ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ ||| The 2023/2024 Gym Rats Thread ||| ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

[Syla5]

Stop

The words of someone that has a VAST amount of experience in the BB world:

While many take it as an article of faith that all trainees must squat, the reality is far different. Only a handful of athletes truly must squat and that’s because the movement is part of their competition. But for everyone else, squats are an optional movement. And factually, some simply are not built to squat well. And if their goal is simply getting bigger legs, in many cases it may be better for them to avoid squatting and choose a movement such as the leg press instead.

A properly done leg press exposes the legs to a similar range of motion as your typical parallel squat. Certainly squats “feel” harder but does this mean it’s automatically a superior movement for growing the legs? At least some of that feel is the technical involvement, balance, and the increased use of stabilizer muscles. But this has nothing to do with the legs per se.

Because when the goal is building big legs, there are many ways that the leg press might actually be a superior movement. So at the risk of offending most of the training world, let’s look at the issue.

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At the end of the day people can do what ever they like and what ever suits them. But it is without a doubt that the vast majority would be better off served by the leg press than the squat.

To say otherwise is to put your head in the sand.

Any way it was not my aim to start an argument. It's always been a very inflammatory subject the leg press vs the squat. It's just came about because last week I saw someone in the gym who had been squatting for a while, making no progress and he failed he's squat. I just felt sorry for him and thought he would be the type of person that should just move to the leg press rather than keep banging he's head against the wall.

Then people in previous posts saying they twinged their back during squats and DL and I was like well... I'm not surprised.

You talk about people putting their heads in the sand but fella you have a consistent track record of doing that and are doing the same here. As per what @tom_e said no one is saying that from a bodybuilding perspective you are wrong, we are saying that for the average gym goer function strength is actually more important and from that perspective overall functional strength development will benefit a lot more from squatting over leg press.

 

[Alibaba99]

How many people are actual bodybuilders? Not many, I bet.

Also, aren't the problems most people face due to form and mobility rather than the exercise? You can still easily hurt yourself on the leg press.

How many are actual powerlifters? I would guess not many, especially if you consider those that compete. Even if they don't consider themselves to be a bodybuilder I would suspect that many are in a gym for the aesthetic benefits or more muscle and less fat.

I have long femurs which doesn't help with squatting. My backside goes rearwards and my upper body leans too far forwards to compensate.

 

[sigma]

How many are actual powerlifters? I would guess not many, especially if you consider those that compete.

Is squatting only for powerlifters then?

 

[opethdisciple]

Stop

You talk about people putting their heads in the sand but fella you have a consistent track record of doing that and are doing the same here. As per what @tom_e said no one is saying that from a bodybuilding perspective you are wrong, we are saying that for the average gym goer function strength is actually more important and from that perspective overall functional strength development will benefit a lot more from squatting over leg press.

It's very simple.

You do whatevers best for progress. If the squat stops most people from overloading it due to the fact the the limiting factor is not the legs but the upper body (mostly the back) then the leg press which takes the back and upper body out of the equation is the more beneficial movement for the vast majority.

You've got an exercise physiologist (Lyle is one of the most respected on the internet) telling us so and you still talk about functional strength...

What so functional about someone spending years stuck at certain weights and stalling to make progress due to upper body being the limitation on a LEG exercise whilst the average Joe on the leg press is able to more easily overload the exercise and make progress?

The purpose of the gym for the vast majority is progressive overload at the end of the day.

 

[opethdisciple]

Anyway... I don't want to argue on the internet.

I'm said my bit. You've said yours let's just leave it be because this will never end.

Squats Vs Leg press is a hot potato in the BB space.

 

[sigma]

Anyway... I don't want to argue on the internet.

I'm said my bit. You've said yours let's just leave it be because this will never end.

Squats Vs Leg press is a hot potato in the BB space.

If you're bodybuilding you should be doing leg extensions and curls too, why stop at leg press?

 

[tom_e]

It's funny because no one is actually disagreeing with each other, just talking about two different things.

I'm currently in the middle of leg day and not one squat will be seen

 

[opethdisciple]

If you're bodybuilding you should be doing leg extensions and curls too, why stop at leg press?

I am. No one says stop at leg press.

 

[opethdisciple]

My ONLY point is that the majority of average lifters who in their lifetime of lifting will most likely never go much above 100kg on a squat would be better off actually making some progress on the leg press.

But my own personal leg day consists of:

Leg press
RDL
Ext
Lying ham curls
Abs/calves

 

[sigma]

My ONLY point is that the majority of average lifters who in their lifetime of lifting will most likely never go much above 100kg on a squat would be better off actually making some progress on the leg press.

But they're different things which what people keep pointing out

 

[opethdisciple]

But they're different things which what people keep pointing out

What you should have said is why does it have to be either or?

Why not do Squats AND leg press.

 

[sigma]

What you should have said is why does it have to be either or?

Why not do Squats AND leg press.

And lunges and BB squat, front squat, Bulgarian squat and leg extensions and curls!

And biceps!

 

[sigma]

So, to summarize: if you want big legs then you need to train legs

 

[opethdisciple]

What you should have said is why does it have to be either or?

Why not do Squats AND leg press.

Guns very important. Legs secondary.

 

[mrthingyx]

And lunges and BB squat, front squat, Bulgarian squat and leg extensions and curls!

And biceps!

Biceps femoris.