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

[Jello]

Wish I could. After I got out of the Marines, my knees kill me when i try to do leg ext. All those hikes and jumping off a 7-ton destroyed them.

Anyone got tips on working around it? The pain is on the negative.

Use lighter weight. Up the reps and listen to your body, if it starts to hurt, stop.

 

[dirkmoneyshot]

In the past I would only use leg extensions the following day after doing quads and hams supersetted with bodyweight squats. Always felt I recovered better after getting blood back in there the following day.

 

[Michaelthomasj]

knee extension is natural but it is not natural for the body to bear weight during knee extension

Honestly this can be said of many exercises then. leg curls,ab/adductor etc. The key to leg extension is the weight used. I never use heavy weight on them ..its always med-light, and focusing on the contraction.

 

[Big A]

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

100% agree with DC and Tom - terrible, useless exercise.

 

[emeric delczeg]

Honestly this can be said of many exercises then. leg curls,ab/adductor etc. The key to leg extension is the weight used. I never use heavy weight on them ..its always med-light, and focusing on the contraction.

Yes, leg extension can be a safe and effective when used correctly, is important to not overbend the knee much past 90 degree angle when you use heavy weight.

If you want to bring out more striation and definition on your front leg than I would sugget to incorporate legextension.

 

[emeric delczeg]

Tom Plaz

www.youtube/watch?v=1_QV-L_jZDI

 

[Iron]

I have always done toward the end of a leg workout. Feels like a good way to finished them off.

 

[brineal]

Honestly this can be said of many exercises then. leg curls,ab/adductor etc. The key to leg extension is the weight used. I never use heavy weight on them ..its always med-light, and focusing on the contraction.

i would be careful with ab/adductor machines as well because of possible compression on the sciatic nerve...

 

[Jello]

i would be careful with ab/adductor machines as well because of possible compression on the sciatic nerve...

I've never heard this before and I have problems in that area right now. Could you elaborate on this a little more please?

 

[kingpeon]

I don't like 'em, never have. I can't use heavy weight, I don't believe in pre-exhaust, and I'd feel stupid sitting there pumping light weight for five minutes. For what, a pump?

It may be "good" for some but I hate 'em. Then again I don't like any machine exercises. I'd rather do Bulgarian split squat partials for the teardrop.