Leg Extensions

[Juan Diddy]

Are they worth doin? or do you cover all the correct leg muscles doin deads and squats ?

[Grizzly.]

They pretty much cover the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and the rectus femoris because the 4 muscles need to some together to create the movement so do build up a lot of solid muscle but adductor and abductor work is needed aswell.

[BlueRabbit]

I personally don't like them. Leg extensions (and leg curls) shouldn't be used as a substitute for squats and deadlifts, which should form the basis of your leg workout regime.

[DanCrase]

I personally don't like them. Leg extensions (and leg curls) shouldn't be used as a substitute for squats and deadlifts, which should form the basis of your leg workout regime.

Yeah, but they're really good for developing that "teardrop" on your inner knee!

...plus, how are you going to build power in the "snap" of your karate style roundhosue kicks?

[BlueRabbit]

Yeah, but they're really good for developing that "teardrop" on your inner knee!

...plus, how are you going to build power in the "snap" of your karate style roundhosue kicks?

Doing kata at sunset, in the courtyard of an ancient Japanese temple.

[Rob T]

I do leg curls as they're directly applicable to guard. Leg extensions suck though, squats and deadlifts are the way.

[Wiegieboard]

Leg curls make sense to me. Tonnes of people have weak hamstrings (Myself included) which actually bring your squat down and make your legs more prone to injury.

[DanCrase]

Doing kata at sunset, in the courtyard of an ancient Japanese temple.

I stand corrected. Prease accept my humble aporagies while I hang my head in shame!

[Seca Sec]

I do leg curls as they're directly applicable to guard. Leg extensions suck though, squats and deadlifts are the way.

leg extension = butterfly guard?

not that i do curls or extensions...

[Rob T]

leg extension = butterfly guard?

Yeah, true. But squats and deadlifts are better to train that movement :)

Leg curls don't really have a better option. You can get pieces of equipment where you basically do the opposite of a leg curl (hold your feet in place and raise your body) but I've never seen one let alone tried it out so no idea how good they are.

Hamstrings are worked in squats and dl, but only as an antagonist so they're not getting a particularly hard workout.

[Jamie Taylor]

John...I have told you all this before. Isolation excercises for the quads are pointless for what you're training for IMO. You want strong powerful legs for fighting, you're not a bodybuilder so why bother with silly isolation exercises.

Don't get me wrong I'm a firm beliver in that even isolation exercises can cause muscle growth as long as you are using progressive overload and you are meeting all other requirements ie diet, rest, sleep etc etc but you're not training for growth are you ? Surely your calories will be way too low seeing as you are losing weight rapidly.

Your quads will get plenty work from all the other stuff you do. I know you said you couldn't stop doing curls cos' everyone likes big guns ( which is the faggotiest thing I have ever heard you say ) but now you're practically saying the same for your legs. Biceps will get strong from the deads, chins etc that you're doing so curls are just pointless ( especially as you're dropping weight ) and so are leg extensions. I know you can't do full squats with a barbell but you could try unilateral dumbell squats, jump squats with lightish weight, dumbell step ups etc.. all a lot more functional than just knee extensions.

I do agree with leg curls being quite useful though as the average persons leg workout neglects the hammys quite a bit. Lots of squats, lunges, leg ext etc.. and the odd leg curl at the end, very rarely see people prioritising the hammys or doing sld's, glute / ham raises etc...so I guess something is better than nothing.

Hope that helps curl boy.

[Jamie Taylor]

Leg curls don't really have a better option. You can get pieces of equipment where you basically do the opposite of a leg curl (hold your feet in place and raise your body) but I've never seen one let alone tried it out so no idea how good they are.

That sounds like the glute / ham raises I mentioned, absolute killer. Interesting you say that Rob. I used to always think to myself how is the stiff leg deadlift known as the greatest exercise for hamstring development ? Leg curl is full ROM ( which I was always tought was very important ) where sld's seem to be more of an isometric excercise as the knee joint isnt flexing at all, the muscle is being stretched under tension which I guess is great for building strength but surely curls would be better as far as hypertrophy is concerned ? I'm probably wrong. I never dug into it it was just always something that bugged me years ago when I was trying to build muscle. My hams did get really strong from doing sld's though.

[Rob T]

Yeah, I totally forgot about sldl's, good call. Only ever did a few sets of them as assistance exercises though, so never learnt enough from doing them.

[MikeyL]

John...I have told you all this before. Isolation excercises for the quads are pointless for what you're training for IMO. You want strong powerful legs for fighting, you're not a bodybuilder so why bother with silly isolation exercises.

Don't get me wrong I'm a firm beliver in that even isolation exercises can cause muscle growth as long as you are using progressive overload and you are meeting all other requirements ie diet, rest, sleep etc etc but you're not training for growth are you ? Surely your calories will be way too low seeing as you are losing weight rapidly.

Your quads will get plenty work from all the other stuff you do. I know you said you couldn't stop doing curls cos' everyone likes big guns ( which is the faggotiest thing I have ever heard you say ) but now you're practically saying the same for your legs. Biceps will get strong from the deads, chins etc that you're doing so curls are just pointless ( especially as you're dropping weight ) and so are leg extensions. I know you can't do full squats with a barbell but you could try unilateral dumbell squats, jump squats with lightish weight, dumbell step ups etc.. all a lot more functional than just knee extensions.

I do agree with leg curls being quite useful though as the average persons leg workout neglects the hammys quite a bit. Lots of squats, lunges, leg ext etc.. and the odd leg curl at the end, very rarely see people prioritising the hammys or doing sld's, glute / ham raises etc...so I guess something is better than nothing.

Hope that helps curl boy.

Quoted for truth.

[BlueRabbit]

Hamstrings are worked in squats and dl, but only as an antagonist so they're not getting a particularly hard workout.

Not true. In addition to acting as antagonists to the quads, the hamstrings (with the exception of the biceps femoris short head) also extend the hip and are therefore crucial to squats and deadlifts. A stiff-leg deadlift is the best exercise for the hamstrings although you need to be pretty flexible. Any rounding of the lower back will fuck you up.

[Rob T]

Cheers for correction!

[Neil_4a]

I have seen steve maxwell do glute ham raises by hooking two kettlebells over his ankles whilst kneeling on the floor.

Not done it but could be a way of doing them without am GHD.

[Wiegieboard]

I have seen steve maxwell do glute ham raises by hooking two kettlebells over his ankles whilst kneeling on the floor.

Not done it but could be a way of doing them without am GHD.

I wish I could give this post a thumbs up.

[DanCrase]

Steve Maxwell's bad ass

[Juan Diddy]

John...I have told you all this before. Isolation excercises for the quads are pointless for what you're training for IMO. You want strong powerful legs for fighting, you're not a bodybuilder so why bother with silly isolation exercises.

Don't get me wrong I'm a firm beliver in that even isolation exercises can cause muscle growth as long as you are using progressive overload and you are meeting all other requirements ie diet, rest, sleep etc etc but you're not training for growth are you ? Surely your calories will be way too low seeing as you are losing weight rapidly.

Your quads will get plenty work from all the other stuff you do. I know you said you couldn't stop doing curls cos' everyone likes big guns ( which is the faggotiest thing I have ever heard you say ) but now you're practically saying the same for your legs. Biceps will get strong from the deads, chins etc that you're doing so curls are just pointless ( especially as you're dropping weight ) and so are leg extensions. I know you can't do full squats with a barbell but you could try unilateral dumbell squats, jump squats with lightish weight, dumbell step ups etc.. all a lot more functional than just knee extensions.

I do agree with leg curls being quite useful though as the average persons leg workout neglects the hammys quite a bit. Lots of squats, lunges, leg ext etc.. and the odd leg curl at the end, very rarely see people prioritising the hammys or doing sld's, glute / ham raises etc...so I guess something is better than nothing.

Hope that helps curl boy.

I was gonna do a thread about leg press, i dont think i dare now. I actualy started doin squats again last night and my back was ok. Think i will get away with it if i do my deads and squats on a different day. Might sneak in a quick set on my linch when am at work one day.

[Jamie Taylor]

I was gonna do a thread about leg press, i dont think i dare now.

Sigh..... :D

John you should always squat and dead on seperate days, you know that. And did you look at the routine I wrote for you ? What do you think, Better ?

[mcgovern]

i use them to pre exhaust my legs, prior to squating

[Wiegieboard]

deads and squats on a different day

five star plan right there. I always believed that squats and deads on the same day was asking for trouble. The amount of stress on your hips and sacrum is ridiculous working like that.

[Juan Diddy]

am a complete novice when it comes to weights, i allways used to just focus on conditioning, then i got completely out muscled in the clinch in my last fight; but thanks to jamie n bits i've picked up on this forum i think i am gettin sumwhere now