any suggestions for alternative(s) to Leg Presses?

[MountainMuscle]

Hey fellas!

As you can tell from my profile, I am quite separated from "civilization." The closest gym to me is less equipped than my home gym. Further away is a university that has a very nice gym, but it is always PACKED with students and it's mostly people messing around taking up the weights...plus they charge a ridiculous price.

Now, for the past 15 years or so I have gotten by without a Leg Press machine. You may ask what equipment I have and what I've done for legs. Here is a brief description that hopefully will help you with some suggestions to a Leg Press alternative (in addition to Squats, not replacing them!):

- Power Cage and Flat/Incline/Decline Bench (allows for bench presses from all angles, squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, dips, hanging knee ups and leg raises, incline crunches, and probably others I'm forgetting)

- Pro Lat Machine with permanent high and low pulleys; I have a large assortment of attachments for different angles of attack such as a straight bar, U-shaped bar, V-bar, triceps rope, ... I'm sure everyone knows what can be done with this setup

- Leg Extension and Leg Curl Machine ... no explanation needed

- 125-pound PowerBlock dumbbell set (10-125 lb dumbbells in 5-lb increments) allows me to do pretty much any dumbbell exercise

- A variety of bars, including 7' bar, 5' straight bar, curled bar (EZ bar, but I don't like the word EZ when talking about training , Girard Shrug Bar, Triceps press bar

- TreadClimber for cardio as well as a heavy bag, speed bag, and double-end bag setup (I prefer this MMA workout for cardio!)

- Miscellaneous things such as hand grip trainers (not the WalMart variety!), neck harness, Shoulder Horn (trains the rotator cuffs)

Basically the only important exercises that I cannot do are (1) Leg Presses, (2) Standing Calf Raise Machine and Seated Calf Raise Machine though I can do similar movements with what I have, and (3) Leg Press Calf Raises. Sure, I cannot do abductor/adductor work or pec crossovers, but those are worthless to me. lol

What I have been doing for my leg workouts in lieu of leg presses is typically perform 1-2 extra sets of squats than a routine calls for and 1-2 extra sets of a compound hamstring movement such as stiff-legged deadlifts. I weigh 165 with 23" thighs and can squat ~450 and deadlift ~550, so this hasn't been a huge problem. BUT, I'm wondering just what I could be missing out on and if I can handle this any better than I currently am.

Does anyone have suggestions? [Short of buying a Leg Press machine, as that would require me to use another room of my house which would also mean buying $500 more just in weights! BUT I do plan to get a commercial-quality leg press machine within a few years... when the economy is much better [I hope])

Thanks guys

 

[perseverance]

Front Squats, Lunges, Reverse Lunges, Single leg squats, Goodmornings, RDLs, Russian Negative Curls, Band Leg Curls. Plenty of stuff you can do without a leg press.

Honestly, unless you just really want one, I wouldn't buy one.

 

[617ricky]

I did front squats and deadlifts the other day (1st time working out legs in a while), and I don't think my quads could have taken much more of a beating. I work out at home with just a bench, barbell, and dumbbells - and the only thing I wish I could do that I can't is lat pull-downs.

 

[MountainMuscle]

thanks!

Thanks guys!

I have been fortunate to be able to own such an elaborate home gym, but really it started with just what you said (bench and some weights), back in the early '90's. I've just accumulated high-quality (but not commercial, way too $$$!) equipment over time, mostly by ParaBody. And, they've withstood the years of beating.

I will have to look up some of those exercises mentioned by perseverance, sounds interesting. I wasn't aware of such exercises.

Since getting a "decent quality" leg press would take about $3000 total plus use up another room of the house, I doubt I will get one...maybe in 20 years? lol It would be nice to have, but certainly appears that I don't NEED it.

Thanks again

 

[617ricky]

As far as I know, squats are a superior leg exercise to presses anyways.. So you're not missing much.. Maybe just switch it up with front/rear squats, plus they definitely get hit with deadlifts too.

 

[jdchaffin]

try some different positions with your feet as well. this can give a great deal of variety to squats.

 

[Snuka]

i would go with lunges after squats. they really hit you hard if you do them later in your routine.

 

[Snuka]

try some different positions with your feet as well. this can give a great deal of variety to squats.

totally agree i have noticed a difference when i switch between a wide sumo type stance that really hits the glutes, hams and inside and top of my quads than when i go narrow and i feel it more in the sweep.

 

[SacToSD]

i would go with lunges after squats. they really hit you hard if you do them later in your routine.

tell me about it. I did squats yesterday, followed by deadlifts, and then jumped into some lunges... I almost fell over onto a passing cardio bunny when she was walking by. It could have been a very bad accident, with my big ass and some dumb bells tumbling all over some unexpecting chick. Good times