Q: You seem to be very much
against leg extensions. Why? I
think it’s a great exercise and has
a place in leg training for bodybuilders.
A: Anyone who’s attended my seminars
knows I’m not a huge fan of leg
extensions. The main reason is that I
believe in the-most-bang-for-yourbuck
exercises. Throughout my career
I’ve had, on average, only 11 weeks to
work with an athlete—the amount of
time that NHL players have to get in
shape for the season.
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As for leg extensions, here goes:
The choice of machine is important.
The best brands are David,
Atlantis, Flex and Avenger because
they best match the strength curve.
The angle of the seat is important.
Research shows that 90
degrees is optimal. Other angles—
such as 100 or 110 degrees—decrease
quadriceps recruitment.
Foot position affects quadriceps
recruitment—as measured by
magnetic resonance and integrated
EMG, a nerve-function metric. The
more the toes are turned in, the
more the vastus lateralis is recruited,
the more the toes are turned
out, the more the vastus medialis is
recruited.
You should do leg extensions
using hypertrophy or strengthendurance
protocols and do them
in a postexhaustion fashion.
So
place them last in any quadriceps
routine.
Research has shown that leg extensions
are an oddity. Most exercises stimulate
enhanced motor unit recruitment if done
unilaterally, but not leg extensions. They bring
greatest activation when both legs are worked
simultaneously, or bilaterally. |
Leg extensions are not a great exercise for
athletes who are pressed for time, but they
can be a valuable addition for athletes who
need greater hypertrophy, like bodybuilders,
or more local strength endurance, like speed
skaters.
Compared to full squats, though, leg extensions
rank very poorly in workout efficiency.
Large quadriceps are built significantly faster
with full squats than with the fanciest leg
extension machine you can find.
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