Do you do leg extensions and why? I don't.

[Big Dave Smith]

I was speaking to Dave Palumbo today. He asked me if I was going to do leg extensions (we were at the gym). I said something like "I don't do leg extensions unless my lower back is messed up or something is wrong". He looked kind of surprised. I explained that I was of the belief that muscles grow and all you can do to show what they look like is to get leaner... which is why I'd just rather do all pressing motions for my quads. More bag for your buck.

His idea wasn't that they add more or less striations... but that they involve/activate muscles that don't get hit hard enough during the pressing motions, more stabilizers, etc. From this, I derived that this is the reasoning behind getting more sepration from such an exercise.

I probably won't change what I do... but it was the first time in a long time that somebody really made me question one of the very basic things I do (or don't do) because his reasoning made some sense.


Thoughts? Experiences?

In my best Mike Myers voice "Tauwwk amongst ya selves".

 

[laduem88]

i personally love them at the end of a quad workout. I do light weight, high volume (15-20 reps)

 

[emeric delczeg]

I was speaking to Dave Palumbo today. He asked me if I was going to do leg extensions (we were at the gym). I said something like "I don't do leg extensions unless my lower back is messed up or something is wrong". He looked kind of surprised. I explained that I was of the belief that muscles grow and all you can do to show what they look like is to get leaner... which is why I'd just rather do all pressing motions for my quads. More bag for your buck.

His idea wasn't that they add more or less striations... but that they involve/activate muscles that don't get hit hard enough during the pressing motions, more stabilizers, etc. From this, I derived that this is the reasoning behind getting more sepration from such an exercise.

I probably won't change what I do... but it was the first time in a long time that somebody really made me question one of the very basic things I do (or don't do) because his reasoning made some sense.


Thoughts? Experiences?

In my best Mike Myers voice "Tauwwk amongst ya selves".

Yes, leg extensions are 2nd best exercise for muscle fiber stimulation.

 

[Gunsmith]

i personally love them at the end of a quad workout. I do light weight, high volume (15-20 reps)

Yep , same here , do two sets to failure one leg at a time first set 20-25 reps next set is generaly like 12-14 reps

 

[kscowboy]

I start off my quad day with 1 set of 100 reps on the leg extention machine ad then at the very end of quads, i do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. The 100 pre workout is brutal!!! You will feel muscles you dont usually feel.

 

[7_Deadly_Sins]

I do 5 sets of 34 to strength my knees.

 

[plang]

1. Helps me establish a better mind/muscle connection before going to squats or a press of some sort.

2. Dependant on toe angle you can focus more on the medialis or lateralis...and a study showed the ROM also affects which quad muscles you work...when I do a press I'm looking to move as much weight as possible and not worry about what part of my quad is working. Obviously important in bodybulding for symmetry purposes but as well as knee health.

3. For me the best exercise for quads to induce muscle hypoxia gains (ie constant tension pump...poor mans occlusion training)

4. And I'm real strong at them which equals more fun.

 

[bgspin]

I dont understand why anyone would choose not to do extensions before squats.I do about 4 sets at the beginning of every quad day.

 

[Tom]

they are harmful

Leg extensions cause an unnatural torque on your knee. the extension of your leg is not designed to lift weights but to simply kick out to run. doing these put stress on the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even your meniscus. you can get all the leg development you'll ever need simply doing front squats.

 

[StealthwHealth]

Yes, light to moderate weight, high reps. Nothing comes close to the pump acquired from these, for myself that is.

 

[almard]

Yes, light to moderate weight, high reps. Nothing comes close to the pump acquired from these, for myself that is.

why you don't pre exa the muscle with legs extension then go heavy with Squat...?! works wonder...

that can go for any muscle.....

 

[StealthwHealth]

why you don't pre exa the muscle with legs extension then go heavy with Squat...?! works wonder...

that can go for any muscle.....

I do pre-exhaust by doing this. Not always the case, but I'd say half the time I'll pre-exhaust my quadriceps with leg extensions. Sometimes I just exhaust them (after a proper warm-up of course) with squats, leg press, deadlifts, lunges, etc.. Once in a while I will even pre-exhaust with these compound movements with light to moderate weight! Ahhhh so many options.

 

[Pheedno]

warm up

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

Leg extensions cause an unnatural torque on your knee. the extension of your leg is not designed to lift weights but to simply kick out to run. doing these put stress on the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even your meniscus. you can get all the leg development you'll ever need simply doing front squats.

Couldnt agree with you more....so many injuries from leg extensions over the years by many people yet people think its just a totally safe exercise....I keep seeing these teardrop tears in pro's and top ams in the last few years and leg extensions are the culprit....Ronnie's latest tear on his teardrop supposedly came from a leg extension (not his lateral tear)

Take a look at Gunthers quads before and after of what happened to his teardrops from leg extension tears.

IMO...absolutely useless exercise....looks awesome doing it, feels like its working, and does very little but put your knee in a precarious position (but thats just my opinion and you can give or take it)

gunther 2 pics before with full teardrops

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

and then two pics after he tore them on the leg extension and they rolled up

 

[ajdos]

Compound leg excercises like squats and leg press feel very A to B to me, extensions I can acutally feel the quads, I think that like most things excercise wise that certain individuals the excercise can cause serious damage and for others great results.
Its like people you see doing behind the neck press for years with no problems at all and then others do it for a short time and tear up their rotator cuff.
Personally I like them at least for the good squeeze I can get from them, to each his own.

 

[GaJoe]

I won't do them much, once every 6 weeks or so, but the seat is completely back to the point where my butt is off the pad at full contraction, and I don't go heavy anymore...I prefer dumbell lunges as the replacement...

 

[doitright]

Leg extensions cause an unnatural torque on your knee. the extension of your leg is not designed to lift weights but to simply kick out to run. doing these put stress on the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even your meniscus. you can get all the leg development you'll ever need simply doing front squats.

a buddy of mine is a chiropractor and he says this exact thing.

 

[btech]

Have any of you guys tried out that idea that Cedric McMillan had regarding using the leg ext to bring up the front sweep? It involves using the type of machine where your feet could start out underneath where you're sitting... then bring it up maybe a quarter of the way. Talk about "getting weird with it" to find out how to bring up weak points.

 

[Nssca]

Leg extensions cause an unnatural torque on your knee. the extension of your leg is not designed to lift weights but to simply kick out to run. doing these put stress on the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even your meniscus. you can get all the leg development you'll ever need simply doing front squats.

I agree with you and DC on this... its just a feel good exercise Like super heavy shrugs looks good doing them but doesn't do a whole lot for you.
I have notice as of late a pain in what feels like the ACL area from doing leg extensions.
Amazing...one thing Ive noticed is DC is not wrong very often. Always a wealth of info.
But what about lying leg curls? Is this the same problem but in reverse?