Leg press

[Detox]

How effective are leg presses for gaining vertical leap?

[King]

as helpful as pushups

[Detox]

So what is it good for then?

[King]

I guess for complete beginners as a first exercise, I'm not really sure, soccer players and bodybuilders love them, just stick with squats.

[matthew]

in my opinion the leg press is the most useless exercise thought of as it has very little effect on the vertical jump. It is not even worth doing considering you can do squats and deadlifts. there is belief that it is better for hypertrophy then squats and deadlifts but they are yet to completely prove that.

[King]

Because the load is 100% on the quads, and dead lifts doesn't train the quads and squats do but not to the extent as leg presses.

[matthew]

Actually the deadlift and deep squats both train the posterior and anterrior chain.

you must be thinking of the stiff legged deadlift with more focus on the hamstrings.

[King]

But don't you think that the leg press puts maximal load on quads which is good for bodybuilders?

[matthew]

it is very non fuctional and is more of an isolation exercise to the quads. you will make better mass gains focusing on compound exercises such as the deep squat and deadlift because they allow you to handle a lot of weight and work on almost all the main muscle groups.

see the leg press focuses on quads with no posterior chain activation. and the squat and deadlidt work every muscle in the posterior chain and anterrior chain which equals more mass due to the load you can use.


i have seen teens legpress as much as 1500 pounds at 10 percent or less bodyfat and still have lower that 30 inch verticals.

[King]

of course leg press means nothing, I leg press max out at 220 lb. and have a 34 in. vertical