Leg Press Machine: Which is the best of 2022?
The leg press is one of the best options in the gym for getting defined lower body muscles. Strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and abductors will help you shine in other sports disciplines such as tennis, cycling, running, or swimming since, in these cases, the press is used as complementary training.
Along with squats, this machine is one of the complete exercises to work the lower body. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, the press is an excellent option to work at home. Good nutrition and rest will perfectly complete your routine.
Contents
- The most important
- Ranking: The best leg presses on the market
- 2.1 Position # 1: Powerline Vertical Leg Press
- 2.2 Position # 2: Body Solid Accessories 500 or Fusion 600
- 2.3 Position # 3: Inclined press
- 2.4 Position nº 4: Hydraulic horizontal press machine, for leg
- 2.5 Position # 5: Primal Stealth Force
- Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Leg Presses
- 3.1 What are leg presses?
- 3.2 What types of leg press are there?
- 3.3 What is the hydraulic resistance leg press for?
- 3.4 Which muscles are worked with the leg presses according to the position of the feet?
- 3.5 What is the core that is trained with the leg press?
- 3.6 How should we use the leg press at home?
- 3.7 What are the differences between squats and leg presses?
- 3.8 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the leg press at home?
- Purchase criteria
- 4.1 Objectives
- 4.2 Musculature
- 4.3 Type of press
- 4.4 Type of resistance
- 4.5 Weight
- 4.6 Space
- 4.7 Price and quality
- Summary
The most important
- Leg presses allow you to work both the muscles and the joints of the legs, reducing the risk of injury.
- There are three types of press: vertical, horizontal, and inclined at 45 degrees above the ground.
- The maximum load capacity, the type of resistance and exercise you want to do, and the price and quality of the machine are aspects that you should not forget before making your purchase.
Ranking: The best leg presses on the market
This section will show you the five best presses on the market, regardless of their type: vertical, horizontal, or inclined. Toning legs and muscles are the goals of all of them. However, each one has several features and benefits. The description that we offer you will help you not make a mistake in the purchase.
Position #1: Powerline Vertical Leg Press
Vertical press with three 25-millimeter diameters supports to place the discs. It favors safe and reliable work, thanks to the stabilization of the back and hips. The padded backrest has an accessory to put the neck in the correct position, minimizing the risk of injury. With a capacity of 180 kg. Uniform resistance distribution.
This item includes adjustable steel blocks for 25-50mm discs and three safety start and stops positions. In addition, it has three inputs for standard 25/28 mm discs. Optionally, you can have adapters for Olympic discs. It is made of alloy steel. It does not include weight, so you must purchase it separately.
Position #2: Body-Solid Accessories 500 or Fusion 600
This press machine is ideal for home use. Characterized by its ease of use, convenience, and comfort, it has three controlled locking positions that reduce the risk of injury. Like the previous article, it offers three starts and stops functions. It supports a maximum load of 360 kg. It admits the option of Olympic discs of 51 millimeters in diameter.
Position #3: Inclined Press
45º inclined press with solid grips covered with rubber grips. High precision foam backrest covered in leatherette. The inclination of the backrest is adjustable, and the wheels have double bearings. The chromed disc holder and its metal frame are in cold rolled tube.
Position nº 4: Hydraulic horizontal press machine, for leg
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Horizontal press that allows the user to remain seated during exercise. It is one of the best sellers on Amazon. It orients to group circuits. The resistance, using a hydraulic circuit adjustable in six positions, differentiates it from the rest of the articles. It has different degrees of hardness without weights. The exercises are squat type.
Rank # 5: Primal Force Stealth
This horizontal press has an ergonomic design that guarantees smooth and natural movements. The cabling system ensures the maximum lifting capacity of 90 to 125 kilos in weight. It includes a multi-position seat and adjustable pads with double stitching to facilitate its use by any user.
Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Leg Presses
There are several types of press that allow you to exercise the leg muscles. The weight, in most cases very high, increases the fear of suffering some injury after lifting so many kilos at once. Both the horizontal press and the vertical or inclined at 45 degrees will help us achieve our objective by reducing the risk of damage.
What are leg presses?
The press is one of the most effective machines since it works both the muscles and the joints. As it is a complete activity for the lower body, cyclists, runners, tennis players, and swimmers use it as complementary or cross-training to achieve the best results.
The leg press allows the user to stabilize their body and perform a directed movement to protect their lower back from possible injury. The routine is not always the same, since depending on the placement of the feet on the platform, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, or abductors will be worked.
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What types of leg press are there?
- Strengthening the torso and preventing low back pain are benefits of leg training. Therefore, you should not fall into the mistake of exercising the lower part of your body is not that important. Leg presses will help you do this. Next, we explain the types: The vertical press: is perhaps the most common in all gyms. This time we will lift the weight from the bottom up. To do this, we will support our back on the floor with our legs up. In this machine, the activity of the quadriceps is less than that of the glutes and hamstrings. The grind on the vertical press is usually less expensive.
- The horizontal option: is the less frequent version, where the work sits down. This posture is precisely the one that helps us use much more force in our exercises, although the trunk limits the path of the legs. The bodybuilding will fall on the hamstring and quadriceps, almost eliminating the glutes and calves.
- The 45-degree incline press: concerning the ground is the most complete since it activates all the muscles and joints of the legs. The inclined work makes this press the most complicated since the travel is more significant and, therefore, the tension also increases in the most similar to squats. We must pay attention to not vascular the pelvis back.
Leg Press Machine
| Press type | Required position | Muscles that are worked |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical press | Back on the ground. Legs up. | Quadriceps. |
| Horizontal press | Sitting (limits the route). | Hamstrings and quadriceps. |
| 45 degree incline press | Inclined. Hip at 90 degrees. | Hamstrings, quads, glutes, and abductors. |
What is the hydraulic resistance leg press for?
Presses with this type of resistance indicate muscle rehabilitation. Also aimed at group circuits, they offer a much lower intensity, so they adapt to all kinds of people. This machine exercises all the muscles of the legs, although if you are looking for a more intense workout, you should opt for any other type of press.
Which muscles work with the leg presses according to the position of the feet?
Glutes, quads, abductors, and hamstrings are the primary muscles exercised with any type. In addition, it strengthens the femur, tibia, and fibula and activates the core (abdominal muscles) and the joints of the knees and hips. Depending on what we want to exercise, it will be enough for us to vary the position of the feet on the platform.
In this way, we will exercise glutes and hamstrings if we place our feet on the top. On the other hand, if we put them in the lower part and at the height of the shoulders, we will work quadriceps. If we want to train the abductors, we will have to place our feet with the toes outwards, more comprehensive than our shoulders.
What is the core that trains with the leg press?
The core is a set of muscles of the transversus abdominis, obliques, rectus abdominal, pelvic floor, diaphragm, paravertebral muscles, lower back, and hip muscles. Located in the abdomen, it is in charge of protecting our organs. Proper training prevents us from ailments as common as low back pain.
How should we use the leg press at home?
Regardless of the type of press that we use, it is advisable to consider certain aspects that reduce the risk of injury and help us obtain the best results. It happens through the complete support of the back on the backrest and the athlete’s subjection to the machine’s lateral grips.
Whichever press we use, the full extension of the legs is not recommended since they must be close to the chest but never exceed 90 degrees of flexion. Therefore, we must have the legs semi-bent to protect the knee joints. The routine should carry out with slow movements and a continuous tour.
What are the differences between squats and leg presses?
- Both the squats and the leg press intensely work our lower body. However, although it seems that both exercises are similar, they have a series of differences that you should take into account in your routines. Next, we explain in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each one: In front of the controlled movement of the press that allows a more excellent stabilization of the body, the squat is located, which consists of a free weight exercise.
- The stability of the media makes the work of the abdominal and lumbar area better than with squats.
- The practice of the leg muscles is much more excellent with the press, allowing a controlled increase in the load.
- The press, which secures the user’s position, carries a lower risk of injury.
- Squats can be done anywhere without apparatus, although they require more technique to avoid damage.
- In both cases, specific muscles can be targeted, which will vary depending on the position of the feet.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the leg press at home?
Among the advantages of using this type of machine, we highlight the toning and bodybuilding of the lower body. However, the press requires proper use since otherwise, we may suffer back and knee ailments. Next, we leave you all the advantages and disadvantages derived from the use of any press:
Advantages
- Guided movement
- Balance in weight
- Leg coordination
- Limit in movement that prevents (excessive) weight from falling on you
- Limits the risk of back injury
Disadvantages
- Excessive pressure on the back and knees with many kilos of weight
Purchase criteria
If you want to acquire a leg press for the home, you must be attentive to a series of aspects to make your purchase successful. Among other issues, you must be careful about the maximum load each machine supports and the weight you want to work. Next, we detail the criteria that will help you in your acquisition:
- goals
- Musculature
- Press type
- Type of resistance
- Weight
- Space
- Price and quality
goals
The leg press enables lower body training. Exercising these muscles is crucial for both bodybuilders and athletes from other disciplines. So if gaining strength, muscle development, toning, and weight loss is among your goals, this is the machine for you!
Musculature
Although all types of press favor the exercise of the legs, you must bear in mind that some affect some muscles more than others. The most complete is the press inclined at 45 degrees above the ground, although it is also the most complicated and generates the most tension due to its long travel.
Press type
The type of press – vertical, horizontal, and incline – will depend on your goals and the muscles you want to emphasize. The vertical press hits the quads, while the flat press hits the hamstrings. The incline press adds the gluteal and abductor exercises to the two anterior muscles.
Type of resistance
Hydraulic resistance provides a lower intensity workout recommended for any person. This type of resistance is ideal for working in circuits and rehabilitation. With more intense training, the conventional press focuses on the toning and bodybuilding of the lower body.
Weight
You must take into account the maximum weight supported on each machine. For this reason, we recommend that you check the specifications of each one, although this figure is usually around 150 kg. It would help if you also considered the load you want to lift and whether or not it includes the weight plates. Some presses offer the ability to add Olympic discs.
Space
You must consider the available space you have for your new device. The dimensions may surprise you after assembly, so it is best that, meter and product specifications in hand, measure the space where you plan to place it to avoid unpleasant surprises. Returns of this type of machine are often complicated.
Price and quality
The price will depend on the quality of the machine. Its durability will increase its cost. In this aspect, you must take into account the frequency of use. If you are going to train 3 to 7 hours a week, the training considers sporadic if your exercise involves more hours, bet on a quality machine that ensures its permanence over time.
Summary
The leg press is the most recommended machine to carry out a complete training of our lower body. The bodybuilding and toning of our legs depend on this device, which minimizes the risks of injury with a controlled movement. Depending on the position of our feet, some muscles will work more than others.
Vertical, horizontal, and inclined are the types of press we will have to choose from when carrying out our routine. Hamstrings, quads, glutes, and adductors are the muscles that will exercise with this machine. For rehabilitation exercises, presses with hydraulic resistance are the most advisable.
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Leg Press Machine: Which is the best of 2022?