Which muscles are used during the thigh press?
The leg press is an excellent bodybuilding exercise that mainly involves the thigh muscles and the buttocks. It is a good alternative to the squat for those who have certain pathologies or morphologies. Making the execution of the squat dangerous. This exercise is less risky than the squat because the back is protected by the back of the press. It makes it possible to take heavier without risk even if certain rules of execution are to be respected in order to avoid injuries. The interest of the press is that you can put heavy and go to failure thanks to the wrists on the side of the machine that allow you to rest the tray at any time.
How do I perform the exercise?
Lie down on the thigh press with your feet shoulder-width apart on the plate. Your toes should be pointing outwards and your back should be pressed against the back of the machine. Grasp the handles on either side of the machine and push the plate down while contracting your thighs and buttocks. Push the machine until the thighs are almost, but not completely, stretched.
Then bend your knees to come down to the maximum of your flexibility but without taking off or rounding the back then push back the plate and so on until the end of your series.
CAUTION: Don't take off or round your back to avoid injuring your lumbar vertebrae, which could lead to pinched discs or hernias. The knees should never go in but always remain in the axis of the feet. Never stretch the legs completely at the end of the contraction.
Tips for the thigh press
- Inhale as you lower the tray and then blow out as you push.
- You can hold your breath slightly when you are doing heavy work such as the squat to get through a tough stretch before blowing out.
- At the end of the movement the legs should be almost straight but the knees should never be locked!
- The movement must be slow and continuous without stopping either up or down in order to keep a direct voltage and allow maximum work.
- If you feel any pain, do not continue the exercise.
Variants
- We can vary the distance between the feet and their positions in order to solicit different portions of the thighs: We will target more the vastus medialis (but also the adductors) by spreading the feet widely and conversely with a tight position of the feet, we will solicit rather the vastus externus.
- By positioning the feet towards the top of the plate, the glutes will be more solicited and conversely with the feet at the bottom, the quadriceps will be more targeted.
- The thigh press can be replaced by a hack squat.
- Finally, you will also have a variant of the one-legged press: see the explanations below.
The single leg unilateral thigh press is an excellent strength training exercise that targets the thigh muscles and glutes. This variation of the classic incline press allows you to focus and concentrate on one leg at a time. The advantage is also that you don't have to load the press as much as with the classic 2-leg version. It allows you to go to failure and to be able to help your arms to be able to carry out one or two more forced repetitions.
How to do the one-legged press exercise?
Lie down on the thigh press with one foot in the middle of the plate and the other foot on the floor in the middle of the press. Your back should be against the back of the machine. Grasp the handles on either side of the machine. Push the plate by contracting the thigh and the buttocks of the leg. The muscle works until the leg is almost, but not quite, straight.
Then fold the knee to go down to the maximum of your flexibility. Attention, without taking off nor rounding the back then push back the plate and so on until the end of your series then change legs.
Take the same advice as the classic thigh press.
Find this exercise in the following program:
Supplementary article :
