Squat vs Leg Press?

[hughesy]

What are the pros and cons of using a leg press machine vs doing squats?

 

[bigbadasian]

Reply

|--[\\\]>-------- i dont know why anyone would just leg press or just squat...i always switch it up, most of the time i do BOTH during a leg workout.

 

[ag-guys]

IMO, squats put more pressure on your back vs. leg presses are more rigid. I do both during a leg workout.

AG
www.ag-guys.com

 

[swervedriver]

In my opinion for overall size and strength nothing compares to squats... However, when I go heavy on squats for any period of time my lower back starts killing me and my obliques start to widen out... I use both in my workouts, but when I am dieting down I drop the squats and just stick with hacks, leg presses and lunges...

 

[phreak]

for me nothing, and i mean nothing, slaps on the mass better than barbell squats. i can leg press, hack squat, and smith squat until the cows come home and my legs will simply just not respond like they do when i just do barbell squats. the only downside is that my knees tend to get a bit sore after a while, but i honestly think that is due to using too much volume in the past.

i have had to switch to the leg press because of a minor knee injury the past two months and my legs have lost a LOT of size.

if you think about it, when i do barbell squats, i are not only working my quads, hams, and glutes, but also all the assistor muscles that are required to maintain balance throughout the movement (adductors, hip flexors, etc.). building these muscles up adds up to greater leg size than what i would get out of the leg press for example, where all i have to do is push.

squats just do something to your body as a whole that cannot be substituted for, at least not in my case. they cause a complete shift in my physique.

 

[callgolf]

Squats are King!

I don't ever use the leg press, I can't see the reason for using such a machine when there are so many variations of the squat you can incorporate to really get great leg size. Front, back, high-bar, low-bar, wide stance, tight stance. The leg press is very limiting IMHO, never do them, there is no benefit and you get an increased chance of injury.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

You want big legs, gotta squat unless you are some genetic freak like Gooey. I dont go super heavy, instead i make sure i feel the contraction where i want to and grow real muscle. Iv gone super heavy (heavy for me) and my legs never grew fast, it just beat up my body. Maybe improper form or whatever, but i learned i grow better squatting with less weight and SOLID form.

As for leg press, i never use that for a primary exercise. Thats always maybe my 2nd or 3rd exercise. At times i like to use it to target hams and i place my feet higher on the platform. Seems to work well.

 

[Massive G]

I was using Leg Press Front squats and hack squats waay more often thatn back squats...for the simple reason after 15 years of heavy training 5-600 lb squats put a lot of pressure on the spine and can cause aches and pains in the knees and hips at times.
I still squat but it will sometimes be after leg presses or done once a month in an exercise rotation of the above.
I plan on using the same formula when I return from this injury.

 

[pumpputnam]

Squat 'till you puke!!!

 

[STORM SHADOW]

There have been several Mr Olympia contenders that never did squat and built their huge thighs on press's and hacks (I don't have the names, it was in a M&F issue in the 90's).
They couldn't do it because of spine curvature problems and what not from birth.

Is it necessary? I don't think so. Buttttttttttttttttttt... I think the body has more growth spurts caused by squats than any other exercise. The entire body is under so much pressure that I believe the hormones etc. necessary for growth are released in the body more often. I don't know exactly how to say this..but...let's say you're fighting to build a huge chest. More of those growth factors are probably turned on and still running during the chest phase from when you did squats a couple days ago.

SS

 

[wedge]

Legs

Front squats on smith machine and occasional leg press work for me.

wedge

 

[bigbaldbulldog]

IF Phil chimes in... SQUATS.. end of story... as one gets older it maybe harder adn more painful to do squats... it hurts to get in and out of car at times with the way my kness don't work adn my hips popping in and out of place not to mention the crushing pressure on my lower spine that cripples me for 2 days after a moderate set of squats...

Squats for siz hands down if you can do them without injuries flaring up

Press's if you are too damaged after years of abuse at the hands of the b-bell

 

[JETHRO TULL]

I'D SAY FELLASWITH GOOD GENETICS FOR LEG SIZE PROBABLY WON'T HAVE TO DO THEM.

OTHERS SHOULD. LOOK AT DORIAN YATES..THE GUY SQUATTED HEAVY BY HIS OWN ACCOUNT UNTIL HIP/QUAD INJURIES BEAT HIM DOWN. HE THEN CHANGED OVER TO LEG PRESSES AND HACKS AND STILL HAD BIG LEGS. I GUESS YOU'VE GOT TO FIND THE ONE THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU. UNFORTUNATELY SQUATS WORK BETTER FOR ME...UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MORE DIFFICULT MOVEMENT OF THE TWO.

I'VE ALSO SEEN SOME GUYS WHO COULD SQUAT A LOT OF WEIGHT WHO HAD LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE LEGS. WITH ANY MOVEMENT...IT'S HOW YOU DO IT. THAT'S MY OBSERVATION.

 

[hughesy]

Thanks bro's alot of great info. The reason I was asking is I have a partial herniated L-3 and have been doing leg presses. But was thinking of doing some squats, just not real heavy, to see if I get a better response in my thighs.

 

[swol]

Gotta Squat!!! Like everyone said squats=size. Fulll reps none of this partial shit. Asss to ankles and you will grow. I do leg press but only as second exercise. If there is only one exercise you can do a weeks do sqauts over all otha's!!!

 

[swervedriver]

I agree with everyone here that squats are king... However, you can build some impressive wheels without them, trust me... Here is a for instance.. There is a guy that comes in the gym that squats like a mofo... Heavy and deep... NO LEGS... I kid you not... The guys has twig legs... It must be genetics or something... My training partner has never done squats, just leg presses, hacks, stiffs, extensions, curls and lunges and has some of the most impressive wheels I've seen... So basically you have to see what will work for you... If you can do squats without injury, do them... But don't think that it is the only way you're gonna get big legs... JMO

 

[Big Ian]

Squats without a shadow of doubt

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Well..... would you believe me if i told you im weak as hell right now, did 312x12 last leg workout deep and hard with a great squeeze concentrating on the muscle, and my legs are almost 28 inches?

Weight means shit if you dont got the form and feel it, or feel it in the wrong places. So many poeple have small legs n big weight becuase they use their glutes and lower back too much tryin to go too heavy. Muscle doesnt know how much something weighs, it only knows the stress placed on it. Use the heaviest weight that you can control and utalize properly to beat the shit out of your muscles.

I could care less how much weight iv lifted doing legs anymore. All i care about is that my legs r throbbing when im done and they hurt like hell for 5 days afterwards.