Favorites for Quad Training? Pendulum? Hack? Leg press?

[Total1]

Just curious to see who on here has had good progress with any of the above? I've been using the pendulum(arsenal) for about 6 weeks and like it BUT I'm not so sure I like the loading profile of it as much as hacks or even leg presses. What do you prefer and why?

 

[st114]

Squats

 

[heavyhitter]

Front squats, and close stance toes out low on the sled on the leg press

 

[fisther69]

The kind with the bar where you squat

 

[K Bomb]

Hacks and leg press. squats work, but so do lots of other movements with less risk. Pendulum every once in a while for variety.

 

[qbkilla]

Hacks and leg press. squats work, but so do lots of other movements with less risk. Pendulum every once in a while for variety.

Agree with this. Old gym had a pendulum it was amazing.

 

[CorgisOnTren]

I personally feel belt squat and smith squats the best.

 

[Clentren98]

low stance shoulder width leg press with good knee flexion and depth

 

[3BILLS]

Leg press and leg ext

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

pendulum would be the most superior, followed buy hacks, then leg press

obviously leg extension, but with proper set up, and execution and intensity

 

[R3aper7]

pendulum would be the most superior, followed buy hacks, then leg press

obviously leg extension, but with proper set up, and execution and intensity

Was going to say this about pendulums. The arc of the movement is rather effective for keeping relatively equal tension on the quad through the entire movement. Hack squats are also great but lately my knees aren’t happy and this has become intolerable.

I’ll generally mix it up, for my squat movement - pendulums, hacks, smith squats, front smith squats etc. I always have extensions in and I always have leg press in.

 

[romo]

I personally feel belt squat and smith squats the best.

Hey yea, i have been doing a lot of those lately on a very nice belt squat apparatus.

 

[d4ve]

Hacks. I squatted my ass off for well over a decade powerlifting. My glutes got huge, my quads were okay. I kept trying to make some kind of free squat work after my first show, and it was just a lot of small tweaks, so-so quad stimulus, and sets that would end too early because something else got fatigued. Switched to hacks and haven't put a bar on my back in over 4 years, and my quads are my best body part.

Always later in the workout, though - every leg session is:

• leg curls
• adductors
• leg extensions
• leg press or hip press
• hacks
• lunges

 

[Johnnyhartly]

Hacks. I squatted my ass off for well over a decade powerlifting. My glutes got huge, my quads were okay. I kept trying to make some kind of free squat work after my first show, and it was just a lot of small tweaks, so-so quad stimulus, and sets that would end too early because something else got fatigued. Switched to hacks and haven't put a bar on my back in over 4 years, and my quads are my best body part.

Always later in the workout, though - every leg session is:

• leg curls
• adductors
• leg extensions
• leg press or hip press
• hacks
• lunges

Fuuuuck this hits home. I spent years n years back squatting battling the same stuff u said PLUS my right knee always gets irritated and then i gotta switch to box, half, zercher, etc to make it work. I hadn’t back squatted in over 8 months till yesterday and after i was just thinking about how it’s still not the answer. Having long legs n short torso it seems to just create diminished returns.

 

[gauge22-v2]

imo - Squatting is super important when you start out. However they simply do not work for everyone. Like others in this thread, squats gave me a big ass...very little for lower quads.

For others, with the proper levers/mechanics, squats are a beautiful exercise.

Leg press - it is absolutely so customizable to hit all aspects of your legs through foot placement.

Rear elevated split squats have not been mentioned. I think this are a beautiful movement for the end of leg days. Especially those Meadows drop sets of "death"

 

[d4ve]

Fuuuuck this hits home. I spent years n years back squatting battling the same stuff u said PLUS my right knee always gets irritated and then i gotta switch to box, half, zercher, etc to make it work. I hadn’t back squatted in over 8 months till yesterday and after i was just thinking about how it’s still not the answer. Having long legs n short torso it seems to just create diminished returns.

Same boat - very long legs, short torso. For the opposite build, squats seem to work much better. But if you're long-legged, you're probably going to get better quad development using machines (hack or pendulum) that allow you to squat in a position that would have you falling backwards if you were standing with a bar on your back.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

If I had more access to a pendulum, it would probably be my go-to compound movement. Smooth and deep rom and just feels good.
But I’d probably say hack then leg press are my other big ones.

I’m also a big fan of this, sometimes called a linear hack press.

 

[steve0691]

If I had more access to a pendulum, it would probably be my go-to compound movement. Smooth and deep rom and just feels good.
But I’d probably say hack then leg press are my other big ones.

I’m also a big fan of this, sometimes called a linear hack press.
View attachment 210702

Ive had low back issues for many years now that come and go and prevent any type of Hack/pendulum/bar squat variation so this piece allows me to still do a squat movement without aggravating my lower back. Im glad no one uses this machine so I can always hop on lol

 

[Simon90]

Smith squats, feet out in front and heels touching.

Leg press feet lower on pad again heel touching.

Slow negatives and go as low as I possibly can, on the smith squat my ass is basically touching my heels and on leg press my knees are in my face.

Changing to these two things have brought on improvements for me

 

[Total1]

pendulum would be the most superior, followed buy hacks, then leg press

obviously leg extension, but with proper set up, and execution and intensity

imo - Squatting is super important when you start out. However they simply do not work for everyone. Like others in this thread, squats gave me a big ass...very little for lower quads.

For others, with the proper levers/mechanics, squats are a beautiful exercise.

Leg press - it is absolutely so customizable to hit all aspects of your legs through foot placement.

Rear elevated split squats have not been mentioned. I think this are a beautiful movement for the end of leg days. Especially those Meadows drop sets of "death"

Squats for me have always been adductor driven. I’ve squat oly style for a long time. My lower quads never developed how I wanted them to. So this is one of the reasons I was asking about these machines.