According to one study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a free weight squat activates 26% more hamstrings, 34% more calves and a whopping 49% more inner quads than Smith machine squats. When the leg press is utilizing a weight stack, it usually hovers a little over the 300-lb mark. Both the leg press and squat are intended to strengthen the muscles of your legs, but the leg press has several limiting factors concerning the action of the movement compared to the squat… and the squat strengthens more than just your legs. Back squats Leg press is for weenies lol. My simplest answer is look at Tom Platz. Synergist muscles act on movable joints. Intensity – Most people can trap bar deadlift more than they will ever be able to squat. I’ve seen more videos of this on YouTube and Instagram than I care to admit and though these scenarios tend to provide a lot of humorous content for many comedians…such a ridiculous attempt is both scary and dangerous to me and I’m a professional strength coach. If you bench more than you squat, then you are most likely benching much more than you are squatting. Safety – Trap Bar Deadlifts are safer than both squats and conventional deadlifts. That will incorporate them so you can lift more. Hedging my answer in reminders that broad strokes with “ideal ratios” and the like are not always the most applicable, the commonly accepted norm is a 4:3 ratio with squat-to-bench. Since this post i have also noticed you cant hang your hat on a comparable. Obviously, if you’re looking to surpass the intermediate level, you’ll need to be able to squat much more than these recommended values. However even the smallest women can load the plates up on the leg press. Just remember that a lack of mobility is a lack of function and a lack of function means a lack of mobility…and possibly stability. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about when you see those guys in the gyms load up the leg press platform with damn near every 45 lb. I can leg-press 2-something (maybe 240lbs) but when I squat, I'm only able to do 135lbs. When squatting you must be capable of demonstrating ankle mobility, knee flexion, and hip mobility when settling down into the squat movement. The expand the discussion, there are articles which compare the TBDL (trap bar dead lift) with both the back squat and the leg press and suggest that the TBDL can be an acceptable variation for both. When you sit on the leg press machine you’re not training yourself to be better, or more capable of picking something up off of the ground, or for even being able to do something as natural as to take a crap. He never did a leg press, but he’d squat until the cows came home. Is there a benefit to doing the leg press? More like 185 for 5 i would think or less. For me it is less but i dont barbell squat now and only do leg press and lunges. Why is that? Get updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. Both of these exercises are great for targeting your quadriceps with some secondary hamstring and glute activation. Because the legs are more isolated in the leg press, and your upper body is supported by the machine, you can work with much more weight than you could with barbell squats. I can talk about this stuff for hours and I think it's important that everyone understands what it means when they make certain exercise choices. The squat is one of 7 foundational movements that allow you to live life as an able-bodied human being. Synergists are muscles that facilitate the fixation action which in the case of you lifting a free weight such as a bar or kettlebell allows you to keep it steady during the up and down part of the movement. Nothing. However, I would argue that with the leg press this almost seems to be a badge of honor with many guys. You understand yourself better than anyone, and you know your goals. I've been doing it on hypertrophy days kind of as a toss in (hanging head in shame - I subbed them for barbell lunges because i loathe lunges....). So, squat vs leg press is not a dilemma for you … As if it’s not dangerous enough that they’re maxing out the machine itself they then get into the seat of the leg press with all of that weight hovering above them. Same reason why people can push more plates on smith machine chest press versus an actual bench press Unlike squats, which needs you to have a spotter, you can do leg presses alone as long as you … Just yesterday friend of my gf tried squats with my gf. Leg press, conventional squats, and hack squats are all essential workout for you. 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