How to train with sore knees and not harm. How to train with sore knees and not harm How to build workouts for sore joints: the practical side of the issue

Probably, there is no such person who goes to the gym, but is not familiar with the leg press in the simulator.

It is performed by women and men, girls and boys - this is a universal, beloved by many exercise for working out the muscles of the legs and buttocks, many replace them with a squat.

But is the machine leg press so effective? Will you get the promised effect or is it a dummy trainer?

In this article we will analyze this movement from all "sides", in the bench press which muscles work, we will consider the nuances of the execution technique for women, sitting, standing, how to put the legs correctly during the press and what the placement of the legs affects!

What is it

Leg press(or bench press on the simulator) - i.e. multi-joint (using the hip, knee and ankle joints) exercise for the leg muscles in the simulator at an angle of 45 degrees, which consists in bending and then extending the legs.

As a rule, big inflated uncles refer to this exercise on a simulator with a "cold", assuring that the squat is a much more important exercise for the growth of mass. Well, let's figure it out!

How much does the platform for the simulator weigh?

This is an interesting but tricky question. Manufacturers do not indicate the weight of an empty bench platform, and it is not standardized. Here are some examples: the weight of the BT-202 simulator platform is 60 kg, in some gyms the trainers talk about 25-30 kg.

However, do not rush to rejoice and add these 60 kilos to your working weight. The fact is that the load in simulators in which the movement is performed at an angle to the base (in this case, it is 45 degrees) will be considered as follows: the sine of this angle, i.e. 0.7 times the weight of the platform - i.e. from 60 kg. you will get a load of 42 kg., from 30 - 21.

What muscles work

The bench press can be performed in three positions, which will differ in the angle of inclination and, accordingly, in the targeted muscles. What shakes each of them?

In a classic trainer at an angle of 45 degrees

This is the good old incline leg press (or, as they say, incline), with a probability of 98% in your gym it is exactly this. It is easy to use, variable and extremely popular with gym goers.

There will not be much of a surprise here, however, we will additionally note which muscles do not work in this simulator: this is where the special benefit of the platform press lies. So, the exercise is designed to strengthen:

on the front biceps of the thigh,

inner and back of the thigh,

gluteal muscles.

In addition, we want to add that the hip, knee and ankle joints are involved in the leg press.

In vertical

Outdoor Leg Press Machine

In addition to the classic leg press at an angle, there is also a vertical bench press on a horizontal platform lying flat. This is a not-so-well-known variation that is extremely rare to find in a gym. In the vertical leg press, the platform is perpendicular to your body. The movement is carried out in a short amplitude.

This allows the lower quadriceps (teardrop muscle) to be loaded in isolation, which will make the leg bulkier in the lower thigh, closer to the knee.

If you need just such a load, then you can perform this exercise in the Smith simulator, for normal execution you only need the help of an experienced partner who will open and close the safety mechanisms.

Sitting

Or a horizontal leg press. A more common option than the previous one, but not as much as the classic one. The exercise also belongs to the basic, the main movement in it is the push. It is used, as a rule, to work out the muscles of the front of the thigh.

So which muscles are involved:

the main- quadriceps (quadriceps muscle of the thigh),

synergists- gluteus maximus, adductor maximus, soleus,

dynamic stabilizers- hamstrings, calf.

Efficiency

Simple, straightforward technique. Everything is extremely transparent and understandable. In terms of technique, this exercise is much easier than squats with a barbell, of course, in terms of effectiveness it lags behind these, but not much. It is always easier for beginners to learn how to do the leg press than to squat correctly.

Great variability. There are several options for the leg press, in which the emphasis shifts to different muscle groups for different positions of the legs.

Improved blood flow. When performing a leg press, blood circulation in the pelvic organs is increased, which leads to the production of testosterone, which is necessary for muscle growth and an improvement in blood flow to the female organ (and as a pleasant bonus, stimulation of libido 😉).

Exit the training plateau. By including the ankle, knee, and hip joints in one economical movement, you can take on new weight that is not available while you are in the squat, and thereby give an impetus to strength growth.

In addition, the body needs an emotional slap in the face to help establish a connection.

Concentrated workout of the leg muscles. With the leg press, the quadriceps and hamstrings are given a concentrated, targeted load. This is achieved due to the economy and ease of movement (flexion-extension) and the shutdown of the stabilizer muscles.

Which is Better: Barbell Squats or Bench Press

We answer the most popular question: what to choose, squat or leg press? What will be more effective for working out muscles and growing muscle mass? Which option is suitable for a hernia of the lumbar spine?

For muscle growth

In general, squatting with a significant weight for you is much more difficult than doing leg presses. The greater the weight, the more precise the movement mechanics must be. Everything plays a critical role here, from the placement of the feet and proper weight distribution to the position of the shoulder blades.

So the leg press will be easier to “play” and put more stress on the muscles: you can do drop sets, fixed negative reps (discussed below) and not really be afraid of injury - with a squat it is much more difficult to do this.

To be honest, there is no normal research on what builds muscle better, so it seems to us that these 2 exercises are on the same level, with the only difference that squats are much more difficult technically and involve more muscles.

On the ass

Definitely, squats have a better effect. The explanation will be 2 paragraphs below!

For problems with the spine

There is an opinion that squats can be replaced by platform presses. Many modern trainers give this advice to people with various spinal problems as an alternative to squats due to the fact that the load on the lumbar spine is reduced.

Let's start with what it is two completely different exercises... If a person really has some kind of problems with the spine, and he still wants to pump his legs, then yes, for a while we can replace the squat with a platform press. But first of all, it is nevertheless necessary to understand what kind of problems we are talking about.

Attention: our article is not a reason for action or inaction... First of all, your attending physician should explain to you what kind of loads are contraindicated for you.

With the leg press, the load is more targeted on the hip joint, on the sacrum, pelvic bones, knee joints. We do not stand while doing this exercise, and stabilizing muscles are not involved in maintaining tone but. Therefore, sometimes from the leg press, the situation can, on the contrary, worsen, because the inclusion of the muscles of the trunk helps to increase the tone of the lower extremities, thereby minimizing injuries.

The minimum load on the spine is in the supine position. In the standing position - the usual load, natural. AND the greatest load on the spine is in the sitting position... As doctors say, standing is more useful than sitting, but lying is more useful than standing.

When doing standing exercises, many muscles are involved in the work, including the iliopsoas muscles, the square muscles of the lower back, the gluteus muscles, etc. All of these muscles help keep the spine toned..

Sitting in the simulator, we practically turn off these muscles, which means we increase the pressure on the lumbar region. So all of these "pump up the ass in the leg press" do not work - the load on them goes so far as it will have to be perverted in order to transfer it there.

Very often in people, when performing this exercise, neck gets tired... Everyone knows that the cervical spine is directly related to the lumbar spine. In this case, do not forget about the cervico-tonic reflex: throwing our head back, we automatically increase the deflection in the lower back.

Thus, the standard recommendation for the leg press is to press your head against the bench. But in this way there will be an increased hyperlordosis in the cervical spine, automatically we will have an increase in the deflection in the lower back, which means an increase in pressure on the intervertebral discs. Therefore, this exercise can lead to injury.

If put a small roller under the neck, the spine will take on a more natural position, lordosis will decrease, the load from the lumbar spine will go away.

Anyway: with problems it is better to see a doctor, rather than exercise, by reading an article on the Internet.

With sore joints

We also want to note one more fact: those who say that in the leg press the load on the knees is less than in the squat, they are mistaken.

With hemorrhoids

By the way, they often ask what is better for hemorrhoids, and so, here the answer is very simple: nothing. Strength exercises for hemorrhoids are not prohibited, on the contrary, they are encouraged, but with restrictions and in consultation with a proctologist. Many doctors believe that a complete rejection of physical activity will complicate the course of the disease (as is the case with protrusions and hernias of the spine)!

The most important thing is to give up the loads associated with a sharp rise in intra-abdominal pressure, i.e. those where a combination of strength and speed is required, as well as heavy weights. It is also important not to hold your breath throughout the entire movement and perform the exercises smoothly.

Technique: how to do it right

It seems to be an easy exercise, but in fact there are many subtleties when performing it. How to do leg press on the simulator correctly:

The usual

"Throw" on the simulator on both sides the required weight of the pancakes. Advice: always and in all simulators, use the same pancakes so that the load is the same. Those. you do not need to hang 10 kg on one side of the leg press with one pancake, and on the other 2 to 5 kg.

Take a starting position and place your feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform. Tuck your belly. Breathe in your chest. Transfer the center of pressure to the heels.

Leaning against the platform, slightly push it with your feet forward, removing the load from the stoppers. Hold the platform up. The feet should always be firmly on the platform, and the heels should not come off the platform throughout the entire set. Hold your hands firmly on the handrails - this makes it easier to maintain a stable body position.

Slowly lower the cart down to a 90-degree angle at the knee.

We carry out the lowering on inhalation. This is a negative phase. At the same time, at the lowest point, the angle of flexion in the knee joint should not be less than 90 °. Your knees should not be resting on your chest.

Do not lower the platform below- this will force the lower back to come off the back and take the load, risking injury. Make sure that your lower back is always firmly pressed against the bench.

Advice: spend on negative phase about 3 seconds... Count to yourself or out loud 1-2-3 while lowering the weight. It's about slow negative movement and powerful positive movement. You will spend 3 seconds on lowering, and your hips will be bloodshot and groan from satiety with work, but believe me - this is a good stress for the further adaptation of the body.

Straighten your knees, pushing the weight with your heels, then return the platform to its original position. Exhale. This is a positive phase. It should be powerful, fast and confident, yet very fluid. When moving from a low point, exclude jerking of the body or head.

Important: Make sure that your knees do not spread out to the sides and do not press against each other during the climb. Press the platform with your heels (press them firmly into the platform), but never with your toes.

At the top do not straighten your legs completely, keep your knees slightly bent. This saves our joints and maintains the load on the legs throughout the entire set, which is much more effective.

We do not tear the pelvis off the seat, do not bring our knees inward, do not straighten them to the end, do not tear off the heels! This is an extremely important point in the correct technique for performing the platform press in any version and incline!

We hold on to the handrails for all reps.

Repeat the movement the required number of times.

Lying on your back

The difference between the vertical leg press and the usual, angular one is that the vector of movement changes - in this case, the knees go down not to the shoulders, but to the stomach. There are also differences in the position of the feet: in order to make it safer and to isolate the quadriceps (conventionally, of course) we choose a narrow stance when pressing the platform or bar.

So the technique: the feet should be about 30 centimeters apart. Straighten your legs while pushing the bar / platform up. Watch the position of the pelvis - no twists and turns! Lower it. Inhale is done while moving down. Exhale - when moving up.

Sitting position

This is an interesting way to load muscles. Due to the fact that the seat and bench press are in the same plane, and there is almost no tilt, the range of motion increases up to 10-15 centimeters!

It is considered the safest of all leg presses for your lower back.

Expect your working weight to decrease. How to do it:

Starting position: feet are on the platform shoulder-width apart and at right angles. The back is firmly pressed against the back of the simulator, hands are holding the handrails. The gaze of beautiful eyes is directed forward, the chest is open.

Inhale and as you exhale, push the platform with your heels, moving it back on the sled, without straightening the legs completely at the knee joints and then return to the PI. Repeat the specified number of times.

Stance and position of the legs

As mentioned above, this exercise is very variable and gives room for those interested. By changing the position of the legs on the platform, we emphasize the load on different muscle groups.

So, what options for setting the legs can be chosen when pressing the platform lying down:

feet shoulder width apart- load on the quads and hips, the safest option;

legs wider than shoulders, toes out- the load is shifted to the adductors, the inner side of the thigh is worked out;

legs narrower than shoulders and located at the bottom of the platform- study of the outer part of the quads, a traumatic option;

legs at the top of the platform, slightly turning the toes to the sides- the traditional version of the bench press lying on the simulator for girls, because with it, the gluteal and sciatic-popliteal muscles of the thigh are more loaded, a moderately dangerous option;

one leg press- it all depends on setting it around the perimeter, in the classic version, the entire muscle layer of the leg is worked out.
The option is great for girls to create dream priests. BUT THIS OPTION IS FOR ADVANCED. If you are a beginner, we pass by.

It may seem that there is no difference - to press with two legs or one. Try it and find out, but believe me, it's much harder than the classic version! One leg press is a great way to finish off each leg individually, and by the way, are you sure your legs are equally strong? The one-leg press is a great way to level your legs in strength, but it's also very likely to be injured!

Bench press with emphasis on the buttocks: for women

The fair sex is ready for a lot for the sake of pumping and increasing the center of the universe. Let's take a look at the 4 most popular hummer and other leg press options:

Seated Leg Press in a Horizontal Machine... We often see girls in gyms doing a horizontal leg press with a twist to work out the buttocks, but we are totally against this: firstly, some of them turn so that the whole point is lost and you get a banal leg press.

Secondly, in this position, the hip and lower back are much more likely to injure, which you then torment to heal. And in twisting the pelvis there is no benefit for the glutes, but there is harm to the sacrum.

One leg press in the gravitron... Well, first of all, you shouldn't use simulators not for their intended purpose, especially, you don't need to play with your knees. The knee joint is a fragile thing, which, however, can desperately ruin your life.

The knee loves stability, so cross movement (such as cross lunge) is very traumatic, especially if there are any problems or for beginners. We do not recommend this type of exercise to anyone!

We consider this version of the press with one leg of the platform on the buttocks useless.

Leg press classic (incline) with a wide stance... It is believed that if you turn your feet outward at 45 degrees and put your legs wide at the very top of the platform, then the load will be taken by the inner thigh and gluteal muscles.

In general, they, of course, will be loaded, however, any kind of legs with no matter what setting of the legs always loads the quadra more, it will not work to isolate and load the gluteal to a greater extent!

For this purpose, they are much more suitable, and.

Press with an elastic band... Not a bad option, static tension always adds heat to the muscles at the expense.

Worst option: in a horizontal press / in a squat with a wide stance. Only worse. Remember, the fact that this simulator was created for rehabilitation does not mean that you cannot get injured in it, it will not tolerate all kinds of "perversions".

We want to especially point out that it is dangerous to perform variations of the bench press for the buttocks or hamstrings with a wide stance in the vertical press or in the Smith machine. The slightest technical oversight will lead to the coccyx being twisted and lifted up, and this lumbar position is extremely traumatic.

Standing in the Gakk car... Here, firstly, we do not understand why this movement is generally called a reverse leg press, if this is a squat - the position of the legs is normal. And secondly, again, we see no reason to do it in general, in principle: neither for the buttocks, nor for the development of quadriceps.

The fact is that the danger of hack squats is that when you perform them, you get an unnatural load on the knee joints. The fact is that when the back is supported, in addition to gravity, the reaction force of the support also acts on the skeleton.

When the knee joint is in a flexed position, a force is generated by the hip bone and directed horizontally forward. In physics, such a force is called "shear force". This load is very specific to the knee joint and most likely results in knee injury. So don't risk it that way.

And yes, question to answer: which is better, Hack squats or leg press, the answer is unequivocal: the second option!

Try drop sets.

The bottom line is that you are doing your working weight for a given number of repetitions. Then reduce your working weight and work another set without respite. Then reduce the weight again and another set. Your body will be exhausted from pain, and lactic acid will fill the entire volume of muscles until you calm down.

Do not press with socks (with a high stance) on the calves!

Although this option is offered as an option for pumping calves, it is very dangerous and harmful to the knees! You never know, do not stretch the weight and the platform will jump off - brrr, even scary to think.

Take a chance and try the full stop leg press.

If you are already an experienced gym visitor, then this is probably the most brutal training option for you.

To use this method, you need a machine that has range-of-motion limiters to prevent the weight from pressing down on you. WE DO NOT USUALLY. Also, a machine is suitable in which not the weight moves, but the bench on which you sit.

The main point is a stop with complete relaxation of the legs:

So, first, do the average weight for 20 warm-up reps. Follow them.

Increase your weight. Now you need to do 15 regular reps, then immediately do 5 more reps, but use the full stop technique. Lower the weight to the end, relax your legs for a split second, and then squeeze out with explosive effort.

Increase the weight slightly again. Now do 10 regular reps and 10 full stops.

This set, after which most people fall from the simulator in an almost unconscious state. Add the weights again, and do 5 regular reps and 15 full stops.

What is the difference with the classic version: you usually DO NOT lower the weight before touching the restraints.

How to replace in the hall and at home

In principle, if by counting, if you cannot perform the leg press, then it is not at all necessary to replace it with something. As alternatives for leg training, we can offer you the following exercises:

Squat. This is a common, but our taste, a bit silly recommendation. Because if you can't press with your legs, then squatting with a barbell will be completely impossible for you - the squat is much harder and requires more skills and health. So the most you can offer is dumbbell squats.

As a multi-joint, basic exercise, instead of pressing the block with legs, you can offer , stepping onto the curbstone with weights and, but here is about the same situation as with the squat. Especially if you have problems with your back or knees: here the mentioned exercises are allowed only with the approval of a doctor and only without weight.

What is left for us? In principle, not so little: gluteal bridge, leg swings. These options are also suitable for answering the question of how to replace the platform press at home.

Mistakes with a photo: if your legs hurt after a workout

What are you doing wrong if you have leg pain after the leg press? How to perform the exercise correctly (here is the article about):

World record

Some interesting facts: in the leg press, work with a very large weight is possible (in contrast to the same squats). Pay attention to yourself: we give a grudge that your working weight in dim with your legs is decently higher than in a squat with a barbell!

So, the world record belongs to the American Pat Robertson, who kicked up to 1225 kg. There are also videos in which bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman squeezed 1024 kg 8 times. According to some reports, with an incomplete range of motion, some athletes can squeeze up to 1363 kg, but there is no evidence.

If your knees hurt after

As in squats, in the bench press you need to watch your knees so that they do not "run over" the line of the socks. Place your feet closer to the top edge of the platform. If you put them below, you are guaranteed "care" of the knees.

Place your feet so that you press down on the platform with your heels, not your toes. Otherwise, the knee joints will experience traumatic stress.

Do not try to lower the platform as low as possible. At the lowest point, you will inevitably have to tear the pelvis from the support, and this is a direct threat of injury and subsequent lower back pain.

Your lower back should be firmly "glued" to the support! First, have someone look after you. Let him oversee the correct technique from the side and outline the safe limits of the press for you.

Never bend your knees at an angle equal to or greater than 90 degrees. When the legs are bent to an angle of less than 90 degrees, the load presses on the knee joint, and if the angle is more than 90 degrees, it can injure.

To bring your knees to your chest is not something that is not necessary, but it is impossible! If this exercise is performed incorrectly, the knees are injured with relatively small weights.... So follow the technique carefully.

Probably, there is no such person who goes to the gym, but is not familiar with the leg press in the simulator.

It is performed by women and men, girls and boys - this is a universal, beloved by many exercise for working out the muscles of the legs and buttocks, many replace them with a squat.

But is the machine leg press so effective? Will you get the promised effect or is it a dummy trainer?

What is it

As a rule, big inflated uncles refer to this exercise on a simulator with a "cold", assuring that the squat is a much more important exercise for the growth of mass. Well, let's figure it out!

How much does the platform for the simulator weigh?

What muscles work

The bench press can be performed in three positions, which will differ in the angle of inclination and, accordingly, in the targeted muscles. What shakes each of them?

In a classic trainer at an angle of 45 degrees

This is the good old incline leg press (or, as they say, incline), with a probability of 98% in your gym it is exactly this. It is easy to use, variable and extremely popular with gym goers.

on the front biceps of the thigh,

inner and back of the thigh,

gluteal muscles.

In addition, we want to add that the hip, knee and ankle joints are involved in the leg press.

In vertical

Outdoor Leg Press Machine

This allows the lower quadriceps (teardrop muscle) to be loaded in isolation, which will make the leg bulkier in the lower thigh, closer to the knee.

Sitting

So which muscles are involved:

the main- quadriceps (quadriceps muscle of the thigh),

synergists- gluteus maximus, adductor maximus, soleus,

dynamic stabilizers- hamstrings, calf.

Efficiency

Great variability. There are several options for the leg press, in which the emphasis shifts to different muscle groups for different positions of the legs.

In addition, the body needs an emotional slap in the face to help establish a connection.

Which is Better: Barbell Squats or Bench Press

For muscle growth

On the ass

Definitely, squats have a better effect. The explanation will be 2 paragraphs below!

For problems with the spine

Attention: our article is not a reason for action or inaction... First of all, your attending physician should explain to you what kind of loads are contraindicated for you.

If put a small roller under the neck, the spine will take on a more natural position, lordosis will decrease, the load from the lumbar spine will go away.

Anyway: with problems it is better to see a doctor, rather than exercise, by reading an article on the Internet.

With sore joints

We also want to note one more fact: those who say that in the leg press the load on the knees is less than in the squat, they are mistaken.

With hemorrhoids

Technique: how to do it right

It seems to be an easy exercise, but in fact there are many subtleties when performing it. How to do leg press on the simulator correctly:

The usual

Take a starting position and place your feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform. Tuck your belly. Breathe in your chest. Transfer the center of pressure to the heels.

Slowly lower the cart down to a 90-degree angle at the knee.

Do not lower the platform below- this will force the lower back to come off the back and take the load, risking injury. Make sure that your lower back is always firmly pressed against the bench.

At the top do not straighten your legs completely, keep your knees slightly bent. This saves our joints and maintains the load on the legs throughout the entire set, which is much more effective.

We hold on to the handrails for all reps.

Repeat the movement the required number of times.

Lying on your back

Sitting position

This is an interesting way to load muscles. Due to the fact that the seat and bench press are in the same plane, and there is almost no tilt, the range of motion increases up to 10-15 centimeters!

It is considered the safest of all leg presses for your lower back.

Expect your working weight to decrease. How to do it:

Stance and position of the legs

As mentioned above, this exercise is very variable and gives room for those interested. By changing the position of the legs on the platform, we emphasize the load on different muscle groups.

So, what options for setting the legs can be chosen when pressing the platform lying down:

feet shoulder width apart- load on the quads and hips, the safest option;

legs wider than shoulders, toes out- the load is shifted to the adductors, the inner side of the thigh is worked out;

legs narrower than shoulders and located at the bottom of the platform- study of the outer part of the quads, a traumatic option;

Bench press with emphasis on the buttocks: for women

The fair sex is ready for a lot for the sake of pumping and increasing the center of the universe. Let's take a look at the 4 most popular hummer and other leg press options:

The knee loves stability, so cross movement (such as cross lunge) is very traumatic, especially if there are any problems or for beginners. We do not recommend this type of exercise to anyone!

We consider this version of the press with one leg of the platform on the buttocks useless.

For this purpose, they are much more suitable, and.

Press with an elastic band... Not a bad option, static tension always adds heat to the muscles at the expense.

And yes, question to answer: which is better, Hack squats or leg press, the answer is unequivocal: the second option!

Try drop sets.

Do not press with socks (with a high stance) on the calves!

Take a chance and try the full stop leg press.

If you are already an experienced gym visitor, then this is probably the most brutal training option for you.

The main point is a stop with complete relaxation of the legs:

So, first, do the average weight for 20 warm-up reps. Follow them.

Increase your weight. Now you need to do 15 regular reps, then immediately do 5 more reps, but use the full stop technique. Lower the weight to the end, relax your legs for a split second, and then squeeze out with explosive effort.

Increase the weight slightly again. Now do 10 regular reps and 10 full stops.

This set, after which most people fall from the simulator in an almost unconscious state. Add the weights again, and do 5 regular reps and 15 full stops.

What is the difference with the classic version: you usually DO NOT lower the weight before touching the restraints.

How to replace in the hall and at home

What is left for us? In principle, not so little: gluteal bridge, leg swings. These options are also suitable for answering the question of how to replace the platform press at home.

Mistakes with a photo: if your legs hurt after a workout

What are you doing wrong if you have leg pain after the leg press? How to perform the exercise correctly (here is the article about):

World record

If your knees hurt after

Place your feet so that you press down on the platform with your heels, not your toes. Otherwise, the knee joints will experience traumatic stress.

Your lower back should be firmly "glued" to the support! First, have someone look after you. Let him oversee the correct technique from the side and outline the safe limits of the press for you.

If you are chasing a personal best in these exercises, you are on the wrong track. By replacing them with alternatives, you will avoid pain and improve your results!

Working out at close to maximum weights is one of the best ways to build muscle, build strength, and protect your body from injury, but only if you are using heavy weights in the correct exercises.

Don't leave your results or your musculoskeletal health to chance or the whims of your ego. Stop using heavy weights in these three exercises, replace them with safer modifications. By doing so, you will develop strength and muscle mass without leaving your joints in ruins.

1. Press the bar over the head while standing

If you want to quickly pinpoint an athlete's weak link, it is difficult to find a better test than doing a heavy standing. It's the perfect diagnostic tool, and here's why. A safe, heavy classic bench press requires:

Synergistic coordination of tension and stability throughout the body.
Adequate mobility to deliver watts of power in the vertical plane, in which the movement of many athletes is severely restricted.
A technique that remains impeccable when working with a barbell - the strictest projectile in the iron world that does not forgive mistakes.

Over the course of my career, I've seen plenty of examples of incorrect overhead presses. It is as clear as day that the combination of poor posture and even worse spine and pelvic stability, typical of sports enthusiasts, makes this specific exercise extremely traumatic. Pain is difficult to avoid, and this is especially true when weights soar and the problem with weak links is greatly exacerbated.

If you really want to master the overhead press in a standing position, train to a sweat, but choose the weight wisely - most likely, it should be less than you think. If you are struggling to stabilize your lower back and shoulder girdle, move on to a more rational modification of the military bench press, which is both safer and more effective.

Replace with: Overhead Press in a Power Rack

Front deltas generally respond well to explosive or pure force loading patterns. The first of these options is often underestimated. In other words, instead of always hanging pancakes on the barbell, you can increase the power output by moving at faster speed and more acceleration.

The overhead press in a power rack is a great workout tool for athletes looking for maximum power, strength or aesthetics. It puts the lower body in a strong, stable position and allows the laws of physics to be used to enhance the training effect without increasing the weight on the bar. By pressing the barbell against the power rack, squeezing it into the rack while pressing, you not only create and increase friction between the bar and the rack, but also stabilize the shoulder girdle and spine.

Performing this modification of the overhead press in the most explosive style, with light weight and in combination with frictional force, helps to recruit fast-twitch motor units, which is exactly the effect we want in exercises for the front deltas. Do 5-8 high-quality reps on a set with fast, impulsive barbell movement, focusing on reaching the peak contraction in each rep.

2. Extension of the legs in the simulator

Rehabilitologists around the world are constantly whining about what provoked a real epidemic of pain in the knee joints in the representatives of the iron world. With all due respect to my colleagues, I personally consider such accusations to be complete nonsense, since many of my clients who have used this exercise wisely have achieved excellent results in terms of both strength and aesthetics. A reasonable approach involves working with small weights: you do not need to put a hairpin in the last load and try to pump muscles with the whole stack.

Leg extension refers to an open kinematic chain exercise in which your legs move freely in space. This type of movement requires a little more caution than the closed chain movement where your feet are supported, as it requires more of your joints.

No matter what they tell you, open chain exercises are by no means bad. They are just more suited for pumping exercises that increase muscle activation, sensation and metabolic stress from movement, rather than lifting maximum weights for two or three reps.

Anyone who has let their ego manipulate weights in a leg extension machine knows that the higher the weight, the more direct stress is placed on the subpatellar region under the kneecap. This is called "compensation by the joint, not the target muscle group." This is exactly what we do not need from the movement, which is mainly used to force hypertrophy in the lagging area.

It is not worth giving up on the leg extension machine, but it is advisable to find a better use for it to create great anabolic stimuli and avoid knee pain for the foreseeable future.

Replace with: metabolic stress leg extension

You can think of metabolic stress as an explosive catalyst that floods active muscles with blood and causes hellish pain - in a good sense of the word, of course. This training technique will require you to have some really strong neuromuscular connections that will help you break through the pump:

Maintain constant tension in muscle motors.
Use high volume sets and repetitions with 15-50 reps per set.
Create cumulative fatigue by reducing rest periods between sets.

If you want to take machine leg extension to the next level, try blood flow restriction (CBC) training and do a few light weight multi-rep sets with short rest pauses. Using special cuffs, regular rubber bands, or even knee wraps, wrap the upper thigh just below the gluteal crease in the back and the groin crease in the front. So you block the outflow of venous blood, retain it in the muscles and prevent it from returning to the central bloodstream.

When using this technique, you need to remember about the degree of cuff pressure, which on a 10-point scale should not be higher than 7, and be extremely careful with the load. You can get a killer training effect using 30-40% of your 1RM in leg extension, and there is no reason to bet more. For this reason, CURRENT in leg extension is a great addition to your leg workout.

3. Leg press

Has already begun to annoy many of us, and all because of the blatant idiocy that filled the Instagram feeds. Do not you understand what I am talking about here? About those photos in which every 25-kg pancake in the gym is hoisted onto a leg press machine, plus a couple of guys are sitting on them, and all this splendor is neatly assembled only so that some dunce can move the platform by an unfortunate couple of inches in 3 uncertain repetitions. You've definitely seen something similar. Perhaps they even did it themselves!

While these are all extremes to the point of insanity, the reasons for overloading the leg press machine will shatter into smithereens as soon as you sort out all the benefits and risks on the shelves.

To begin with, the body is in a sitting position here. Exercising while sitting is not a good idea, no matter what exercise you are talking about. We sit all day long, so the last thing we need to do in training is to fall back to the fifth point, especially under heavy load. But in the leg press we don't just sit, we sit at a 45-degree angle - a typical situation in most gyms - and this is especially dangerous when you combine heavy weight, deep hip flexion and movement of the knees towards the chest.

When the knees approach the ribcage, the spine is forced to flex in the lumbar spine, which is not at all combined with a heavy load. And so that you can squeeze the platform to the end point of the amplitude, the spine goes into extension, which, again, poses an even greater threat to its lumbar spine. The picture is crowned by the pelvis, which makes movements in the form of anterior and posterior tilt, which makes the already risky positions of the spinal column even more dangerous.

How can you solve this dilemma? Just avoid extreme weights in this machine; instead, work with high repetitions, mentally attuned to the pumping effect. Moreover, you can combine the leg press into a superset with the gluteal muscles, which will allow you to isolate the quads and eliminate the need to hang a dozen pancakes on the platform.

Replace with: pre-fatigue multi-rep leg press

I have personally seen amazing results from this safe superset, both on professional athletes and on clients who previously shied away from the leg press machine like the plague. Superset has become an integral part of my program. It is ideally suited to be a psychologically and physiologically heavy finisher to end any lower body workout.

The first exercise in the superset is the glute bridge with two elastic bands. As the name implies, you will be using two rubber loops: the long one must be thrown over the hips to create resistance during extension, and the short one is to pull the legs above the knees to keep the hips from abducting and outward rotation. These movements are often forgotten, although they are performed by the muscles of the gluteal group.

The goal of the first part of the superset is the maximum possible pumping of the gluteal muscles due to constant tension during the raising and lowering of the pelvis with a peak contraction at the top of each repetition. Never pause between reps in the same set. For you, this will be a real test of character, since you will have to maintain a stable pace of movement for 20-50 quality reps. When you can no longer make quality glute contractions, get up and immediately go to the leg press machine.

At this point, your buttocks should be on fire and your heart rate should be fast. This ensures that the submaximal load in the simulator will give the most powerful, but at the same time safe, training effect. Get into a position on the machine and make sure your glutes are resting against the pillow, your back is aligned with the back, and your torso remains stationary throughout the set. Controlling the range of motion of the knees towards the chest, do 15-30 reps with constant tension and flawless technique. There is no place for negligence.

When you can't do a good rep on the leg press machine, rest for 90-120 seconds, then return to the gluteal bridge. Train in this manner until you complete two to five laps. I promise that both the muscle and functional effects of this superset will vastly outweigh any extreme leg press, and you will avoid lower back pain in the process.

Knees need to be protected, especially damaged ones, but this does not mean that you urgently need to give up sports and fitness. The usual light jogging on the asphalt in sneakers with thin soles can lead to pain, it is important not to translate it into a chronic status. Some ointments, which were advised in the pharmacy, cannot be dispensed with - for example, stretching and yoga prepare well and prevent stretching, have a positive effect on joint health. Find activities near your home or work and plan your workouts in our free Sport Priority mobile app.

It is good to use all the means at once: regularly devote time to warm-up, cool-down, stretching. If pain in the knee joint still could not be avoided, it is worthwhile to slightly change the usual exercises - a modified (lightweight) training stabilizes the knee, since it is stability that is most needed in this risk zone.

Barbell Exercises

The most common knee injuries are meniscus injuries, lacerations of the ligaments that strengthen the knee joint, and fractures of the bones that form it. Most often, they appear due to underdevelopment of the muscles around and a strong shock load.

There is a myth that for knee health, you need to forget about barbell squats. On the Internet, there are also recommendations to replace the exercise with a bench press and focus on the development of the quadriceps (quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh). Experienced fitness trainers advise not to trust rumors: focusing on training the quadriceps can only do harm.

The fact is that this muscle can increase the load on the anterior cruciate ligament, while it suffers from knee injuries most often. Another common trauma is stretching: obviously stretching the stretched is not entirely helpful. It is more important to train the back of the thigh, this will reduce the load on the damaged areas.

If the squat is painful, replace it with deadlift.

Do not reduce the amplitude of the exercises, it is better to stop doing them altogether. Take the same squat as the most painful exercise for knee pain - fellow bodybuilders will advise you not to fully bend your knees. Don't listen to them, even if you find it easier to do squats.

Squatting not to full depth, we get much less tired. In this case, there is a chance to start doing exercises with more weight than your knees can support. In addition, the 90 degree angle for the knee joint is the most unstable - parts of the joint move very easily relative to each other.

Do not overload the ligaments; instead, continue squatting to the end, but with significantly less weight. You know, it's better to forget about the "half-squat" altogether - find a professional trainer, let him show you the correct technique of deep squatting with the right position of the pelvis and hips. Do not notice how you move from light weights to heavy ones, while your knees will only get stronger.

Use a ladder or step... Exercise - a classic side rise, just gently get up on a step / step one leg at a time, fully straighten your knee, just descend slowly. Use weights - take dumbbells with a small equal weight in each hand.

Isometric exercises from a prone position are also good for sore knees.... For example, a bridge with one support: lie down on the mat, bend your legs at the knees, put your hands on the floor and keep them balanced. Lift your buttocks off the floor so that your hips and torso are in a straight line. Extend one leg at the knee, making the lower leg a continuation of the torso-thigh line. Hold for a few seconds, repeat the exercise on the other side.

Do the deadlift option with dumbbells or a bar on one leg: stand up straight, bend one leg at the knee and begin to bend forward, taking the bent leg back and up. Bend your supporting leg to an angle of no more than 10 degrees, do not keep it straight. Hold this position, straighten up and smoothly change legs.

Aerobic activities

Until the pain subsides (that is, the inflammation does not pass), some cardio loads will have to be postponed. Not only obvious run and jumping, but also active dances, including salsa, zumba and others, as well classical aerobics with step. Trampolines also - soft landings do not meet the requirements for joint stability.

Water is one of the best ways to stay in shape and protect your feet. Water aerobics, any kind of swimming and activity in the pool are your best friends... You can try therapeutic aqua aerobics, and the usual, without a therapeutic effect.

Walking, Nordic walking, cycling, cycling and elliptical trainer also simultaneously provide a sufficiently high level of activity, strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and relieve it. Scandinavian sticks will transfer some of the load to your hands. But it is better not to get up on skis: although there is also an unloading of the legs, the knees will be too mobile. Maybe you haven't tried any of these types of workouts yet? Take a look at our Sport Priority app and find free trial classes for yourself.

What else is worth giving up in the hall?

Any kind of fitness and exercise that can move the joint. These are all kinds of twists, turns of the body on straight legs, as well as exercises on mobile and unstable platforms and surfaces. So, exclude barefoot simulators, fitball, balls and similar shells.

Forward lunges should be done with caution, as perfect technique is difficult to achieve. It is better to do back lunges, this is a much more useful option. Ligament regeneration occurs more actively during an increase in blood circulation, warm up the joints with multiple gentle repetitions, without reaching the pain threshold. Warming gels and ointments are also useful as a helper.