The Do's and Don'ts of the basic leg press! [Forum Archive]

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The Do's and Don'ts of the basic leg press!

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Posted by: Will Brink

As simple as your basic leg press is - bring sled down smoothly, press it back up, repeat – I see people in the gym doing it incorrectly virtually every day. I know some of you know exactly what I am talking about. You see people posting their videos to YouTube all the time using terrible form which they (apparently) think is impressive.

More often than not, they are kids who want to pile the plates on the leg press while ignoring proper form, but I also see people old enough to know better doing the exact same thing. For example, I give you exhibit A:

YouTube - Me Leg Pressing!

And exhibit B:

YouTube - 405 leg press by a girl

Those are just a few examples. There are plenty more on youtube, not to mention what I see in my own gym, as I am sure some of you see the same thing (or perhaps you are one of the people doing the above??!!) in your gym also….

So, with that in mind I decided to do some exercise vids in an attempt to show people the proper form, and where applicable, what people are doing wrong, which I don’t see in other vids. Figured I would start with the easy basics, first up, the leg press.

Some of you no doubt are thinking “Geez Will, the leg press? How complicated can it be?” And, you would be correct, but it seems people can pretty much mess up anything no matter how simple, and I figured start with the simple stuff first. I will work my way up to more complicated movements in future vids, and then perhaps onto other topics I am best known for; supplements, nutrition, etc.

OK, so without further delay, here is my vid on the leg press, including what people generally do wrong (did I miss any?) and finally how to do it right!

The “basic” leg press:

YouTube - Leg Press Demo - Body Building with Will Brink

Posted by: Little Wing

great idea and a very well done video.

it's easy to improperly handle way more weight with your legs that you can properly manage so it has always seemed to me that a lot of injuries must happen this way.

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Wing

great idea and a very well done video.

Thanx, that's my first attempt, so they should only get better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Wing

it's easy to improperly handle way more weight with your legs that you can properly manage so it has always seemed to me that a lot of injuries must happen this way.

The leg press is not a big producer of injuries compared to say other exercises, but people also get no real benefit from doing it wrong and are just wasting their time while trying to look impressive in the gym...

Posted by: PreMier

nice, that was refreshing

Posted by: the7zen

Well done video. The background music was tad loud and overpowers your voice.

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by the7zen

Well done video. The background music was tad loud and overpowers your voice.

Yah, i need to work on that. I only say a few things, so not much missed there, but I have to learn to alter the volume at different spots on different tracts.

Posted by: Triple Threat

The people who put their hands on their knees are doing a very advanced "comboset" of leg press and bench press.

Posted by: fufu

cool

Posted by: Duncans Donuts

Good video.

Posted by: Gazhole

I like it. Very straightforward and clear

Whats up next?

Posted by: Witchblade

Nice.

Posted by: min0 lee

Well done.

This should be made a sticky if both parties approve.

Posted by: IRONBULL05

Good post bro.

Posted by: Hoglander

I like it. I agree with the first comment about music. BUT the fact that you put music to the vid and the choice of music was stellar.

Posted by: Tatyana

I remember when I was first learning to do leg press, I can still remember my training partner yelling at me 'HANDS OFF your KNEES'.

There is some seriously diabolical form in the gym.

THe girl doing 405, that was pounds?

I would also add in proper footwear, leg pressing or squatting any amount of weight in running shoes/most fashion 'trainers' is just WRONG and wobbly.

Posted by: Hoglander

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatyana

I remember when I was first learning to do leg press, I can still remember my training partner yelling at me 'HANDS OFF your KNEES'.

There is some seriously diabolical form in the gym.

THe girl doing 405, that was pounds?

I would also add in proper footwear, leg pressing or squatting any amount of weight in running shoes/most fashion 'trainers' is just WRONG and wobbly.

I'm guessing 45s x 8 for 360lbs plus 45 for the contraption on the ramp for 405lbs. My 18 year old daughter can do that for 8 reps past 90 degrees. I'm impressed with my daughter not the vid. Satan have mercy on the dude that rubs her the wrong way. She looks average like me most of the time. She has strength AND skills both from dad, sniff sniff. She is a great kid. We are hitting the gym tomorrow. She will be off to college in a matter of days.

She likes to lift because she is good at it. She is not looking past that. She has her mind set on technical theater.

Posted by: XFatMan

It's really not impressive or surprising when people do something as simple as the leg press wrong. However, I do find it impressive when "trainers" insist that you do it the wrong way - which happens quite frequently. Cool video, really. I'd like to see more of the kind.

Posted by: AKIRA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatyana

I dont think it was 405lbs, but its a lot for a girl to do.

Posted by: Tatyana

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I dont think it was 405lbs, but its a lot for a girl to do.

Really?
Hoglander's 18 year old daughter does it for proper reps.

I do 264 lbs (120 kg + weight of cybex sled?) 4 sets of 15-20 reps.

I am not up to full strength due to my achilles rupture, but I have pushed 235 kg (517 lbs), last set of 4 sets, and for about 12 reps.

Built up to that weight.

And I have never done steroids.

I am sure that when I was in full on form, I have done 400 kg, but it was not a 45 degree sled, different sort of plate loading cybex machine.

x
x
x

T

Posted by: AKIRA

Its still something that isnt common.

Either way, I never care how much a person can do on a leg press.

Posted by: Goodfella9783

In the demonstration of the correct leg press in your video, is the lifter locking his knees out? Isn't that bad. Maybe it's just a bad view and he's not.

Posted by: min0 lee

It may be 405 she's lifting minus 200 pounds with her cheating, ha ha .

Posted by: danzik17

*Edit* Whoops, just realized those were examples you gave of what NOT to do, not you doing them yourself

Are you really getting full ROM on those? From what I see in the video it looks like 1/2 ROM, but then again it is a video.

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazhole

I like it. Very straightforward and clear

Whats up next?

Front squats.

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Well done.

This should be made a sticky if both parties approve.

Sounds good to me.

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoglander

I like it. I agree with the first comment about music. BUT the fact that you put music to the vid and the choice of music was stellar.

This version has the voice thing fixed:

YouTube - Leg Press: The do's and don'ts with Will Brink

I think good tunes are important for the vid to have a good feel to it that makes you want to run out and train!

Posted by: ALBOB

Since we're on the subject, I may as well ask my question here. How do I keep from getting a SPLITTING freakin' headache when doing leg presses? And don't tell me I'm holding my breath, because I'm not. I can do squats all day long with no problem, but if I even look at a leg press sled my temples start to pound.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Don't tell people how to do it properly. I get motivation from watching idiots do it improperly...

Posted by: Will Brink

Another classic of poor form:

YouTube - 400kg leg press

Posted by: BigDyl

Will is my hero.

Posted by: ALBOB

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDyl

Will is my hero.

You know he likes guns, right?

Posted by: Will Brink

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBOB

You know he likes guns, right?

Me touch one of those evil things? Never!

Posted by: ALBOB

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillBrink

Me touch one of those evil things? Never!

Anything you say Mr. Schumer.

So anyway, how about that post #27 of this thread? That guy really seemed to have a problem. Any ideas on how to help him out?

Posted by: DOMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBOB

Since we're on the subject, I may as well ask my question here. How do I keep from getting a SPLITTING freakin' headache when doing leg presses? And don't tell me I'm holding my breath, because I'm not. I can do squats all day long with no problem, but if I even look at a leg press sled my temples start to pound.

I've read a lot about how bad these are for your back. It is possible that you're putting pressure on your spine such that it's causing reference pain in the form of a headache?

Posted by: ALBOB

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOMS

I've read a lot about how bad these are for your back. It is possible that you're putting pressure on your spine such that it's causing reference pain in the form of a headache?

I guess that's possible but, how would I know? I've never experienced back problems from doing leg presses, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that I'm doing them wrong.

Posted by: crankshaft

Great vid. Thanks.

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The Do's and Don'ts of the basic leg press!

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