Except for a number of gymnasium bros that commonly skip leg day, constructing greater decrease physique muscle mass is a major focus of many individuals’s coaching. Squats and leg presses are two widespread workout routines used to construct muscular legs, however there may be typically confusion surrounding each decrease physique strikes. Is one higher than the opposite? Is there room for each in a leg-day exercise? And the way do you determine which one to make use of and when?
This debate has raged for many years in gyms all around the world. Because the introduction of the web, this squabbling has unfold into numerous web boards. Quite than counting on the musings of some keyboard warriors to decide, you’ll be higher served to try what real-world outcomes and scientific analysis has to say on the matter.
Tom “the Quad Father” Platz is famed for his unimaginable squatting prowess and, as his identify suggests, boasts a number of the most well-developed quads the world has ever seen. He was an unimaginable squatter who credited them with constructing his legs.
Platz as soon as squatted 635 kilos (288kg) for 8 reps. Nevertheless, most spectacular was his excessive rep squatting antics. He squatted 350 kilos (159kg) for 52 reps and 225 kilos (102kg) for 10 minutes! With quads like his and squat numbers like that, it’s tempting to imagine that squats are the be-all-end-all of leg growth.
The dearth of squats in one of many best bodybuilders of all-times coaching provides a robust counterargument although. That bodybuilder is Dorian Yates, who mentioned “I gained 6 Mr. Olympia titles and didn’t do a single free weight squat.” Yates targeted his quad coaching on hack squats, leg presses, and leg extensions. The place does this depart us? Are squats a should? Can leg presses be used to switch them with out limiting your progress?
All can be revealed on this submit, which covers:
- Similarities of leg press vs. squat
- Advantages & variations of squats and leg presses
- Leg press vs. squat: Which to incorporate in your exercise routine?
Leg press vs squats: How comparable are they?
Earlier than moving into how they’re totally different, it’s essential to cowl how squats and leg presses are comparable and why they could be used interchangeably.
1. Comparable Joint Actions:
First, the overall joint actions of each workout routines are very comparable for the decrease physique. Whether or not you are doing a squat variation, like a dumbbell squat, or utilizing the leg press machine, through the eccentric portion (reducing section) of each workout routines, the hips and knees flex to decrease the burden.
Throughout the concentric (lifting section), the quads contract extending the knees, and the glutes lengthen the hips, with some assist from the hamstrings. This broadly means they do comparable issues so far as stressing the quads and glutes go.
Whereas there are many nuances, as can be mentioned, they’re each workout routines that contain the identical fundamental motion sample and joint features.
2. Each Emphasize quads and glutes:
Whereas each workout routines successfully prepare comparable muscle teams, primarily the quads and glutes, neither train is a very efficient hamstring builder. Throughout each the leg press machine and squats, the hamstrings work primarily as co-contractors to stabilize the knee, with most of their exercise coming from the eccentric portion of the carry.
There are rather more environment friendly workout routines to coach your hamstring, which take the muscle group by a bigger vary with out you having to fabricate a mind-muscle connection to attempt to recruit your hamstrings.
Higher hamstring exercises embrace deadlift variations (just like the sumo deadlift vs conventional), glute ham raises, hamstring dominant again extensions, and leg curl variations. All present a significantly better stimulus than leg presses and squats for the hamstrings leg muscle mass.
Leg press vs squat: Advantages & Variations
There’s a cause each of those workout routines are so beloved by the health world: They get outcomes. And whereas each strikes could also be totally different, they’ve one factor in widespread: They’re nice for constructing muscle, and we’d argue each doubtlessly deserve a spot in your leg-day routine.
Here’s a look at more benefits for each exercise.
Squat Benefits:
From giving your lower body muscles an excruciatingly tough workout to being a move that you can pretty much do anywhere, there are so many reasons why you should be regularly performing this compound movement.
1. Lower body muscle activation:
Muscle activation, usually measured using electrodes via electromyography, is often used as a proxy for the stimulus to the muscle. A study used EMG to directly compare leg presses and squat exercises, using a variety of foot positions and stances1. Well-trained individuals performed 12 reps at 70-75% of their one rep max in each position, getting to a 90 to 100-degree knee angle, making it pretty relevant for most gym goers!
They found that both wide and narrow stance squats, with toes straight or pointed out at 30 degrees, had higher muscle activation for the quads and hamstrings than any stance leg press (wide and low, narrow and low, wide and high, and narrow and high).
Note: This doesn’t mean squats are a good hamstring builder, as these dumbbell hamstring exercises will work your hamstrings a lot more durable. It simply means they require greater hamstring exercise to maintain the knee steady greater than leg presses.
With regards to glute activation there isn’t a direct comparability evaluating squats and leg presses, however each theoretically present a fantastic stimulus to the glutes while you take a look at the motion mechanics.
Squats can doubtlessly take you thru a bigger vary, attending to a full stretch on the backside and increasing the hips on the high. Leg presses can allow you to flex the hips with out the requirement for squatting deep, which is a barrier for a lot of. Nevertheless, you don’t get the total hip extension. Due to this, squats appear to edge out leg presses in terms of the glutes as properly.
General, in terms of decrease physique muscle activation, squats take the gold.
2. The whole compound transfer:
Each workout routines are multi-joint, multi-muscle group decrease physique workout routines demanding contributions from the glutes all the way down to the calves. Nevertheless, due to the spinal loading facet, free weight squats work extra of your complete physique, hitting the core and decrease again (particularly the erectors) excess of any leg press can.
This implies each time you squat, you’re coaching extra than simply your decrease physique, getting extra bang in your buck with each rep. And sometimes, that results in extra energy burned and extra muscle mass labored. In actual fact, the barbell again squat makes the checklist of top compound exercises, so you recognize it’ll be efficient.
Many attribute thick, dense musculature (in comparison with comfortable muscle) to robust barbell actions like squats and deadlifts; nonetheless, that is up for debate. When you’re somebody who needs to take advantage of out of each set, you’re brief on time, otherwise you simply need to enhance your core power, give squatting the nod over leg urgent.
3. Practicality & entry:
This may appear apparent, however squats require extra simply reasonably priced tools. Relying in your squat of selection, you may want a rack, bar, and a few plates to carry out a front squat or back squat, dumbbells will replicate nearly any barbell variation, a kettlebell for variations such because the kettlebell sumo squat, or resistance bands for resistance band squat variations.
With the rise in dwelling gyms, squats can present an inexpensive and simple strategy to prepare your decrease physique with out machines taking up the home. This extends to gyms too, particularly for many who aren’t lucky sufficient to coach in a high-spec gymnasium with top-of-the-line tools.
Many industrial gyms have very poorly made, badly designed leg presses. Ones that make the motion uncomfortable, shallow, and awkward. If in case you have a proficient squat, you may stroll into nearly any gymnasium, seize a bar and have a fantastic session utilizing free weight workout routines.
The bar is at all times the bar, and the weights are at all times the weights. This consistency may also allow you to be extra versatile together with your leg power coaching. You may prepare with associates at new gyms or get a session in on the highway, understanding you may have a go-to you may progress with out counting on the homeowners having purchased first rate high quality leg presses.
4. Versatility:
When you’re simply beginning out, you should use solely physique weight, or you should use dumbbells or kettlebells instead of a barbell for strikes just like the goblet squat. You may ditch the weights, as an alternative performing bounce squats, that are nice for strengthening a number of muscle mass, enhancing decrease physique power, and positively impacting physique mass.
You may go for strikes like the standard again squat, or use dumbbells for the standard squat in your power coaching packages. This compound train comes with choices. Having a constant and assured squat is an effective way to make sure you can prepare your decrease physique anytime, anyplace, and mildew your coaching to your life-style – not the opposite approach round.
5. Sporting efficiency and satisfaction:
When you’re somebody who’s trying to translate their gymnasium work over to your sport, within the leg press vs. squat debate, the squat has the sting, enhancing leaping and sprinting efficiency extra. It’s going to take your plyometric exercise recreation to a complete new degree.
Lastly, getting within the groove with squats is absolutely, actually, enjoyable. That is very subjective, however as soon as your squat feels clean and you might be lifting greater numbers with out stressing about type and approach, squatting will get increasingly fulfilling. Barbell workout routines can present a degree of efficiency satisfaction we’re unsure machine actions can replicate.
This may show you how to take pleasure in your coaching when progress feels sluggish (i.e., throughout lengthy muscle-gaining phases), serving to you concentrate on gymnasium efficiency, and never the way you look within the mirror.
Specializing in efficiency throughout these phases is an effective way to cease your self from ditching your clean bulking plan to as an alternative reduce simply since you can’t see your abs anymore. Focus in your elevated squat efficiency and stick together with your bulk cycle.
Leg Press Advantages:
With all these squatting advantages, you could be questioning why anybody would ever trouble leg urgent. However there are numerous leg press execs to contemplate.
1. Ability:
Leg presses are a low-skill, high-return train, resulting in muscle development that targets the glute and quad muscle. You may present your decrease physique with nice stimulus, with out having to bear hours, weeks, months, and even years of making an attempt to excellent them. This makes them a top-notch glute and quad exercise so as to add to your repertoire.
After getting some very fundamental queues in your head, you may hop on a seated leg press and have nice leg exercises. Alternatively, we have seen private trainers and gymnasium goers alike agonize over squat approach, spending hours over mobility and motion patterns, solely to fumble their approach by a session.
This often ends in a mediocre exercise and extra alterations the next week. This falls additional into the class of chasing perfection when good is commonly ok. The pursuit of flawless approach is the enemy of progress and is extra current in workout routines with larger complexity than easy actions just like the leg press group.
In case your aim is to develop your quads rapidly, and you discover squatting approach onerous to nail down, the juice won’t be definitely worth the squeeze, and leg presses, which have just about no technical barrier, might be your greatest pal.
2. Security:
When you’ve ever seen a leg press catastrophe video, you could be shaking your head at this one, and if you happen to haven’t, we don’t suggest on the lookout for them. Except for that, leg press cons are few and much between. In actual fact, most leg press machines are far safer than squatting. With fewer shifting components, a hard and fast path, and safeties, far much less can go mistaken.
This implies you may take them near failure, with out the stress of approach breakdowns or worrying about shedding stability. And while you’re capable of push your self like this, muscle hypertrophy is bound to comply with. Even probably the most proficient squatters wrestle to keep up their type as they fatigue, and whilst you can safely bail from squats, that is one other ability that must be realized.
Mixed, this implies leg presses are a more sensible choice to take nearer to failure, making them a wonderful selection when set depth is excessive and you could squeeze out one or two extra reps. Simply regulate your foot place so your heavy lifting would not result in knee accidents.
3. Variation and malleability:
There are plenty of squat variations, however many aren’t ideally suited for muscle acquire (we’re you pistol squats). And infrequently squats take some time to be taught, additional delaying your muscle positive aspects. Due to their security and low ability degree, leg press variations can present authentic methods to focus on your decrease physique.
Single legs, excessive or low foot placements, deep and paused are all easy modifications you may make with out skipping a beat and placing your progress on maintain. For a similar causes, leg presses are very malleable.
You may tweak your leg press foot positions, whether or not you go for low foot placement or greater foot placement, seat angles, and stances till you discover what works greatest for you, with out the constraints a bar in your again brings. This offers you the very best alternative to discover a approach you actually join with, and develop a robust mind-muscle connection.
4. Stimulus to fatigue ratio:
Arguably probably the most compelling argument for leg presses is their favorable stimulus-to-fatigue ratio (SFR). Though the stimulus seems to be decrease, so is their persistent and acute fatigue.
As leg presses require much less stabilization and don’t contain axial loading, the core and decrease again muscle mass important for squatting are given a relaxation. Resting these muscle mass means you may make positive they aren’t the limiting issue in terms of your decrease physique coaching and enhancing quad power, and also you aren’t skimping in your decrease physique coaching as a result of your erectors can’t take any extra quantity or extra weight.
That is very true if you happen to do plenty of hip hinges and bent-over actions. The important thing factor to recollect right here is that swapping barbell squats for leg presses doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and though squats might need the higher hand head-to-head, choosing leg presses may permit you to verify your decrease physique is getting the stimulus it wants with out complete physique fatigue limiting your progress.
Leg presses are onerous, however squats are more durable. The larger musculature used, and distance traveled, make squats extremely taxing in your vitality reserves and cardiovascular system. When you’re somebody who’s achieved a number of units of squats near failure, you’ll understand how onerous it may be to get by the remainder of the session with any actual depth or drive. Due to the seated place and security options of the machine, leg presses present a fantastic stimulus, with out writing off the remainder of the exercise.
Three units of squats could be a greater stimulus than three units of leg presses. But when your three units of squats imply you undergo the motions throughout your leg extension alternatives, as an alternative of attacking them with accuracy and high quality, leg presses could be the higher choice.
5. Some individuals simply aren’t constructed to squat:
Some individuals can stroll right into a gymnasium, and their brief femurs and loopy ankle mobility imply they take to squats like a duck to water. Taller lifters, with lengthy femurs and dodgy ankles, can work on their approach all they like and can by no means get the identical feeling from squats as their short-femured associates.
For individuals who aren’t constructed for squats, they wrestle to hit constant depth, their knees hardly appear to bend, and their chest seems nearly parallel to the bottom on the backside of the motion.
A lack of knee flexion can actually restrict quad development. Folks on this state of affairs are by no means prone to squat for maximal quad development. That is the place leg presses might be their greatest pal, permitting them to hammer their quads, sidestepping their anatomical limitations, and building muscle mass within the course of.
Leg press vs squat: Which Ought to You Select?
This coaching concept is all very properly and good, however what does it imply in your coaching? What are the sensible outcomes of leg urgent or squatting? Which one delivers the very best outcomes in your decrease physique exercises? What builds extra muscle?
A examine pitted leg presses in opposition to squats and a mix of the 2, discovering each result in comparable muscle mass positive aspects and physique composition positive aspects2. That is nice information in your body recomposition plans because it means you may have decisions! And separate analysis discovered no actual distinction between free weights and machines for muscle positive aspects throughout resistance coaching interventions3. Does this imply all this nuance is pointless overthinking?
Fortunately not. It means on a inhabitants degree each can be utilized for muscular development in your legs and to enhance your physique, and particular person traits and private preferences ought to information whether or not you choose one or the opposite. These research point out you don’t should agonize over leaving positive aspects on the desk if you happen to determine squatting isn’t for you or leg urgent doesn’t really feel fairly proper.
You may design a coaching program utilizing the speaking factors on this article, utilizing private choice to information your train choice. This may show you how to take pleasure in your coaching extra, stick with it for longer, and in the end make extra long-term progress.
Why Select One When You Can Do Each?
This doesn’t should be an either-or state of affairs. You may simply incorporate each into your coaching. Among the limitations of a squat marry properly with the advantages of a leg press. For instance, you may enhance leg coaching quantity, however cut back general decrease again loading through the use of leg presses as an adjunct to your squats reasonably than relying solely on squats.
You would simply use each, even inside the similar session, offering a barely different stimulus to the muscle. For instance, 3 units of 6-10 squats may simply be adopted by 2 or 3 units of 10-15 nearer to failure on the leg press. This variation is an important a part of programming.
Keep in mind to have a progressive overload plan in place for this selection although. Be strategic. Don’t simply chuck random workout routines and rep schemes in to attempt to “shock” your physique or “confuse” your muscle mass.
A examine inspecting the function of adjusting up workout routines for hypertrophy vs. strength gains discovered that strategic variation, versus random variation, helps muscle hypertrophy4. Squats and leg presses can reside collectively in excellent concord, every masking the opposite’s limitations, offering a special stimulus, and fast-tracking your progress.
Discover room for each in your routine
To summarize, squats seem to offer higher direct quad and glute stimulus than leg presses. Squats hit the entire physique more durable than leg presses however take longer for muscle recovery, impacting coaching acutely and chronically.
Leg presses, then again, are decrease body-focused, with much less activation, but additionally much less fatigue. The benefit with which you’ll be able to choose them up makes them a fantastic selection for anybody on the lookout for fast positive aspects or trying to find a strategy to enhance their decrease physique quantity with out different limiting elements creeping in.
Each squats and leg presses can be utilized to develop your decrease physique, and it actually comes to private choice. You may sleep soundly at night time understanding your legs are rising even if you happen to don’t relish squatting or determine leg urgent isn’t for you.
Verify Out These Quad & Glute Workouts:
References:
- Escamilla, Rafael F., et al. “Results of Approach Variations on Knee Biomechanics through the Squat and Leg Press.” Medication & Science in Sports activities & Train, vol. 33, no. 9, 1 Sept. 2001, pp. 1552–1566, journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2001/09000/Effects_of_technique_variations_on_knee.20.aspx. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.
- Rossi, Fabrício E., et al. “Energy, Physique Composition, and Useful Outcomes within the Squat versus Leg Press Workouts.” The Journal of Sports activities Medication and Bodily Health, vol. 58, no. 3, 1 Mar. 2018, pp. 263–270, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27735888/, 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06698-6. Accessed 30 Dec. 2020.
- Schwanbeck, Shane R., et al. “Results of Coaching with Free Weights versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Energy, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Ranges.” Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, vol. 34, no. 7, July 2020, pp. 1851–1859, 10.1519/jsc.0000000000003349.
- Kassiano, Witalo, et al. “Does Various Resistance Workouts Promote Superior Muscle Hypertrophy and Energy Positive factors? A Systematic Overview.” Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, vol. Publish Forward of Print, 1 Apr. 2022, 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004258. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.
