The leg press trains all leg muscles, without exception. Working muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, calves.

Target muscles in the classic version - thigh quadriceps.

Leg press: 4 options for execution technique [video]

Leg press is a basic exercise aimed at pumping the front and back muscles thighs and buttocks. It is performed lying on special simulator with an inclination of 45 degrees. Depending on the position of the legs on the platform during the exercise, one or another target muscle receives the maximum load. Further in the article, we will talk about 4 basic techniques for performing leg press in the simulator, how to do the exercise with a narrow and wide stance of the legs, and what muscles are involved in the classic version.

website 2017-11-26 Technique for performing a bench press lying in the simulator, correct setting feet

What muscles work with the classic stance of the legs: load on a 10 point scale

Application of the exercise "Incline leg press in the simulator"

To whom... Everyone from beginner to master, men and women.

When... At the beginning of a leg or glute workout. After the leg press, do isolated exercises on the quadriceps and hamstrings.

How many... 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps.

How to do leg press correctly (classic version)

1. Starting position: sitting in the simulator. Legs are on the platform shoulder-width apart. The knees are slightly bent. We hold onto the handrails with our hands.
2. Inhale and lower the platform down until your hips touch your chest.
3. Slowly lift the platform up to its original position, exhaling.

Attention! To avoid heavy load on knee joints, at the top of the movement, the knees are always slightly bent.

The main mistakes when doing the exercise:

• Full extension of the legs. Not allowed! It is a dangerous movement, legs can be broken. Never straighten your legs completely. When fully extended, the leg muscles relax. The entire load is transferred to the knee joints.
• Wrong position of the body in the starting position. The back is bent or the pelvis is not in the seat. Try to sit on the seat and rest your back on the back of the simulator tightly. Fix this position.
• Bringing the knees inward. In the classic version, keep your knees symmetrically at the level of your feet. Mixing inward is not allowed.
• Incorrect range of motion. Sharp and swinging movements are not allowed. Shortened amplitude is not welcome. Do all movements smoothly.

Platform leg options

Depending on the target muscles, they secrete different variants performing the exercise. Choose the one that suits your workout and do the exercise as instructed by your fitness trainer.

Leg Press with an accent on the buttocks (with a narrow stance)

Target muscles in exercise: buttocks and back of the thigh. It is performed like a classic bench press. The position of the legs is different.

Differences:

1. Standing feet: feet together on top of the platform, knees together. When lowering the knees, we do not part.
2. Pushing the platform with the heels. We rest with an emphasis on the heels, the toes of the foot are slightly pulled over ourselves.
3. The amplitude of movement is individual for everyone. It all depends on mobility hip joints... If flexibility allows, do full range of motion. Otherwise, give preference to the shortened one.

Errors:

1. Breeding the knees to the sides.
2. Press the platform with the toes of the feet.
3. Low setting of the feet on the platform.

Target muscles- quads of the thigh.

Differences:

1. Placement of the feet from the bottom of the platform. The distance between the feet is 20-30 cm.
2. The main focus of the foot is on the toes. It is allowed to slightly tear off the heels of 0.5 cm.

The errors are the same as in the classic version.

Advice... Exercise puts a lot of stress on the knee joints. If there is discomfort in the knees, give up.

Adductor Leg Press (Wide Stance)

Target group- adductor muscles of the thigh.

Differences:

1. The stance of the legs is wide. The feet are deployed to the sides.
2. When lowering the knees, we spread them to the sides. Breeding and bringing the knees together is a mandatory movement.

Errors:

• Incorrect positioning of the legs.
• Lowering and lifting weights without diluting and bringing the knees together.

Incline press legs in the simulator - basic, polyarticular exercise... To do this exercise, you need a machine to do this kind of bench press. This design is a machine, statically fixed on the floor, on which there is a movable platform with places for fastening loads. More often there are machines, the angle of attachment of the platform to which is approximately 45 degrees.

The main working muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, glutes

Subsidiary muscle group: calf.

Incline leg press in the simulator - execution technique.

1. Sit on the leg press machine. Place your feet on the platform. Feet shoulder width apart.

2. Press the platform up, straighten your legs in front of you and lower the safety stops. The torso and straightened legs should be at a right angle. This will be the starting position.

3. Slowly, while inhaling, lower the platform by bending your legs. Lower the platform until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and your pelvis is slightly off the seat. The head is raised.

4. As you exhale, return the platform to starting position straightening your legs, but not turning off your knees. Legs should be tense.

5. Do the required number of repetitions, secure the platform with safety stops.

Many gyms have a Smith machine, but not all athletes use this simulator, considering classes in it ineffective compared to exercises with free weight. We will figure out how to properly do the bench press in a Smith machine, and what advantages this simulator has.

Smith Trainer

The Smith machine (or machine) is designed to allow only limited amplitude exercises. Amplitude regulators are special limiters. The essence of the work of the simulator is to provide the athlete with the stability of the weight while performing this or that exercise. The same restraints fulfill a safety role - they replace the second person who, as a rule, monitors your safety during training.

Video: Smith Machine Design and Functionality

The main purpose of such a simulator is to perform presses in a sitting, lying or standing position, squats and other exercises. Smith's trainer allows you to strengthen big muscles and entire muscle groups.

Smith Machine Bar Press Options

Your position on sports bench in the Smith machine affects which muscles will be pumped during exercise.

Seated press (classic) - working on the shoulders and chest muscles

This type of bench press allows you to work your shoulders.

Before starting the bench press in a sitting position, you need to adjust the back of the bench - it should be tilted from 80 to 85 degrees (almost vertical angle). The edge of the backrest should be located approximately under the bar.

1. Starting position - sit on the bench so that the bar is located in front of you. The feet are firmly on the floor, with the pelvis and back we rest against the back of the bench. We take the neck straight wide grip(to the army), elbows look to the sides. We turn the neck in order to remove it from the hooks, and lower it approximately to the level of the chin.
2. On exhalation, with the help shoulder muscles, squeeze the weight over ourselves, but do not straighten to the end of the arm.
3. On inhalation, we return to the starting position.
4. Continue to sit in Smith's machine until the set is complete.

Beginners are advised to do 8 reps for each of the 3 sets. If this is not your first time doing this exercise, you should do 10 reps for 4 sets. Well, for more experienced athletes, 12 reps and 4-5 approaches are desirable.

Video: Performing the classic version of the bench press in a Smith machine (lifting the bar up with a narrow and army grip)

Smith Machine Seated Incline Press

This version of the bench press is performed on incline bench at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees. With an incline press, muscle development of the upper chest region occurs.

1. Starting position - we sit on an incline bench so that the bar of the bar is above top breasts. The feet are firmly on a horizontal surface. We put the head on the back of the bench, we bring the shoulder blades. We take the bar with a straight wide grip, remove the bar from the hooks.
2. While inhaling, gradually lower the barbell until it touches the upper chest.
3. As you exhale, we squeeze it, but do not straighten it to the end of the hand.
4. We return to the starting position.
5. We continue to perform the bench press until the set is completed.

Video: Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Seated Reverse Grip Press

The main load when performing such an exercise falls on the anterior delta, the secondary load on the triceps. It is very important to grip the bar with a closed grip - when thumb as it closes the grip, it is not recommended to use narrow grip to avoid dropping the bar on your face. The gymnastic bench should be set at an 80-degree incline.

1. Starting position - we sit on a bench, rest against the back with our back and lower back, feet firmly on a horizontal surface. We take the bar with a direct closed grip, remove it from the hooks.
2. As you exhale, we squeeze the bar up, but do not straighten it to the end of the arm.
3. While inhaling, lower the barbell until it touches the lower part of the collarbone. The elbows should protrude slightly forward.
4. We continue to perform the exercise until the end of the approach.

The number of repetitions and approaches varies from 10 to 15 and from 3 to 5, respectively, depending on the degree of your physical fitness.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Smith Machine

Like any other simulator, the Smith machine has its pros and cons. Let's start with the positives:

• The simulator is suitable for beginner athletes who are not confident in performing exercises and can easily get injured.
• During training, the main muscle groups work in the Smith machine, and additional, or secondary, are turned off for the period of performing an exercise.
• It becomes possible to perform exercises without an assistant, who most often insures on any other simulators.
• The Smith machine can stimulate muscle growth well.
  

Among the disadvantages of this simulator are the following:

• Considering the second plus of the simulator, you can find in it and negative side, after all, with the stable development of large muscles, one can observe the lag of additional muscles, which is quite difficult to change in the future. Therefore, it is important to simultaneously conduct training on secondary muscles.
  
• Accustomed to working in the Smith machine, the athlete can wean themselves to perform the same exercises with free weight, and this is fraught with injuries.

The right approach to using the Smith machine will allow you to develop large muscle groups and build muscle mass taking into account the preservation of your health.

By squeezing less than the best you can, you sacrifice your muscles.

Brief description of the simulator

Simulator for pectoral muscles, to which I would like to dedicate this article, is designed to simulate a dumbbell press on an incline bench. It allows you to work at a higher weight than what you would normally do when doing dumbbell presses, and therefore puts more stress on the target muscle group. Another advantage of the simulator is that when used correctly, you can reduce the stress on the shoulder joints.

In the simulator, you can adjust the height of the handles, which allows you to adjust to any arm length. The seat height is also adjustable - you need to choose it so that the handles are approximately at the level of your shoulders.

Some people believe that the lower we lower the weight, the more the pectoral muscles will be "loaded". In fact, this is not the case - excessive weight loss will lead to the fact that the load is transferred from the pectoral muscles to the shoulder joints, which is highly undesirable, as it increases the risk of injury. Lowering the weight too low also increases the risk of injury to the pectoral muscle itself, so it is not recommended to lower your arms below the level at which your shoulders will be parallel to the ground (that is, in the lowest position, your arms should be bent at the elbows at an angle of 90 degrees) ...

Despite the fact that the simulator allows you to work without the help of a partner, when using large weights help is highly appreciated. It may be required both when "breaking" the weight and bringing it to its original position (at the very beginning, your hands are in the final - lower position), and when returning the projectile to the racks - in order to avoid overstrain in the shoulder joints and prevent excessive stretching of the chest muscles.

Ideal for Yuri Spasokukotsky's method

The simulator is almost an ideal solution for training the pectoral muscles according to my method: firstly, it allows you to achieve an extremely targeted load, and secondly, it reduces the risk of injury. When used correctly, of course!

For beginners in strength training it is recommended to select a weight with which they can perform about 15 repetitions; three sets are enough to get you started. More experienced athletes may be advised to work in the 5-8 rep range; the first two sets should be warm-ups - with a gradual increase in weight, another 2-3 - working with a full load. Rest between sets should be at least 2-3 minutes so that you can fully recover for heavy lifting. If you are preparing for a competition, then the number of repetitions in the set can be increased, and the rest between approaches can be reduced.

Exercise technique:

1. Sit on the machine and go to the starting position, using a partner or a special pedal to facilitate the transfer of weight to the top position.
2. Inhaling air and slowly lower the weight down until the elbows are bent at an angle of exactly 90 degrees.
3. After exhaling, simultaneously squeeze the weight upward with a powerful and rapid effort.
4. Make sure that the head and shoulder blades brought together rest against the bench.

Video - Press in a lever trainer for pectoral muscles with a load of 200 kilograms. December 2008.

Anatoly Baklazhko, champion in bench press, master of sports in powerlifting, evaluates the incline bench press simulator designed by his friend Yuri Spasokukotsky.
According to the experienced Anatoly, the design is more successful than the "Hammer" version. Comfort in the area shoulder joints plus the feeling of the strongest "pumping" of the top of the chest!

You all know perfectly well that the mass strength exercises, including basic ones, is performed on athletic benches. Anyone who has been to sports hall, saw two types of this indispensable equipment: horizontal and inclined benches. The last sports equipment are divided into two more types: with a positive and negative (head below the body) slope.

Why do we need different types benches, can't we do with just one? What is the difference between a positive and negative incline, and what exercises are performed on different benches? We will answer these questions and find out how to train effectively on a particular type of bench.

What is the difference?

Let's start right away with the differences between the three types of benches. Changing the angle and position of the athlete's body serves to control the distribution of power accents during exercise. Depending on the angle, the loads between the muscles are distributed differently. The output is different results. This is important for training the chest muscles. By doing basic exercises on the pectoral muscles (bench press, raising arms with dumbbells) on a horizontal bench, you get the usual load distribution. But what if the upper chest is lagging behind in development or you want to work out the lower part?

Exercising on (head over body) will put a lot of stress on your upper and chest. Conversely, it engages the lower half of the pectoral muscles. This is not only due to a change in the angle at which the barbell or dumbbells press on you.

Tilting the bench reduces the role of the triceps in the exercise, so you work with one chest.

Naturally, this increases efficiency.

Some experts argue that incline presses are much more useful than horizontal presses, and therefore the latter can be avoided. This is a controversial opinion that we are not commenting on today. It is enough that now you know: there is such an approach to sports training.

What exercises are performed on different types of benches?

The primary role of incline benches is chest workout. Therefore, the same basic chest exercises are performed: bench press, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell arm lift. The technique is the same, but there is a difference in the result. To begin with, "at an angle" it is better to press weights less than usual: it is objectively more difficult, the load on the muscles becomes greater. Do not risk getting yourself injured.

Some of the usual "lying" exercises on an incline bench do not make sense. These include the "French press" - one of the best ways to work out the triceps. Bending over will only get in the way of this exercise. If for some reason you have no desire to include in the program "French press" on a horizontal bench, just do it while standing!

Watch the corner!

So, we figured out why inclined benches are needed and found out how they differ from horizontal shells. There is one more question left: the angle of inclination. Is it important? What will change with its change?

Of course, the tilt angle is important. This is a potential newbie mistake. Often there are benches in the halls, on which an angle of inclination of 45 degrees is set. They look interesting and are sometimes really needed by experienced athletes for special tasks. But for most athletes, a 25-30 degree incline is better. Such an angle will "turn off" the triceps from the work, and cope with the shift of emphasis to the desired part of the chest.

A large angle is also not useless.

With a positive 45-degree bend, the barbell press starts to engage the deltoids

In fact, you get something in between a bench press and an army press. Do you need it? We do not undertake to judge. If you know exactly why you need such an exercise, then you have enough experience and this article is not quite for you.

Is there a replacement?

If you want to get the effect of the incline bench press, but there is simply no such bench at hand, then what to do? Will simulators help here? Of course, the answer is yes.

Firstly, on some that imitate the traditional bench press, it is possible to set the angle of the bench. Secondly, to help you, because it gives incredible variability of motion vectors: on such sports equipment you can shift the emphasis almost as you like.

This is our last, traditional advice. A competent coach will always tell you when you need to switch from a regular horizontal bench to an incline bench. Or explain the correct combination of exercise variations. Good luck!