Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

How do you measure the weight on a leg press?

glipp

glipp

Member
This may be a dumb question but how do you measure the weight on a leg press? There is the weight from the plates, but there is also the sled, or whatever you call what you push that has the weights attached. I was also wondering if anyone has some type of squats to leg press conversion ratio of some type. For example squatting 225 lbs. equals ? on the leg press. Thanks for any help.
 
Being its on a 45 degree angle, if you measure absolutely vertical, you are only moving the weight 1/2 as far as you are along the axis of movement. Therefore, the force you exert is 1/2. Its a simple principal of mechanical advantage called an inclined plane. As for the sled itself, I've heard estimates of adding 100lbs only.
 
Some sleds have their weight listed, the one at my gym is 45lb. Why aren't you squatting?
 
How do you measure weight on the leg press? By the pound!

Seriously yeah, there is a label on most machines. mine is 80lbs. There really isn't a direct leg press pounds to squat as the mechanics are still a bit different. I hit 650 on the leg press today tho :woohoo:
 
glipp said:
This may be a dumb question but how do you measure the weight on a leg press? There is the weight from the plates, but there is also the sled, or whatever you call what you push that has the weights attached. I was also wondering if anyone has some type of squats to leg press conversion ratio of some type. For example squatting 225 lbs. equals ? on the leg press. Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...

who gives a sh1t. you keeping adding weight until its heavy. simple.
 
EasyEJL said:
How do you measure weight on the leg press? By the pound!

Seriously yeah, there is a label on most machines. mine is 80lbs. There really isn't a direct leg press pounds to squat as the mechanics are still a bit different. I hit 650 on the leg press today tho :woohoo:
Click to expand...


Is that a new PR Easy? Congrats bro! :cheers:
 
basically. I have previously done 600 for 5, but was scared to go much higher :) I could probably do 630 for 4 or 5, going to try that next time
 
Squats and leg press don't convert well. There are +/- balance issues, +/- angle issues, how low do you go issues... etc. the varibales are too great to have something as linear as a conversion rate between the two.
 
It's all relative really. I've been able to press as much as 15olbs more or less depending on the type of sled alone. It also depends if the sled has an adjustable seat. I can leg press an assload on some of those sleds that have the seat locked in permanently because I'm only 5 ft 7. Now someone who could have way stronger legs could press alot less than me,simply if they are a lot taller because they are likely starting with their knees up agains their chest while my legs are halfway extended already.
I just don't put a whole lot of stock into any number that someone claims they can leg press. There are just way to many factors involved.
Squats, however are an even playing field and are a much better gage of leg/core strength.


I remember seeing a thing on tv about that old dude from the 700 club or whatever its called, leg pressing 1000 pounds or something like that.
 
VolcomX311 said:
Squats and leg press don't convert well. There are +/- balance issues, +/- angle issues, how low do you go issues... etc. the varibales are too great to have something as linear as a conversion rate between the two.
Click to expand...
There was an NSCA study that found a pretty accurate formula for converting between LP and either front squat or back squat. I'll see if I can dig it up. Another thing to keep in mind is that lower back strength plays a huge role in squat strength.
 
VolcomX311 said:
I see people squat or bench big weights with 1/2 ROM and I always feel like screaming across the gym, "I'm still waiting for rep number one!"
Click to expand...

theres one guy at my gym that does that and its not really with that much weight on it, I think 8 45lb plates so 440lbs. huffing and panting to do maybe 8-10" of motion.
 
EasyEJL said:
theres one guy at my gym that does that and its not really with that much weight on it, I think 8 45lb plates so 440lbs. huffing and panting to do maybe 8-10" of motion.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the guys physical appearance is below average.It's like they can't "prove" anything with their lack of muscles(although they do)so they make up for it with "heavy" weight.
 
Rodja said:
There was an NSCA study that found a pretty accurate formula for converting between LP and either front squat or back squat. I'll see if I can dig it up. Another thing to keep in mind is that lower back strength plays a huge role in squat strength.
Click to expand...

That'd be very interesting to see. I would imagine there'd have to be some existing control variables to make that conversion accurate.
 
EasyEJL said:
theres one guy at my gym that does that and its not really with that much weight on it, I think 8 45lb plates so 440lbs. huffing and panting to do maybe 8-10" of motion.
Click to expand...

Did you call 440lbs not that much Easy? My squat max is 405lbs, but my Dead max is 500lbs. Don't know how normal that is....
 
VolcomX311 said:
Did you call 440lbs not that much Easy? My squat max is 405lbs, but my Dead max is 500lbs. Don't know how normal that is....
Click to expand...

the football coach says you can usually do 50lbs more then your squat. I don't think 'forumula' is accurate

My squat is roughly 335lbs and I can straddle deadlift 475lbs.

Thats 140lbs..but he also said straddle adds roughly 25lbs to your SLDL max..so then say its only 450lbs. That is still 115lbs.

I would like to know how to blast my squat some more.
 
VolcomX311 said:
Did you call 440lbs not that much Easy? My squat max is 405lbs, but my Dead max is 500lbs. Don't know how normal that is....
Click to expand...

that was leg presses on the sled not squats or deads, and thats including the sled's weight. that would hurt for even just thighs parallel to the ground squatting.
 
VolcomX311 said:
I see people squat or bench big weights with 1/2 ROM and I always feel like screaming across the gym, "I'm still waiting for rep number one!"
Click to expand...

Word, I'm gonna do that next time I see it. "Still waiting for #1 brother!" Start talking like Randy Savage, oh the fun to be had....
 
Not all leg press machines are the same. A lot of gyms just have a Cybex which pivots (easier) ...then there are different manufacturers of sleds that slide on rails (more difficult).

Try doing leg presses one leg at a time...I guarantee you that you can't just cut the weight you normally do in half...far more intense.

Now go try to squat on one leg. It can't be done.

These are two different exercises one of which varies depending on which machine you use. Don't try to equate the two...
 
SilentBob187 said:
Some sleds have their weight listed, the one at my gym is 45lb. Why aren't you squatting?
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the responses. I am squatting. I just wanted to mix in the leg press and wanted to know how to measure how much I was pressing. Now I know to look on the side of the sled and add that to the plates on it. I keep logs of my training so this is important for me to see my progress. Thanks again everyone.
 
glipp said:
Thanks for all the responses. I am squatting. I just wanted to mix in the leg press and wanted to know how to measure how much I was pressing. Now I know to look on the side of the sled and add that to the plates on it. I keep logs of my training so this is important for me to see my progress. Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...

So how much are you squatting and pressing?

I've been pressing cause my lower back has been jacked up for a while. I was doing good with presses and felt my back was getting stronger then i jumped right on the leg press after my cardio and tried to do too much starting off...pulled the lower back and its gonna take a while to heal...been out of them gym for almost a week now.

Last week before i pulled my back, i was doing 420x6 on my 4th set. In high school when i could actually squat, my max was 325, I cant even come close to 250 at this point in my life cause of my back. Also when i press, i got all the way down....the sled actually hits sometimes.
 
you need to make sure your not rounding your lower back when leg pressing, my chirco. told me that he treats a lot of people because of poor form on the leg press ( more so than any other weight training injury, for him atleast )
 
JDF said:
you need to make sure your not rounding your lower back when leg pressing, my chirco. told me that he treats a lot of people because of poor form on the leg press ( more so than any other weight training injury, for him atleast )
Click to expand...

Really? I can see how that happens. I tend to start low and work my way up with 5 or 6 sets. Curling my back on all of them. But getting stretched out from the low weight first.

I made a stupid mistake with my math on the weight.

So curling is bad form, hmm?
 
curling your back when leg pressing is similar to arching your back while deadlifting, so says my chiro that actually did some bodybuilding back in the day. he's really into sports medicine so whenever I go see him we end up talking about form and how to set up your workouts.
 
I do 19 plates on a 45 degree inverted press which is 855 not counting the sled. Lets say 900 x 4 x10. I have heard that the angle reduces the weight by half.

Also adding your entire weight to your squats is inaccurate because you are not lifting the weight of your legs.
 
Simple, plates on the the sled. No one counts the sled. Also, is it the weight that matters or the workout? Sometimes 500 feels like a ton and sometimes it's just a stopping point on the way up.
 
I've always found it interesting when people state that they have back issues so they leg press, when leg press is one of the worst things you can do if you have a bad back. The pressure placed on the spine is unmatched with any other lift and will only serve to further aggravate underlying issues. You would be better served to do normal squats and split squats at a lighter weight and proper technique than to mix in leg press.
 
Agree. Instead of using a traditional 45 degree leg press I use a flat leg press and a sliding horizontal one. Zero back pressure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top