Strength Sunday

I know I have stated quite a few times how much I love strength training. Well my favorite day is legs day!! I can lift the most weight with my legs, I love all the leg exercises, I love feeling the new muscles in my legs after a good workout. One of my favorite leg exercises is the leg press machine.

 

 

 

When I first saw this machine I thought what kind of torture device is this? Well it is actually wonderful. While doing the leg press yes I do think to myself I hate this machine so much, but as soon as I am done I think wow I love this machine. You can put as much or as little weight on there that you like. I am trying to up my weight on it. Today I did the most weight I have done on it yet, and it felt fantastic. To do this machine you do exactly what it says. You are pressing  with your legs. You lie on the seat put your feet on the foot plate. Brace the abdominal muscles and push the platform away with heels and forefoot by extending the knees and hips and pushing the back into the seat pad. The heels should remain flat on the foot plate and the front of the foot or toes should not be used exclusively to move the pad forward. Do keep the head steady and back against the seat. Don’t lock out the knees in an explosive fashion but do express a full range of motion. Return the foot plate to the starting position by allowing the knees to bend under control while maintaining the feet flat on the surface. Repeat the exercise. As the (diagonal) leg press involves pushing a weight along an inclined track, rather than lifting it vertically, it is possible for strength trainers to press very heavy weights, compared to the weight they might use for other exercises.

 

 

The leg press works your hamstring, quadriceps, gluteus maximus and your calves (partially) Varying the angle between the sled and the backrest and/or the position of the feet on the plate puts more emphasis on one or the other muscle group. So go do some leg presses you will love it!