The main load in this case falls on the quadriceps. From the outside it seems that the exercise is very simple. But doing it incorrectly can cause you to get . Before starting a lesson on any of the simulators, study the principle of its operation and the technical features of its implementation.
Description and benefits of the exercise
Correct execution technique
Despite the fact that a machine is used to extend the legs, there are certain rules execution technique, in accordance with which each user must act:
- Set the working weight. Sit deeply on the seat of the machine. Legs need to be brought under the roller. Position yourself on the side handles and grab them firmly.
- While in the starting position, inhale. As you exhale, use your quadriceps to straighten your legs. Delay for 2 counts, and you can return to the starting position.
- Do the required number of repetitions.
Number of sets and repetitions
Common Newbie Mistakes
- Sharp - the most common and the cause of most injuries.
- Wrong prioritization. Leg extension does not contribute to building muscle mass.
- Unheated joints and ligaments.
- Non-static position.
Subtleties and tricks of execution
- Roller position adjustment. The optimal placement height is 8-10 cm above the feet.
- The leg bend angle is 90⁰.
- When starting, do not put your feet and shins under the seat. This increases the stress on joints and ligaments.
- Don't stay too long at the bottom. Prolonged fixation of the legs in a fully bent position excessively overloads the quadriceps.
- The back during the exercise should be straight (do not push the back of the simulator back), otherwise the effectiveness of the exercise will be minimal.
- As you lift the weight, tighten your feet and pull your toes towards you.
- The knees must not hang over the seat.
- Take a static body position. You can't crawl all over the seat.
- For beginners, it is better to use the leg extension machine at the end of the main one.
- Breathe properly. Exhalation must be done with effort.
- Do not exaggerate your own strengths: select the weight according to your capabilities.
- In case of discomfort, it is recommended to change the exercise to an alternative one.
Sitting leg extension helps to shape the muscles, create relief. Following the recommendations will help you avoid injury to the joints and ligaments in the knee area. This is an isolation exercise that is used at the beginning or end of a workout, but is not included in the main part of it. For beginners, it is better to use the services personal trainer to develop a lesson plan.
Leg extension in the simulator while sitting is an isolating exercise, aimed at working out the quadriceps (extensors of the legs). It allows you to give relief and separation of the front surface of the thigh. Actually, the very name of this muscle takes its roots from the number of its heads (Quattuor lat. - four). This type trainers are available in almost every gym, so that shouldn't be a problem. However, as with the exercise technique itself, there is nothing complicated in principle. But there are several features that may not be known to everyone. Consider the technique of this exercise.
Leg extension in the sitting simulator, execution technique:
- Sit on the trainer. Adjust the backrest of the machine so that your knees are over the edge of the seat and comfortable for you to bend them.
- Adjust the calf bolster so that it rests slightly above the ankle joint. Also, it should be in such a position that the angle at the knee is approximately 90 °.
- Set the weight you need on the block and, holding the handles of the simulator, firmly press your back against the back of the simulator.
- Take a breath and straighten your legs at the knee, thereby raising the emphasis of the simulator up. Exhale as you pass the point of maximum load.
- When the shins are approximately in line with the hips (or slightly lower), stop them in this position and fix for a moment (this is the point of maximum load) and then, while inhaling, slowly lower the legs down.
- Slightly not bringing the legs to the stop, stop them (so that the tension does not go away from the muscles), and then repeat the leg extension for a given number of repetitions.
Muscles involved in exercise
Features of leg extensions in the sitting simulator:
- Don't take too much big weights, performing this exercise. The execution technique will deteriorate, and the amplitude of movement will greatly decrease. Also, the load on the knee joints and tendons will increase significantly.
- To work out the quadriceps more strongly, try to briefly hold your legs at the top point, loading the muscles as much as possible and also not completely bend your legs at the bottom point, resting the simulator lever on the limiter. In this case, you will give your leg muscles a short break to rest.
- If you need to work out the outer part of the thigh (the lateral head of the quadriceps) more, then you need to bring the socks together and vice versa, if you need to work out the inner part (the medial head of the quadriceps), then you need to spread the socks.
- Also, in order to concentrate on the quadriceps, you can perform this exercise alternately with each leg. In this version, it is much easier to focus on the work of one leg and, accordingly, the results will be better.
Performing this exercise together with, you can comprehensively work out the muscles of the legs.
Good day, friends. In today's issue, I will tell you about an exercise aimed at working out the quadriceps femoris muscle (i.e., the front of the thigh, - QUADRICEPS) - leg extension while sitting in the simulator.
In the article, I will tell you about this exercise from A to Z, i.e. about all its subtleties and secrets, what it is, what it is aimed at (muscles involved), what are the VARIATIONS of performing this exercise, and in general how to perform it correctly (execution technique), I will also tell you about the PLUSES (advantages) and MINUSES (disadvantages) of this exercise, I will also tell you about the main mistakes of most people when performing this exercise .. well, etc. those. along the way, I will try to raise all sorts of questions regarding this exercise (and, accordingly, give full answers to them, without lies and falsehood). Well, let's get started.
I will immediately demonstrate this exercise in reality (so that you understand what we are talking about):
This exercise is ISOLATING (REPEAT), it also means that IT DOES NOT GROW MUSCLE MASS (i.e. it will not make your legs big, many jack it up in the hope that legs will grow, but they won’t grow), because there are heavy BASIC EXERCISES for this, for example, squats with a barbell, leg presses, deadlift etc.), sitting leg extension is a SHAPING exercise, its purpose is to improve the detail and relief of the front of the thigh (i.e. quadriceps), it also draws the rectus femoris muscle (the frontal part of the quadriceps), gives it a distinct, convex shape along its entire length, especially conspicuous when you look at the thigh from the side. In addition, leg extensions allow you to achieve a clear separation between the rectus and lateral thigh muscles.<= Все это конечно же, будет видно когда в вашем теле будет низкий процент подкожного жира в организме (т.е. когда вы залитые как свиньи, вы нихрена никакой прорисовки не увидите)) сколько бы вы этих разгибаний не делали).
Sitting Leg Extension Technique
According to the technique of performing the exercise, everything is quite simple .. because it is very difficult to do something wrong, but still there are many nuances that we will talk about now.
Firstly, before you sit down on the simulator and perform extensions, you need to CORRECTLY ADJUST it (the simulator) and actually take the correct position behind it! What I mean? => first thing, put (set) WEIGHTS (which you will work with), it is vital for your knee joints to start with a small weight (set just a little, then the next set add more weight, then more and more), next important point, this is your pelvis (body) should be tightly pressed against the back of the simulator throughout the entire movement (therefore, adjust the back of the simulator bench to the very top, so that you sit down and press your back against the bench), after which you need to adjust the ROLLER (or the bar, as you call it) in height (which is on your feet below, with the help of it you do extensions), and so, the roller should be located (during extensions) BOTTOM TO ALMOST NEAR THE TOP OF THE FOOT (for some people it is high, right on the lower leg, this is not correct, it should not be like this), and thirdly, your hands should hold on to the handles of the simulator (to stabilize the body), in general, see the explanatory photos below:
Well, or here is a picture (so to speak, VISUAL) demonstrating the incorrect location of the ROLLER (PLANKS):
I repeat, we correctly ADJUSTED THE SIMULATOR, set a small weight, for starters (in order to stretch our knees), after that we are comfortably located in the leg extension machine, our feet (in the upper part) rest against the rollers (NOT SHINS, BUT FEET RESIST), hips do not climb over the edge of the seat (where you sit with your butt), the angle at the knee joint is 90 ° or a little more, THE WHOLE BACK (especially the lower back) is tightly pressed against the back of the simulator bench, and the hands hold on to the handles of the simulator (on the sides of the simulator seat or the edge of the bench - it’s easier to keep your back straight and motionless).
Next, we take a deep breath, and holding our breath, we fully straighten our legs at the knee joint, at the top point when you fully straighten our legs at the knee joint, AND STOP IN THIS POSITION for a couple of seconds and strain the quadriceps with all our might (we achieve peak muscle contraction, this is very good reception especially in this exercise, be sure to pause at the top point for 2-3 seconds) !!!, after which smoothly under control (i.e. not THROWING, BUT UNDER CONTROL) we lower (legs with a roller) DOWN (to the bottom point, i.e. return to the starting position, but we don’t throw ve (we don’t fully unbend our legs at the bottom point), we don’t specifically throw weight at the bottom point, we leave our knees slightly bent + so the load was maintained in the quadriceps, then immediately, without stopping, we begin the next repetition (flexion).Yes, as for the number of repetitions and approaches, everything is individual as always, ESPECIALLY IN THIS EXERCISE!!!Now I will explain.
The trick is that this exercise can be used BOTH AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE LEG MUSCLE TRAINING (in order to warm up the knee joints), and at the VERY END OF THE LEG MUSCLE TRAINING (after basic exercises, in order to finish them off completely), so the standard 6-12 repetitions do not roll here in any way, and in both cases (at the beginning of a workout or at the end in order to finish off tired muscles) you need to use a large number of repetitions, at least 12-20 (but not less), see the number of approaches for yourself (I personally specifically recommend 4-5 in this exercise).
What is the best time for me to do extensions at the beginning or at the end?
Friends, if you have problems with your knee joints (knees), then I definitely recommend that you start with extensions (start with a small weight, and gradually use the “pyramid” principle, add weight, approach by approach), when you complete the planned number of approaches and repetitions (you know my opinion on this), go to the main basic exercises (Squat, Leg Press) but do not forget that in these exercises you need to warm up (you can’t do it all at once bending the legs while sitting in warmed up well, and then immediately let's squat 100 or how many kilograms to do there, gradually warm up in all exercises, WARM-UP KEY to longevity in bodybuilding).
By the way: I strongly recommend that you purchase and study my books:
If there are no special problems with your knees, then you can start right away with basic exercises (squat, leg press, etc.), but again, GENERAL WARM-UP OF THE WHOLE BODY + Warm-up in each exercise is OBLIGATORY (i.e., let's say you have a squat as the first exercise, your worker is 100 kilograms, what do you do approximately? start with an empty bar, add 10-15 kilograms, in the end it’s already 50 kilos and squat with it for 15 repetitions, then add another 10 kilos, as a result, already 70 kilos for 12 repetitions, then add 80, 95, 100 .. well, you understand? There are SO MANY BENEFITS of warming up in the exercise (you are psychologically tuned in, the exercise is easier for you, in general, this is a long topic).
P.s. for example, at the moment I do not do preliminary fatigue (extensions), I immediately start with basic movements, and then at the end I finish with extensions. But this does not mean that you should do as I do, see for yourself according to your well-being. I used to do preliminary fatigue, and then basic = I also really liked this option (I no longer need such big weight, in the leg press, because my quadriceps are already tired), I also did a sitting leg extension superset + leg press = this is generally hellish pain (the legs generally survived), here you need to decide for yourself according to your feelings, well-being, + take into account the experience of training, health (knees), etc.
More tips (recommendations) for the leg extension exercise while sitting in the simulator
The first nuance that I remembered concerns the position of your feet (socks) under the roller. Those. in the classic version (what I described above), it meant that your LEGS and SOCKS ARE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER. But there are other options, for example, you can TURN THE SOCKS INSIDE (towards you) and then focus on the outer surface of the thigh, or you can TURN THE SOCKS OUT (away from you) and then focus on the inner surface of the thigh. Well, these are such nuances, on initial stage, I don’t recommend you take a steam bath, therefore, DON’T EVEN TRY (you don’t fucking need it), do the classic setting of the legs + socks (i.e. parallel to each other), this info is for you just for informational purposes, and so basically it is for more advanced athletes.
The second nuance is that the LEGS EXTENSION SITTING IN THE SIMULATOR CAN BE DONE AS BOTH TWO LEGS AT ONCE, and ONE FOOT (i.e., first the left was worked out, then the right). What does it give? Working on one muscle (one leg) allows you to better MENTALLY focus on it (muscle) .. well, this is such an infa (again, purely for informational purposes), I do not recommend performing with one leg (at the initial stage), this is for advanced athletes.
The third nuance (already talked about it above), I repeat, its essence is that leg extensions overload the knee joints too much (because only it works, knee-joint other than that, nothing else works). so, in order to minimize this stress (load on the joints), do not allow the shins to go under the hips - at the bottom point of the exercise, the angle at the knees should be 90 ° or a little more (but not less!) (this is what I told you about, you can’t throw weight at the bottom point, your legs should be slightly bent at the knees in order to maintain tension in the quadriceps), and at the top point of the exercise, be sure to fully extend your legs - this is the only way to achieve maximum contraction of the medial (middle) and lateral (external) muscles of the quadriceps, which fix the kneecap.
The fourth nuance, concerns the third nuance (load on the knees) , which is why when you are going to perform this exercise (start with a small weight, just a few tiles, usually there are 20-25 kilograms and gradually add), you eat more quietly - you will continue.
The fifth nuance, which I also mentioned above in the article, concerns the POSITION OF YOUR BACK. It should be firmly pressed against the back of the simulator bench, do not allow the body to tilt forward, because, firstly, this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise, and secondly, you can get injured in the lower back. Do you need it? .. draw conclusions.
The sixth nuance - do the exercise slowly under control without sudden movements (we lift up more quickly, pause for 2-3 seconds, achieve a peak contraction, and slowly lower under control, but not to the end, i.e. do not drop the weight).
The seventh nuance - sit down so that throughout the exercise the back, hips and ankle joint were motionless- all movement is concentrated only in the knee joint.
The eighth nuance - in this exercise, work in a FULL AMPLITUDE OF MOTION, but when your quadriceps begin to clog (they seem to be on fire), and you can no longer fully perform in full amplitude, I RECOMMEND YOU CONTINUE TO DO IN A PARTIAL AMPLITUDE(in my opinion, this loads the muscles very well, tires them even more), and many people stupidly quit everything (they say why do it anyhow, it’s better not to do it), in my opinion it’s better to do a few more partial repetitions (to the floor of the amplitude), BUT DO IT !!! How you do it is also important, it is very important that you do all these partial reps SMOOTHLY UNDER CONTROL (no body jerking, no cheating).
The ninth nuance concerns the BREATH. Do not forget to breathe correctly, BREATH in other things, as in other exercises, as always, i.e. EXHALE ON EFFORT. Here we raised our legs to the top point (did the extension) DO EXHALE, when the legs with the roller go down (to the bottom point) we do INHALE.
Well friends, this is where I end this issue, I hope you found it INTERESTING and INFORMATION.
For dessert - video: a visual demonstration of this exercise:
Sincerely, administrator.
The leg extension exercise in the sitting simulator is designed to work out the quadriceps - the quadriceps muscle located on the front of the thigh. It is not basic, but insulating, since the load falls mainly on the knee joint.
By performing leg extension in the simulator, many hope to increase muscle mass, however, this exercise belongs to the formative ones and is aimed at improving the relief of the front of the thigh, giving its muscles a more distinct, convex shape along the entire length, and not at increasing its mass.
That is why the leg extension in the simulator for girls is of interest only for the formation of a more aesthetic shape of the leg, and not its “weight loss”.
The muscles that extensor / flex the knee joint are involved. In fact, they make up the quadriceps (lateral, medial, rectus and intermediate wide muscles of the thigh).
Leg extension in the simulator: execution technique
Seated leg extension exercise It is considered quite simple, however, there are some nuances here. The first step is to properly adjust the simulator:
- set weights (at first small, increase with each approach, but little by little, gradually);
- correctly adjust the position of the back - your back, including the lower back, should be pressed against it along its entire length;
- correctly adjust the height of the roller (bar) - it should not be located on the lower leg, but on the top of the foot.
Take your starting position:
- the back is straightened and pressed against the back of the simulator;
- knees bent at an angle of 90 ° or a little more;
- the upper part of the feet rests on the roller;
- hands hold firmly on the handles on the sides of the seat or on the edges of the bench to stabilize the body position.
On a deep breath, holding your breath slightly, straighten your knees completely and, having reached the top point, freeze in this position for 2-3 seconds.
At the same time, try to achieve maximum tension in the quadriceps, and then slowly and smoothly lower your legs with the roller down.
At the same time, we do not fully unbend the legs, that is, the knees remain slightly bent - this allows you to maintain the load on the quadriceps. The next sitting leg extension is performed immediately, without a pause.
To achieve absolutely correct execution exercises, we recommend watching a video showing the sitting leg extension technique:
Advanced bodybuilders can be recommended to extend the legs at the knees not at the same time, but in turn, that is, to fully work out first one leg, then the other. This enhances the mental focus on the muscle and makes the exercise more effective.
There is a seated leg extension machine in every gym. He is popular with athletes, because it is believed that there is nothing difficult in working with him. They are partly right, because training even in such a simple extensor machine has its own secrets.
To discover and put them into practice, you should start by studying the muscle atlas.
Isolation training, which is the seated leg extension, aims to develop the quadriceps - the muscles of the front of the thighs. Muscle stabilizers do not take part in it, since balance does not need to be maintained. It is a simulator seat equipped with a back that supports the spine, making leg extensions while sitting available to people with back problems. Reduced risk of injury in the machine from loss of control or falling weight because it has a set trajectory. The quadriceps femoris muscle, which is targeted, works in the training.
The involved muscles in the picture version look like this:
The quadriceps consists of 4 separate muscles (four heads): the longest, which connects the pelvis and the knee joint, is a straight line. It is responsible for hip flexion and leg extension at the knee joint. Under it hides the intermediate wide, pushing out the rectus muscle during hypertrophy. Along the lateral surfaces of the thighs pass broad muscles, which form lateral and medial. It is worth pumping up these muscles to give a teardrop shape to the hips.
During sitting leg extensions, the knee joint works, which removes the lower leg from the thigh. The intermediate and rectus quadriceps muscles participate in the movement.
To increase efficiency, these two muscles need to be “stretched”, which is achieved by tilting the body back. The lateral and medial muscles participate in the final stage of extension.
Key Benefits of Leg Extensions
The following belong to them:
- quadriceps works in isolation and accentuated;
- hip strength increases;
- detailing of the muscles of the thigh, "banding", i.e. fiberization;
- ligaments are strengthened patella; better results in running, playing football, high jumps;
- in leg training, the working weight increases;
- use for rehabilitation after injuries of the knee joint;
- uncomplicated execution.
Technology features
Despite the fact that seated leg extensions are easy to train, adherence to the technique is mandatory.
- preparatory step. Having set the working weight on the simulator, sit on the seat deeper, grab the handles, and put your legs under the rollers. This is what the starting position looks like.
- Step one. Inhaling and exhaling, begin to straighten your legs with the power of quadriceas. Having straightened your legs as much as possible, linger at this point for a couple of accounts, and then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the specified number of times.
Getting to know the picture will help to correctly perform the leg extension while sitting:
And training in dynamics:
Important. For sitting leg extensions, a simulator is considered optimal, the seat of which is parallel to the floor. In it, the biceps of the thighs do not interfere with the quadriceps to fully unbend, which is important for their stimulation.
Possible variations
The following training options are known: alternating bending of the legs while sitting and half standing.
The last exotic option is used very rarely.
If athletes have an idea about the variations, then not many people know about the different setting of socks.
There are three positions that solve different problems:
- toes are parallel classic version aimed at the overall development of quadriceps;
- turned outward (heels connected) - used if you need to work out inner surface hips;
- turned inward - a shift in emphasis to the medial / lateral area of \u200b\u200bthe quadriceps.
A simplified version and at the same time more effective due to the fact that the knee joint is unloaded and most of the load is directed to the quadriceps is such a sitting leg extension: a lower block cable is attached to the ankle, the leg is bent at 45 degrees at the hip. Then it must be unbent without changing the angle.
- when adjusting the height of the rollers, adjust them so that they are 8-10 centimeters higher than the feet, i.e. located at the bottom of the lower leg, and not on the instep of the foot;
- the knee cannot be brought out by the toes, i.e. it is necessary to maintain a right angle between the upper and lower parts of the legs;
- in the starting position, make sure that the feet are not located under the seat;
- lowering the weight, the lower leg should not be brought under the seat, trying to reduce the load on the knee;
- do not bend your legs at the end point completely to continue the load on the quadriceps;
- do not stop at the bottom;
- hold the peak contraction at the top of the movement for a couple of seconds;
- in a stretched position, the quadriceps has less strength, so you need to keep the body straight, i.e. do not move back;
- for maximum contraction of the wide medial muscle, strain your feet when lifting and pull your socks towards you;
- press your back to the back tightly;
- see to it that posterior thigh fully placed on the bench, do not let the knee hang down;
- the body should be fixed tightly so that while bending the legs while sitting, they do not “crawl”;
- you need to perform sitting leg extensions at the end of the workout, as a finishing training with a number of repetitions from 10 to 15;
- when the "advanced" level is reached, sitting leg extensions are used for preliminary fatigue, after which the main leg training begins.
Pros and cons of seated leg extension
It can be said that leg extensions are harmful for girls, because, due to anatomical structure, they have weaker than the strong half, the tendons and ligaments that surround the knee region. Therefore, they can get injured if the weights deviate from the norm. They need to be especially careful about the requirement to gradually increase the weight. There is a risk of calyx tilt and increased lateral forces, which increases the likelihood of injury when doing seated leg extensions with heavy weight.
If the biceps femoris is weaker than the quadriceps, the stability of the knee is lost and the risk of injury increases. To prevent this, you need to work out the back thigh.
Video: Leg extension in a sitting simulator