Battle: leg press versus squat for quad growth

[Dead]

Does anyone feel like leg press hits the quads more efficiently?

I used to squat super heavy too heavy for my body and I never got quad growth. Or soreness. I backed the weight down and do controlled repairs still hitting failure at rep 8-10 now I get sore

however, with a squat you have to focus on lower back and stabilization but with a leg press you can sit down and hammer your quads without worrying about having to balance and leg press lights up my quads like no other.

dorian Yates even said he got better results when he stopped squatting and used leg press

ANOTHER thing I wanna throw into this thread, when I limit my range of motion on leg press OR squat I keep the quads engaged but if I go down to parallel tension comes off the quads and onto the glutes like it’s a massive difference if I actually shorten my range of motion as far as quad stimulation goes.

everyone preaches full range of motion but I really feel like there’s a certain limit that is shorter than full range of motion that can really blast muscle groups, for example if I go too far up on lat pull downs past the stretch tension comes off the lats, so I slightly shorten ROM and keep them engaged through out the whole set

 

[Canknucklehead]

I always said squats were for chicks

Anything you can get progressively stronger on will build muscle. When it comes to legs I like to do higher reps on the LP for a finisher.

I am unable to do with squats because I don’t want to die.

But they both work.

Try putting your legs lower on the leg press pad

 

[Jestopherson]

I use squats at the beginning of my workout for a 4x5 or 5x3 to get more overload. Then I use a hack squat or LP for the more high rep volume work. I've seen results from it and it's allowed me to gain strength and size.

Also If you haven't done barbell lunges. Toss those in for sets of 8-12.

 

[BigHoss99]

I feel like front squats are king for quads, then leg press and squats last but are best for all around leg development.

 

[Iamnatty]

I feel like front squats are king for quads, then leg press and squats last but are best for all around leg development.

This I agree

 

[DeadliftSpecialist]

split squats.

 

[Shivathedestroyer]

Anything that will maximize knee flexion will grow the quads very well, for some people a regular barbell squat does this well, for some others it does not. Also as you mentioned stabilizer muscles etc, so machines can be a great option (sometimes better) for hypertrophy. A hack squat or pendelum squat are both amazing forms of squatting that could help drive the quad growth a bit more.

 

[Dead]

Anything that will maximize knee flexion will grow the quads very well, for some people a regular barbell squat does this well, for some others it does not. Also as you mentioned stabilizer muscles etc, so machines can be a great option (sometimes better) for hypertrophy. A hack squat or pendelum squat are both amazing forms of squatting that could help drive the quad growth a bit more.

Yeah I think if I take having to balance out of the movement I can really focus on pump and intensity

 

[Demondosage]

Leg press all the way for me

 

[Ridethelightningbarefoot]

Does anyone feel like leg press hits the quads more efficiently?

I used to squat super heavy too heavy for my body and I never got quad growth. Or soreness. I backed the weight down and do controlled repairs still hitting failure at rep 8-10 now I get sore

however, with a squat you have to focus on lower back and stabilization but with a leg press you can sit down and hammer your quads without worrying about having to balance and leg press lights up my quads like no other.

dorian Yates even said he got better results when he stopped squatting and used leg press

ANOTHER thing I wanna throw into this thread, when I limit my range of motion on leg press OR squat I keep the quads engaged but if I go down to parallel tension comes off the quads and onto the glutes like it’s a massive difference if I actually shorten my range of motion as far as quad stimulation goes.

everyone preaches full range of motion but I really feel like there’s a certain limit that is shorter than full range of motion that can really blast muscle groups, for example if I go too far up on lat pull downs past the stretch tension comes off the lats, so I slightly shorten ROM and keep them engaged through out the whole set

If your just doing body building you dont need to squat. Depending on the equipment available there may come a time it will be easier to progressive overload with squat in which case you would have to keep a closer stance to get more quad engagement. Always do full rom but sometimes you may have to change the mechanics alittle to get different activation certain muscle groups. If your main focus is body building but want a little strength you can do heavy squats once a month and that should do the trick
That fact is, whether your playing sports, fuckin bitches, or doing work labor strength always matters and the best way to build strength you can use is with compound movements

 

[Dead]

If your just doing body building you dont need to squat. Depending on the equipment available there may come a time it will be easier to progressive overload with squat in which case you would have to keep a closer stance to get more quad engagement. Always do full rom but sometimes you may have to change the mechanics alittle to get different activation certain muscle groups. If your main focus is body building but want a little strength you can do heavy squats once a month and that should do the trick
That fact is, whether your playing sports, fuckin bitches, or doing work labor strength always matters and the best way to build strength you can use is with compound movements

I agree i want squats for strength but leg press seems best for hypertrophy that probably sounds retarded but leg press allows me to concentrate on extremely solid reps because I don’t have to stand up and balance, but I will say I switched to 8 reps from 5 reps on squat and do slow reps and pause at the bottom and push with the center of my feet to go back up, just that was enough for me to get better quad activation. Before my lower back would jerk it up from repping to quick. My deadlift is 200lbs higher than squat so it makes it super easy for my back to take over

 

[Luke391]

Does anyone feel like leg press hits the quads more efficiently?

I used to squat super heavy too heavy for my body and I never got quad growth. Or soreness. I backed the weight down and do controlled repairs still hitting failure at rep 8-10 now I get sore

however, with a squat you have to focus on lower back and stabilization but with a leg press you can sit down and hammer your quads without worrying about having to balance and leg press lights up my quads like no other.

dorian Yates even said he got better results when he stopped squatting and used leg press

ANOTHER thing I wanna throw into this thread, when I limit my range of motion on leg press OR squat I keep the quads engaged but if I go down to parallel tension comes off the quads and onto the glutes like it’s a massive difference if I actually shorten my range of motion as far as quad stimulation goes.

everyone preaches full range of motion but I really feel like there’s a certain limit that is shorter than full range of motion that can really blast muscle groups, for example if I go too far up on lat pull downs past the stretch tension comes off the lats, so I slightly shorten ROM and keep them engaged through out the whole set

it just depends on your femor to thorso lenght ratio.
long femurs and short thorso it'll be hard to get a lot of quads from squats because using the glutes/erectors is more efficient. so a machine that lock you in a position and forces you to use your quads wil work better.
If you have short femurs just squat away

 

[Stealth500]

dorian Yates even said he got better results when he stopped squatting and used leg press

This was my experience. Being able to push out more and more reps to the point of agonizing pain with leg press ; squats I can only ever hit so many reps.

 

[buck]

I find the leg press over loads the quads better as heavier weights can be used for one thing. And there is plenty of knee flexion. The squat is probably a better leg exercise as all muscles in the thighs can be worked. As the 2 hinges involved can go through their full range for motion. Where as glutes and hams get very little range of motion in the leg press.

 

[Bandern]

I feel like I can push a little harder on a leg press for safety and cardiovascular reasons. But I do both and will not ditch squats until my knees or lower back explode

 

[Eddie.]

I always did squats first and then leg press. I don’t understand why it has to be one or the other.

Now after 21 years of training and lots of free squats I still do a squat variation first, mostly in smith machine, or since I recently moved to a killer gym I do a hack squat or a pendulum and then I move to leg press.

I’d never focus my entire quad training purely on leg press without a squat variation.

 

[wp_375]

It's a clue plenty of the biggest guys of all time didn't squat, at least later on in their careers.

Especially if you train to failure, doing 15-25 rep barbell squats to failure is asking to get fucked up. Leg press or hack squat machine are waaay safer

 

[Eddie.]

It's a clue plenty of the biggest guys of all time didn't squat, at least later on in their careers.

Especially if you train to failure, doing 15-25 rep barbell squats to failure is asking to get fucked up. Leg press or hack squat machine are waaay safer

No one does 15-25 reps squat to failure, at least no one with a brain lol. 8-10 is great with 1-2 RIR. Then you can do high rep leg press and leg extensions.

 

[wp_375]

No one does 15-25 reps squat to failure, at least no one with a brain lol. 8-10 is great with 1-2 RIR. Then you can do high rep leg press and leg extensions.

Tell that to Tom Platz. Or anyone, ever, who did old school "20 rep squats" which were take your 10rm and do 20 reps with however much pausing at the top you needed to finish. Lots of body builders did 20 reppers back in the day

 

[bob357sig]

It's a clue plenty of the biggest guys of all time didn't squat, at least later on in their careers.

Especially if you train to failure, doing 15-25 rep barbell squats to failure is asking to get fucked up. Leg press or hack squat machine are waaay safer

I have been liking the Hammer Strength Squat machine as of late. Lot less strain on my hips and lower back than regular squats. My gym only has one so if it’s being used my plan B is barbell front squats. Higher reps and lighter weight has always given me better results, as far as growth for quads. I will admit, I never had great legs/ quads, I would say well developed but never “ massive”.