Leg Extensions: Good or Bad?

I don't use machines often but to me this thing just looks like a kind of bad idea

Tried it once or twice and it didn't feel right with an amount of weight it would take to actually get to a decent level of effort

Just do squats/front squats/deads/lunges/leg press/weighted step-ups/any of the other 50 leg exercises with which you can hit quads

>>36868178
Added them into my routine several months ago. After about a month I started to develop pretty bad knee pain m8 especially when high bar squatting. Ditched them and had 0 knee issues since.

It puts extreme stress on your knee. Squats and lunges and other natural movements don't do that.

>>36868178
Which exercise would replace leg extensions?

>>36868358
To target quads, I would use front squats or hack squats

>>36868178
with a squat you get a more balance activation of your hamstrings and quads.

the hamstrings helps keeping the knee in place and hinder shear forces in the knee.
Leg extension produce more shear force as it heavily focuses the quads, and leaves out the hamstrings.

Its a good rehabilitation exercise for the patella tendon, but not as a strength exercise.

>>36868178
Leg extensions are great for your knees really. People are just stupid and use it for bodybuilding rather than prehab purposes.

>>36868358
sissy squat is the only exercise that isolates the quads in the same way as leg extension, as the only movement is at the knee joint. All other exercises move both at the knee and hip joints.

Unfortunately, sissy squats are known to be almost as bad for the knees as leg ext.

However, exercises like heels elevated front squat, close stance hack squat and close stance leg press emphasizes knee extension, rather than hip extension, and therefore emphasizes quads over glutes/hams. Although they don't isolate the quads the same way as leg ext./sissy squat

>>36868391
I think I might have a patellar tendon problem. I have pain down the front of my shin and I'm limping. It all started after doing some breast stroke kicks suddenly when I hadn't swam in forever. Do you know any more about this issue?

They are pretty terrible for the knees. Squats and deadlifts are all you need for legs and will provide even development. Throw in some front squats or hack squats if you want some more quad development.

>>36868178
I hate it as much as I hate lat pulldowns.

>>36868405
most other leg exercises would be better for prehab. as you want to strengthen the whole area around the knee. not just the quads.

its usefull for patella ruptures. Otherwise its usefullness is extremely limitted

>>36868430
>Latlet detected
pulldowns are goat

>>36868178

Anything that forces your body to move in an unnatural fashion/go far enough outside the original specs is probably gonna be bad for the system. I don't see how our ancestors would have ever needed to straighten out their legs from a seated position with resistance on their shins.

>>36868422
i cant diagnose without being there and touching you(full homo).

see a physiotherapist, make sure he stays up to date on research. You can simply ask him/her. as some physio stick to old school bullshit.

>>36868472
OK. ty

>>36868431
Honestly, I find that whatever patellar function there is, stems from the quadriceps.

I don't use leg extensions, preferring a static stretching routine, but I've had good success with it in the past. Sort of like how the shoulder rotation of the face pull prevents dysfunction.

>>36868178
They're stupid don't do them.

>>36868496
If you dont lift then do single legged squats. 3-4 sets of 15 reps. Don't do it if there is a sharp pain, some pain is ok.

you can also try single legged squats if you have only done regular squat.

dont do stuff that aggravates it and do more of the things that reliviates it.

ex, if you sit for long periods of time and it makes it painful or worse then sit less and be more active.
If walking helps with the pain then do more walking.

You can also try leg curls with toes pointed down like when a ballerina straighten their foot and stand on their toes.

These training tips usually help people with chronic pain. if your pain is from the swimming incident and it was only a few days ago then it will probably heal over time. if not see a therapist

>>36868510
The quads arent source of most pains. Not one single muscle is, in any general way.

each individual is different, and live different. There are so many variables, so you may have success with it, but even someone with identical symptoms may not respond the same way as you did.

>>36868515

Agreed, I'm still 5'6". Biggest waste of time

>>36868594
Yes of course, I'm not a physio or anything.

Just saying that I had some success using them therapeutically in the past. The problem I was having stemmed from having had one of my knees collapse inward when failing a squat.

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>>36868639
Got me

I put them in my routine, I don't put heavy weight on it and just lock out when I curl up and then slowly go back down. Knees don't hurt and really feel it in my quads

>>36868723
Lock out and keep it there for 5 seconds or so*

What if you do them for a filler exercise? Like, low weight high reps?

Don't do them. I think leg curls are fine.

>>36868178
Good for training based vastus medialis. This and trap bar deadlifts.

If you're like me and couldn't squat with good form, this is probably one of the 20 million or so imbalances you'll have to fix.

Also, don't fully extend, and do higher reps with lower weight to avoid damage.

>>36868832
They're probably not providing enough of a training stimulus to warrant spending the time on it

>>36868178
I use them at the end of my leg workout to squeeze out that little bit of strength I have left. There aren't really a lot of exercises that allows you to isolate the quads, so it's good in that regard.

Just use light weight and high rep (15-20). If you start using it as a strength exercise (SS memers), then you're gonna have knee problems.

It's not really a must do exercise though, it can easily be skipped all together.

>>36868178
When I used to do them I would turn my knees out as I came up and squeezed, then lowered quickly. This prevents any knee paid from arising. Also don't go heavy, make sure you can do at least 10 of the weight without struggling.

I really don't like them because of the bad rep they get for knees, but I've been doing them since my program (nuckols intermediate) calls for quad hypertrophy

I guess I could front squat but I already do that for a squat accessory

I've just been keeping them slow, controlled, and lightweight (10-12)

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>>36868639

I max out my leg extension machine for sets of 20. Have been doin this for a year and no knee problems

Feel it in my quads and finally gettin some development which i never saw from squats

Fuck squats

Leg extensions give me leg cramps, every single fucking time. I literally can't train quads without squatting.

>>36868178
So I've seen rich Piana doing these and his knees are fucked up. He said he does low weight high reps. Is that safe? How much weight should you do? Squats aren't growing my quads fast enough. And I always feel it in my hip stabilizers.

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>>36870290
>Fuck squats

>He CHOOSES to miss out on core and glute gains

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>>36870417
>tfw about as mobile as a lego figure
>can't squat

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>>36868639
Alright, I chuckled

>>36870441
wtf. how they do that mang.

>>36868410
thx senpai

fuck squats

3x 8 farmers walks
3x 8 legpress slowly
3x10 leg curls

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>>36868178

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>>36870417
Core gains? You mean anti v taper gains

Fuck your bulgin core muscles, that shits gotta look TIGHT

And i get my glute development from the leg curl machine which i do right after leg extensions

Fuck squats. All sweaty and redfaced at 98% maximum effort, shaking in the powerack lookin like your ass is about to blow inside out. Everyone lookin at you like ur a huge fag for doin fedora tippin meme exercises. Squats are the pretentious 'i read about lifting online for 2 hours and now im an expert in muscle and athleticism' exercise

Fuck you and the faggot horse you rode in on

>>36870609
lololololololololololololol ur not serious right?

>>36870692
100% serious

Leg extensions are very effective when these principles are practiced:

- the knee is positioned in front of the axis of rotation (note 1)
- the lever arm angle is adjusted >90º (note 2)
- done unilaterally (note 3)
- practiced purely as a secondary/accessory movement (note 4)
- lightweight and high rep (note 4)

1. tldr: knee extension won't budge the weight. The load positioned on the knee is now too much for casual knee extension to produce constructive displacement of the weight. This position will rely on the quad to generate (*the force manifests itself simply by flexing/squeezing the quad) the requisite force to move the weight.

2. tldr: protects the knee by reducing/removing knee extension from the movement. This will reduce ROM. When ROM is ≤90º, the force required to initiate and to carry the ROM past 90º is generated largely by knee extension. So, setting lever arm angle >90º will not only reduce the presence of knee extension but also emphasize activation of the quad to generate the requisite force to move the weight.

3. tldr: Prevents asymmetry. Furthermore, position the leg and the body's central line along the middle of the leg pad and seat. This will emphasize quad activation and reduce/remove tendency to use knee extension to help budge the weight. Overall, I think all isolation movements should be practiced unilaterally when possible.

4. Accessory work is effective when it fills in gaps left by primary movements, e.g. front and back squat do hit quads to a degree, but these movements rely on other muscles to complete the movement and might not be performed "optimally" (e.g. your glutes/hamstrings/one leg might dominate these movements). Furthermore, I can move the entire stack for reps, but the load is too much for quad extension alone to generate the force required to move the weight, which in turn will also rely on knee extension. So, I do lighter weights and high reps to produce safe, optimal, and constructive sets.

Sorry for grammar.

>>36870677
>anti v taper
>calling anyone retarded
Literally neck yourself.

>>36871568
How bout i give ur mom a big stinky pearl necklace instead

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>>36868639

kek underrated