Leg Press Question re: which muscles

M

Mel_Knee

0
Hi All,

I am new to weight training. The manager at my gym told me that by changing the position of your feet on the leg press board, you change which muscles you are working. The 3 positions she said were: feet in a V shape, with toes pointed slightly outwards; feet in an inverted V shape, with toes pointed slightly inwards; and the balls of your feet on the bottom of the board, straightly aligned. Is this true, and can anyone tell me which muscles are being affected by each of the positions?

Thanks in advance!!!
 
This is actually old, outdated information that was popular back in the early 90s. The idea was that by positioning your feet in different angles you can "isolate" different parts of the quadriceps: toes out (adductors & VMO), toes in (vastus lateralus), and balls of feet (calves). However, this is a waste of time. There is no way to isolate any part of the quad. All 4 muscles HAVE TO work together to flex the knee. Anyone that tells you differnetly believes "gym science". In actuality, you are causing muscle imbalances of the lower leg by not keeping all joints aligned. Any rotation in the ankle joint under a load is causing stress on lenth/tension realtionships between muscles. How many people have strong shins (tibalis)? Not many...how many people can squat below parallel?
If you need any more information, refer to my website.
 
yea i would maybe only use that method as a therapeutic excercise rather then normal exercise... and im all for what standAPART is saying ^
 
Thank you for the excellent advice!! I had the feeling that he manager wasn't up on the real facts, as I feel like I have surpassed her knowledge just by doing a little research myself. Wasn't able to find any info on the leg press, so I really appreciate your help!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top