Results 1 to 27 of 27
  1. #1
    Bound for Muscle's Avatar
    Bound for Muscle is offline Associate Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Arlington Texas
    Posts
    289

    Locking out on leg press

    while doing leg press yesterday in the gym one of my buddies watched me for a minute then told me after my set that i should not lock out during the leg press because it puts too much pressure on the cartilege in the knees

    is this true? and if so, how do i avoid locking out? just go high enough to keep my legs slightly bent?

  2. #2
    BigMike J's Avatar
    BigMike J is offline Anabolic Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,387
    Hmm how do i explain this? Locking your knees at the top of the movement is not good, not only because of potential harm to your cartilege, but also it relieves the strain from your quads and gives you a split sec of rest time between reps. Try to keep it as fluid as you possibly can.



    Same as when benching, don't lock your elbows or hold the weight for a sec before you bring it back down.
    Last edited by BigMike J; 11-20-2003 at 02:22 PM.

  3. #3
    hoss827's Avatar
    hoss827 is offline Banned
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Somewhere in cyberspace..
    Posts
    1,292
    I wouldn't lock legs when you reach the top...it strains em pretty bad, and like BigMike says, it messes with your cartillege. I stop right before I reach the top and just keep goin at it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    5,506
    Locking legs on press can also over-extend ligaments, a big no-no.

    Red

  5. #5
    bigol'legs's Avatar
    bigol'legs is offline Quadzilla
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    MT
    Posts
    5,066
    Quote Originally Posted by BigMike J
    Hmm how do i explain this? Locking your knees at the top of the movement is not good, not only because of potential harm to your cartilege, but also it relieves the strain from your quads and gives you a split sec of rest time between reps. Try to keep it as fluid as you possibly can.



    Same as when benching, don't lock your elbows or hold the weight for a sec before you bring it back down.
    excellent post mike... locking legs out on ANY excersise IMO is a no-no.. even on squats.

  6. #6
    BOUNCER is offline Retired Vet
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    IRELAND.
    Posts
    4,185
    Never lock out or hyper extent any joint.

  7. #7
    Juggernaut's Avatar
    Juggernaut is offline AR Jester
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    6,265
    Quote Originally Posted by Bouncer AKA bouncer
    Never lock out or hyper extent any joint.
    Amen brother! Damn hyper extent hurts like hell!

    Do you guys pause at the bottom before the push?

  8. #8
    TheMudMan's Avatar
    TheMudMan is offline Retired~ AR-Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    10,714
    yep never lock out........................ also I don't do it because it keeps stress on my quads.

  9. #9
    palme's Avatar
    palme is offline Rosie Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Sweden
    Posts
    6,589
    Quote Originally Posted by Juggernaut2148

    Do you guys pause at the bottom before the push?
    No that wont make you puke You need the intensity in there!

  10. #10
    beenie's Avatar
    beenie is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    1,292
    Adsvise is good. BUT, how many of you SEE others locking thier legs out. At my gym it apears to be about 1 in 3. And, in several isolated instances I have even seen people with (lousy) trainers do it and the trainers don't correct them Some of the guys with the worst form have the best physiques too. Sometimes life is so unfair.

    I think you are lucky someone corrected you early before you did any cartledge damage and so you can make maximum gains.

  11. #11
    BigMike J's Avatar
    BigMike J is offline Anabolic Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,387
    Quote Originally Posted by beenie
    Adsvise is good. BUT, how many of you SEE others locking thier legs out. At my gym it apears to be about 1 in 3. And, in several isolated instances I have even seen people with (lousy) trainers do it and the trainers don't correct them Some of the guys with the worst form have the best physiques too. Sometimes life is so unfair.

    I think you are lucky someone corrected you early before you did any cartledge damage and so you can make maximum gains.

    Heck, i guess im just a loud person because if i see somebody using bad form i'll inform them right quick, and most of the time peps just say thanks and continue doing the same stupid shit. What dump fucks.

  12. #12
    beenie's Avatar
    beenie is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    1,292
    Quote Originally Posted by BigMike J
    Heck, i guess im just a loud person because if i see somebody using bad form i'll inform them right quick, and most of the time peps just say thanks and continue doing the same stupid shit. What dump fucks.
    I used to tell people when I saw them doing stuff wrong too. I rarely do anymore becasue as you say, most of the time they are not interested anyway. And besides, even when you do it wrong, you are getting something out of it I suppose (torn carelidge, a broken back. . . ).

  13. #13
    bigol'legs's Avatar
    bigol'legs is offline Quadzilla
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    MT
    Posts
    5,066
    Quote Originally Posted by Juggernaut2148
    Amen brother! Damn hyper extent hurts like hell!

    Do you guys pause at the bottom before the push?
    NO!!!! dont pause... keep the constant movement going!!!

  14. #14
    Tobey is offline Retired IRON CHEF Mod
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    1,886

    True

    Quote Originally Posted by beenie
    Adsvise is good. BUT, how many of you SEE others locking thier legs out. At my gym it apears to be about 1 in 3. And, in several isolated instances I have even seen people with (lousy) trainers do it and the trainers don't correct them Some of the guys with the worst form have the best physiques too. Sometimes life is so unfair.

    I think you are lucky someone corrected you early before you did any cartledge damage and so you can make maximum gains.

    Poor form may not hinder growth until several years have gone by and they are no longer able to work out like they use to do too injured joints, ect. You know the type. The guys who are always talking about how good of shape they USE to be in.
    IC
    Last edited by Tobey; 11-21-2003 at 05:17 PM.

  15. #15
    BOUNCER is offline Retired Vet
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    IRELAND.
    Posts
    4,185
    Quote Originally Posted by Juggernaut2148
    Do you guys pause at the bottom before the push?
    Not even to take a fart.. Too fucking dangerous in this position, if a know what I mean.

  16. #16
    TheMudMan's Avatar
    TheMudMan is offline Retired~ AR-Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    10,714
    Quote Originally Posted by Bouncer AKA bouncer
    Not even to take a fart.. Too fucking dangerous in this position, if a know what I mean.


    I know a lot of power lifters do rest pauses. I bodybuild (at least try too) and do not see the need to do pauses at the bottom of my movements. Keeping tennsion on the muscle is what's going to make it grow and it's a lot safer as well. I want to be in this sport for a long time so you need to train smart.

  17. #17
    nevaenuf's Avatar
    nevaenuf is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    1,458
    I do sometimes rest right after I go negitive. I feel like I hit them in a different way. I also sometimes put a bench under me when I squat and when I come down, I sit on it and put all my weight on it then come up from there.

  18. #18
    Juggernaut's Avatar
    Juggernaut is offline AR Jester
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    6,265
    Quote Originally Posted by nevaenuf
    I also sometimes put a bench under me when I squat and when I come down, I sit on it and put all my weight on it then come up from there.
    I do the same thing however once I feel the bench I stop but I do not sit down, just a very breif pause then proceed with the push. I'd hate to take the risk of relaxing and having all that weight on my shoulders.

  19. #19
    palme's Avatar
    palme is offline Rosie Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Sweden
    Posts
    6,589
    Box squats...be carefull not to bounce to hard when you sit down nevaenuf, lowerback/spine will take all the inpact. I know people that have hurt themselves bouncing to hard

  20. #20
    bigol'legs's Avatar
    bigol'legs is offline Quadzilla
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    MT
    Posts
    5,066
    a bench!!!!! thats to high... you guys should be going down to a 2x4!!

  21. #21
    scottninpo's Avatar
    scottninpo is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    central nj
    Posts
    1,958
    to keep from locking out on movements, i'll have my lifting partner hold his hand out at a point right before full extension, when i hit his hand, i'll hold for a second, then come back down, really forces you to control the weight

  22. #22
    groverman1's Avatar
    groverman1 is offline Cross Dressing Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Motor City
    Posts
    2,545
    no lockin allowed bad 4 joints

  23. #23
    Warrior's Avatar
    Warrior is offline AR-Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    6'0"/248lbs
    Posts
    6,982
    Excellent responses. I don't do much pausing myself in anything. I keep a continous tension on the muscle like BigMike J mentioned. It does make it more difficult - by keeping the muscle putting out max effort... which is what you want...

    Not to mention a lot of people on here can push 1000+ pounds on a Leg Press, that is way too much weight to try and support on your joints and bone structure!

  24. #24
    Juggernaut's Avatar
    Juggernaut is offline AR Jester
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    6,265
    Not trying to pick a fight but how does a breif pause at the bottom translate into not having tension on the muscle? I'm not talking about resting the load........just a breif pause, a second or just slightly longer. Heck, you can put your back against a wall, bend your knees like you are sitting in a chair and hold it there as long as you can and your muscles will be under full tension and that's with no weight at all.

    I can understand not wanting to hold a pause when you have 400 + pounds on a bar, that's just plain dangerous.

    Another thought, when you guys are doing an exercise, do you go slow or do you go as quick as possible. If I'm lifting I can lift more weight with a quick pace but slow it down to maybe a 4 or 5 count and it tears the hell out of my muscles and the amount of weight lifted is reduced a goodly bit.

  25. #25
    microphobia is offline New Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    36
    Ya theres 2 styles bb-pl
    when I was powerlifting would pause at the top of a squat just to breath,but only when using max weight,
    then sometimes do a dropset and do a set of 6x3sec pauses.Now its a keeping tension the whole time.
    ps. never locked out on legpress.

  26. #26
    Warrior's Avatar
    Warrior is offline AR-Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    6'0"/248lbs
    Posts
    6,982
    Quote Originally Posted by Juggernaut2148
    Not trying to pick a fight but how does a breif pause at the bottom translate into not having tension on the muscle? I'm not talking about resting the load........just a breif pause, a second or just slightly longer. Heck, you can put your back against a wall, bend your knees like you are sitting in a chair and hold it there as long as you can and your muscles will be under full tension and that's with no weight at all.
    Locking out usually refers to locking the joints up so the weight is deverted off the muscle and held by the bone structure and joints. Sounds like you are reffering to an isometric hold in the contracted position - which certainly keeps the tension on the muscle and produces a higher degree of stress than simply going to concentric failure. A tempo like this, 4-1-2-0 being 4 seconds to lower (eccentric/negative), 1 second hold in the contracted position, 2 seconds up (concentric/positive) and then 0 seconds at the end - which is where a lock out could occur...
    Last edited by Warrior; 11-26-2003 at 10:29 AM.

  27. #27
    Juggernaut's Avatar
    Juggernaut is offline AR Jester
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    6,265
    Quote Originally Posted by Warrior
    Sounds like you are reffering to an isometric hold in the contracted position - which certainly keeps the tension on the muscle and produces a higher degree of stress than simply going to concentric failure.
    My bad bro, that was what I was talking about. When doing leg ext. I'll hold the load for a 5 sec. count but not in the locked out position, knees are still slightly bent.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •