Front Squat vs Leg Press

[MEH89]

what do you think it better for quad size front squats, or leg presses? It seems like the front squat involves more muscle overall. But with the leg press your able to isolate your quads, and use more weight. I was just wondering. thanks for any feed back. Mark

 

[pantera101]

Free weights are always better for size........period!Switch between front and back sq's with reps from 4-20.

 

[Steveoph]

You can place something under your heels to help target your quads even more when doing front squats. That's what I did for a little bit, but my favourite is free-weight leg extensions, 4 sets of 10 and I feel the burn.

 

[Link24]

I love front squats personally with a very narrow stance , but then i love the leg press for really getting my blood flow going. The leg press for me brings out more vascularity and front squats for strength and mass. I suggest trying out different rep ranges for each to see which one will yield the best results for you. As for me 6-8 on Front squats and 12-20 on leg press is where i stand. "Different folks, Different strokes"

 

[pmiller383]

Zercher squats are a great variation for quad size as well, Personally I love front squats with blocks under my heels, blows leg presses out of the water anyday.

 

[boxmeman]

Zercher squats are a great variation for quad size as well, Personally I love front squats with blocks under my heels, blows leg presses out of the water anyday.

Agreed front squats are down right killer in comparison to the leg press!:thumbsup:

 

[pantera101]

All free weights are harder to do than machines,but thats why you benefit more from them.You have to balance the weight as you push or pull bringing stabilizer muscles into play.I will be doing the FST-7 traing beginning april,and leg presses wil be the final 7 pumping exercise,but good ole sq's will be the gegular straight sets.

 

[IntensePump]

If you ever use a TUT routine, try the front squats on a smith machine with 2 seconds down and 2 seconds up. You talk about killer...

 

[pantera101]

If you ever use a TUT routine, try the front squats on a smith machine with 2 seconds down and 2 seconds up. You talk about killer...

I have done that with a bar.Well actually,it was extremely slow negative,with as an explosive positive as possible,with all lifts.It's boring at first cause it's easy,the negatives are easy and efortless,and you could throw the bar off you at first.After the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the way through the set,it gets very challenging which=fun.Gives good deep pumps with some nice doms too.

 

[kw1k]

i do more front squats than regular squats. I find them MUCH more effective. But don't get me wrong i still do the traditional squats

 

[Neil5585]

Leg presses with proper foot position and focus on the muscles being worked is probably going to be better for hypertrophy, however heels elevated front squats are quite good.

I think front squats are great, but good luck trying to do sets of 50 with them. You can on leg press.

 

[ITHURTZ]

I vote front squats. I can always walk after leg press, barley with squats

 

[John Smeton]

Each has a different effect. and you can vary the stance to hit different muscles. Both are good to include in your program

I like Leg press because it blows up quads and narrow stance REALLY hits the outer sweep.

I like Front squats because your using more stressing quads than anything else

Thats all I know.

 

[pantera101]

Leg presses with proper foot position and focus on the muscles being worked is probably going to be better for hypertrophy, however heels elevated front squats are quite good.

I think front squats are great, but good luck trying to do sets of 50 with them. You can on leg press.

You can on leg presses because their easiesr to do.Easier to do does not equal better results with weights.I have never once heard of a pro bb,personal trainer,or strength coach saying your better off with leg presses,or any machine,than the free weight lift the machine was modeled after.I don't go over 20 on sq's right now,but i could.It takes time to get used to it.Machines=push or pull.Free weights=push or pull while balancing.This makes it harder to do,while bringing in stabaliser muscles,which in return,makes it better for strength and or hypertrophy.

 

[Thixotrope]

To reiterate what has already been said...front squats RULE!

They take the lower back out of the equation (90% anyway) and help bring out the teardrop in your lower quads. Going ass to grass for 15 heavy reps will knock your d!ck in the dirt anyday.

With that being said, there's nothing wrong with leg presses but the benefits of front squats far surpass that of the leg press hands down. I love loading up plates and knocking them out just as much as the next guy but squats (front or back) build more all around mass and strength than any other leg movement.

Also not to be an ******* but why the hell would you want to do 50 reps of anything? Maybe as a shocker every great once in a while but not on a regular basis. We're not endurance athletes or fitness competitor's LOL

 

[MEH89]

To reiterate what has already been said...front squats RULE!

They take the lower back out of the equation (90% anyway) and help bring out the teardrop in your lower quads. Going ass to grass for 15 heavy reps will knock your d!ck in the dirt anyday.

With that being said, there's nothing wrong with leg presses but the benefits of front squats far surpass that of the leg press hands down. I love loading up plates and knocking them out just as much as the next guy but squats (front or back) build more all around mass and strength than any other leg movement.

Also not to be an ******* but why the hell would you want to do 50 reps of anything? Maybe as a shocker every great once in a while but not on a regular basis. We're not endurance athletes or fitness competitor's LOL

:goodpost: Agree 100%. Mark

 

[Neil5585]

Also not to be an ******* but why the hell would you want to do 50 reps of anything? Maybe as a shocker every great once in a while but not on a regular basis. We're not endurance athletes or fitness competitor's LOL

Because it can be very effective at building mass. Quads respond to a wide rep range because generally speaking they have a wide variety of different muscle fibers types--more so than most muscles.

 

[Thixotrope]

Because it can be very effective at building mass. Quads respond to a wide rep range because generally speaking they have a wide variety of different muscle fibers types--more so than most muscles.

Without discussing muscle fiber distribution variations from muscle to muscle or from person to person OR the genotype vs. phenotype perspective...I've never personally seen or heard of 50 rep sets being used for mass building. Not to say that it can't or won't but it sounds a little fishy to me.

I would think you would have to use a weight so light that oxygen depletion would occur long before true failure. So you hit a few slow twitch fibers due to the aerobic nature of the exercise. Will pumping away like that really produce hypertrophy? Nope.

Think of a marathon runner with toothpicks for legs and then of a hardcore sprinter with tree trunks for legs. The sprinter does low to moderate weights for explosive power in the gym which stimulate fast twitch fibers while the marathon runner has stimulated slow twitch fibers do long distance endurace type exercise with higher rep work. Those slow twitch fibers don't contribute significantly to overall mass at all. I know its small stretch from the original 50 rep leg press topic but this is where I am deriving my logic aside from personal experience and knowledge.

Sorry, I ramble on sometimes. Feel free to dissect.

 

[Neil5585]

Um, try it for 6 weeks and tell me if it's just an aerobic workout.

Second, look at the massive quad development of speed skaters and speed bicyclers, who not only have a good amount of TUT for quads, but also favor leg press for their sport and often do sets of 50+

And you don't just pump out that many reps. Do you put down 20 rep breathing squats, too? Is that just an aerobic workout? It's the same idea, just that with leg press you don't have form breakdown and your lower back tiring out.

 

[Thixotrope]

Um, try it for 6 weeks and tell me if it's just an aerobic workout.

Second, look at the massive quad development of speed skaters and speed bicyclers, who not only have a good amount of TUT for quads, but also favor leg press for their sport and often do sets of 50+

And you don't just pump out that many reps. Do you put down 20 rep breathing squats, too? Is that just an aerobic workout? It's the same idea, just that with leg press you don't have form breakdown and your lower back tiring out.

I didn't say it was exclusively an aerobic workout but to a greater extent than say 10 rep sets. It's actually very similar to doing HIIT cardio. But again 50 rep sets would be great for a shock workout but not so much for a consistent bodybuilding routine. Speed skaters and bikers are indeed toned but not very massive. This is also slightly anathema to a bodybuilder's intended goal.

Could you forward me any links to the rountines you mentioned? I'm curious as to the mechanism and reasoning behind it. I'm a scientist by trade so I need to see data and results behind the theories.

One of the things I do like about the leg press though is no lower back strain...although I have pulled a hamstring doing them.

I might just feel froggy enough to enertain your challenge though. Six weeks of 50 rep squats, here I come!
:squat:

 

[pantera101]

I like leg presses after my sq's,and always do high reps with them.What i like about them is that you can go and go untill you tire,lock your legs,take some breaths,and go some more.Sometimes,i don't want to stop.You hit failure,but that 10 second break allows you to hit 2-4 more,and then again and again.I would never use as a staple though.Or any machine for that matter.

Branch Warren does some high ass reps,up to 100.He said though,if he does lower reps with heavier wight,his legs grow too fast for upper body.Tom Platz also did some high rep sq's.20 minutes straight one day,then had to be rushed to the hospital for oxygen deprivation.He also did lunges back and forth on a football field,with 225 on his back.Charles Glass said that one day,higher than 20 rep sq's may be needed to advance to the next level.So the "proof" is ou their.I have decided that one day,long from now,i will start counting minutes instead of reps while sq'ing,to bust through plataues.

Any and all free weight movements kill any and all machines for strength and growth.Pump wise,is sometimes a different story.Gustavo Badell made some great improvements to his back.When asked what he started doing,he said going back to the basic free weight movements did it.Said he got lazy and went against his better judgement a few years ago and did a lot of machines.So don't be "that guy"The damn machine rapist.

 

[boxmeman]

I like leg presses after my sq's,and always do high reps with them.What i like about them is that you can go and go untill you tire,lock your legs,take some breaths,and go some more.Sometimes,i don't want to stop.You hit failure,but that 10 second break allows you to hit 2-4 more,and then again and again.I would never use as a staple though.Or any machine for that matter.

Branch Warren does some high ass reps,up to 100.He said though,if he does lower reps with heavier wight,his legs grow too fast for upper body.Tom Platz also did some high rep sq's.20 minutes straight one day,then had to be rushed to the hospital for oxygen deprivation.He also did lunges back and forth on a football field,with 225 on his back.Charles Glass said that one day,higher than 20 rep sq's may be needed to advance to the next level.So the "proof" is ou their.I have decided that one day,long from now,i will start counting minutes instead of reps while sq'ing,to bust through plataues.

Any and all free weight movements kill any and all machines for strength and growth.Pump wise,is sometimes a different story.Gustavo Badell made some great improvements to his back.When asked what he started doing,he said going back to the basic free weight movements did it.Said he got lazy and went against his better judgement a few years ago and did a lot of machines.So don't be "that guy"The damn machine rapist.

def interesting!

 

[Thixotrope]

.

Branch Warren does some high ass reps,up to 100

You know he totally stopped working legs to bring his upper body to the level his quads were at for the Ironman? He is a beast!

The only other BB I can recall doing high reps work is Jean-Pierre Fux...before his squatting accident anyway. It was for shoulders though. He would do these insane drop sets that amounted to 70 reps or so. But that was his shock routine.

Another thing about Branch's I just thought about was he did those high reps to limit the uncontrollable growth of his quads not to increase it. He built the foundation he has with heavy weights and low to moderate rep schemes.

Don't get me started on Platz either. Have you seen that video of him on youtube? Insane. His "light" leg days were 20or so reps with 405 and heavier sessions climbed upwards of 700+ lbs for a few reps. He always did them first thing in the morning and when he left he said it was hard for him to fit his legs under the steering wheel. HA! I wish I had that problem.

 

[boxmeman]

You know he totally stopped working legs to bring his upper body to the level his quads were at for the Ironman? He is a beast!

The only other BB I can recall doing high reps work is Jean-Pierre Fux...before his squatting accident anyway. It was for shoulders though. He would do these insane drop sets that amounted to 70 reps or so. But that was his shock routine.

Another thing about Branch's I just thought about was he did those high reps to limit the uncontrollable growth of his quads not to increase it. He built the foundation he has with heavy weights and low to moderate rep schemes.

Don't get me started on Platz either. Have you seen that video of him on youtube? Insane. His "light" leg days were 20or so reps with 405 and heavier sessions climbed upwards of 700+ lbs for a few reps. He always did them first thing in the morning and when he left he said it was hard for him to fit his legs under the steering wheel. HA! I wish I had that problem.

i wish my legs grew at an alarming rate lol

 

[pantera101]

You know he totally stopped working legs to bring his upper body to the level his quads were at for the Ironman? He is a beast!

The only other BB I can recall doing high reps work is Jean-Pierre Fux...before his squatting accident anyway. It was for shoulders though. He would do these insane drop sets that amounted to 70 reps or so. But that was his shock routine.

Another thing about Branch's I just thought about was he did those high reps to limit the uncontrollable growth of his quads not to increase it. He built the foundation he has with heavy weights and low to moderate rep schemes.

Don't get me started on Platz either. Have you seen that video of him on youtube? Insane. His "light" leg days were 20or so reps with 405 and heavier sessions climbed upwards of 700+ lbs for a few reps. He always did them first thing in the morning and when he left he said it was hard for him to fit his legs under the steering wheel. HA! I wish I had that problem.

Branch is crazy,even as far as pros go with his legs.I mentioned in my first post that he said heavier weights would make his legs grow too fast.I also remember Charles Glass saying that heavier weight is best at first,to build a foundation of strength.He was saying that 20 rep sq's with 225 are obvisouly better than with 45.Although,i have gotten good results with 20 rep sq's,and the last time i did 20 rep front sq's,i got up to 105.I started doing them with alot less weight than that,and got stretch marks.It was my first time to do them though,so it acted as a great shocker.They still do from time to time.Prob always will.I like to do 2-12 or so,sometimes higher on a reg basis.Then after a while,bump em up to 15-20,trying to stay at 20.