Reply to thread

Message

[QUOTE="Brooky03, post: 2985812"]
I do not want to sound like a jerk, but this is bad info.

Leg press puts extra pressure on the spine in a weaker, fixed position and it doesn't prevent lateral movement of the knee any more than what is experienced when squatting.  Leg pressing often is a good recipe for lower back pain.

Lateral pressure on the knee joint is where you have the greatest potential for injury.  The shearing forces on the knee are highest when reversing the motion.  If anything, you want to get below parallel (90 deg.).  If you stop at, or just shy of, 90 deg. when you try to lift the weight back up, the shearing forces are at their highest (studies have proved this out).  Shearing forces are lower when you get below parallel.  Stopping well short of 90 limits the effectiveness of the excercise and could cause muscle imbalances (weak hip flexors) that could be a real problem down the road.

Leg extensions are fine if not loaded heavy.  There's no lateral pressure on the knee, which is good, but there is a lot of overall stress on the knee.  Going too heavy can push this to dangerous territory.  Going lighter and focussing on squeezing the quads at the top (top is not fully locked out, btw) of the lift is what you'd want.

Free squats can have long term drawbacks, but they're safer than leg press or Smith Machine squats.  An even safer alternative is lunging with dumbbells if squatting is a big concern.

All of this comes with the caveat that you have to have good form.  Leg press might be safer than squatting if the dumdum doing the squatting has no idea what they're doing.
[/QUOTE]

Verification

What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?