I went travelling for 6 weeks in June and suffered a hand injury in January which put weightlifting off the radar until April. In terms of diet however I have followed the principles of LG IF to great success it seems
In October 2012 I had roughly the same strength as I have now. I'm lifting a bit more across the big-3 now (except deadlifts which I didn't do) and significantly more on secondary compound exercises. My average weight back then was 81.9kg.
I'm now averaging around 76.0kg!
Just given me a huge mental boost to keep up with the LG IF diet I'm doing
In case anyone is wondering why I haven't gained strength, I went travelling for 6 weeks in June and suffered a hand injury in January which put weightlifting off the radar until April. In terms of diet however I have followed the principles of LG IF to great success it seems
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Cheers Ice.
I'm going through a transition at the moment and trying to adapt most of my training to using barbells, for the usual reasons but above all because from September I'm going to start bulking.
My workouts at the moment during this cut are almost entirely revolving around the big 3 (still learning to deadlift properly) and then weighted parallel dips, chin ups, pull ups, wide grip pull ups, close grip bench press and a few accessory things. RPT with the squats/bench/cg bench seems to be working incredibly well to the fact I'm still getting stronger despite losing weight on a weekly basis
However... one problem I have is shoulders. I hate the standing military press, at the moment I'm using DBs and getting up about 30kg on each shoulder for 8 reps but I'm stagnating. I've never been able to get above that. What would people on here suggest I do for my primary shoulder compound? How about a seated BB military press? Any suggestions? I just want something I can get stuck into and increase the poundage progressively week by week when I'm bulking.
I'm going through a transition at the moment and trying to adapt most of my training to using barbells, for the usual reasons but above all because from September I'm going to start bulking.
My workouts at the moment during this cut are almost entirely revolving around the big 3 (still learning to deadlift properly) and then weighted parallel dips, chin ups, pull ups, wide grip pull ups, close grip bench press and a few accessory things. RPT with the squats/bench/cg bench seems to be working incredibly well to the fact I'm still getting stronger despite losing weight on a weekly basis
However... one problem I have is shoulders. I hate the standing military press, at the moment I'm using DBs and getting up about 30kg on each shoulder for 8 reps but I'm stagnating. I've never been able to get above that. What would people on here suggest I do for my primary shoulder compound? How about a seated BB military press? Any suggestions? I just want something I can get stuck into and increase the poundage progressively week by week when I'm bulking.
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Gym noob in need of help. Im going back to uni in september and it gives me a decent chance to join a gym (having never really been to one properly before)
Im 5'7 and 71kg, i have no upper body strength but i do a lot of cycling. I'm fairly slim pot bellied.
I want to lose weight (~5kg) and build a bit of upper body strength (and lose the belly) no weightlifting style just a but stronger.
My other main goal is increasing core fitness and lung capacity as at the moment my cycling ability is fine until I hit the oxygen wall, up big climbs for example, my legs can keep going but I can't breathe fast enough/deep enough and have to stop
what should i be aiming for?
I have an option of a gym with a pool for slightly more so I can use a pool if that would be a good help?
Im 5'7 and 71kg, i have no upper body strength but i do a lot of cycling. I'm fairly slim pot bellied.
I want to lose weight (~5kg) and build a bit of upper body strength (and lose the belly) no weightlifting style just a but stronger.
My other main goal is increasing core fitness and lung capacity as at the moment my cycling ability is fine until I hit the oxygen wall, up big climbs for example, my legs can keep going but I can't breathe fast enough/deep enough and have to stop
what should i be aiming for?
I have an option of a gym with a pool for slightly more so I can use a pool if that would be a good help?