How to do leg extension in the simulator to pump up your hips and not kill your knees

What is this exercise and why do it

Leg extension in the simulator is a strength exercise aimed at working out the muscles of the front surface of the thigh.

It is used both for building muscle mass in the legs and for rehabilitation purposes - for example, during recovery from an injury or knee surgery.

Leg extension in the simulator has several advantages. It allows the following.

1. It is good to pump the thigh muscles. The quadriceps consists of four heads: the lateral, medial, intermediate and rectus femoris. The first three pass through only one joint and are activated when the person extends the knee. But the latter is also attached to the hip joint.

Squats load quadriceps is much better than leg extension in the simulator. But this applies only to the lateral and medial heads of the muscles.

Since both the knees and the hips are bent in the squat, the rectus femoris doesn't contract enough to get a decent load. But when working in the simulator, the pelvis does not move, and therefore the middle part of the quadriceps

receives good incentive for growth.

2. Increase your workout volume without the risk of injury. Barbell squats, Bulgarian lunges and other multi-joint exercises perfectly pump the legs, but at the same time they also load other muscles: the back of the thigh, buttocks, and back. Moreover, these are complex movements, and not every beginner can perform them without technical errors.

The leg extension in the simulator is a simple exercise in which only quadriceps are involved. Therefore, it can be easily performed after heavy squats in order to “finish off” the muscles and increase the stimulus for growth, but at the same time not overload the back.

3. Recover from an injury. In an article on the training resource for physiotherapists Physiotutors, its founder Kai Siegel tellsthat leg extension is often used during rehabilitation, as it allows you to isolate the quadriceps.

When doing other hip strengthening exercises, such as squats, a person with knee pain will automatically shift the load to the other leg or other muscles. At the same time, the target muscle will be left without sufficient training.

In the simulator for leg extension, you can work out the hips separately and pump exactly those muscles that need to be strengthened. However, in case of serious problems and injuries, this should be done under the supervision of a physiotherapist, or at least with his permission.

Is it true that leg extension in the simulator harms the knees

This exercise is not just called dangerous. Our knees resist compression perfectly when the load is parallel to the lower leg and the joint is compressed, but not displaced. In the extension of the legs on the simulator, the direction of the load is different - it is perpendicular to the tibia, which creates a shear force.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) protects the knee joint from displacement. During leg extension, the quadriceps pulls the tibia forward, and the ligament counteracts this. In movements like squats, the muscles of the back of the thigh help her, but in the extension of the legs in the simulator they do not work. Therefore, movement can overload the ACL and lead to damage to its fibers.

However, as noted, Ph.D., trainer and research author Brad Schoenfeld, all this can only be dangerous for those who who already have problems with a joint or anterior cruciate ligament, and should not worry people with healthy knees. Moreover, the exercise can even protect against injury by gradually strengthening the structures inside the knee and preparing the joint for this kind of stress.

If a person has problems with the knee joints, and especially with the ACL, you can replace the extension with other effective exercises for pumping quadriceps - for example, squats in Smith or leg press in simulator.

How to properly perform leg extension in the simulator

This movement is as simple as possible, and you do not have to learn it for a long time. However, there are a few technical points that should be observed in order to pump the hips well.

1. Sit on the machine, put your feet under the roller and check that the angle at the knee is 90-100°.

Set the backrest at a right angle - this position increases stress on the thigh muscles and reduces stress on the lower back compared to a 100-110° tilt.

2. Grasp the handles of the simulator and press the pelvis against the seat. Make sure that he does not come off the chair during work.

3. Make sure your knees and toes are pointing forward. Raise your legs to full extension, squeeze your quadriceps at the top, and then slowly lower your shins to their original position.

How else can you do leg extension in the simulator

There are several options for leg extension in the simulator that will help shift the load on certain parts of the quadriceps and make the exercise more gentle on the knee ligaments.

Static

This option is useful for those who want to strengthen the muscles of the thigh, but at the same time experience pain at a certain point in the range.

According to the study, the greatest load on the knees created when bending the leg in the joint at an angle from 0 to 30 °, that is, at the upper point of the range. And the smallest is observed when the legs are bent at the knees at an angle of 60 to 90 °.

If you want to reduce stress while strengthening your thigh muscles, try the isometric hold in a safe range.

Set the roller on the machine so that your shins rest against it and your legs are bent at about a 60° angle. Set a weight that you definitely can't budge.

Grasp the handles of the simulator on the sides of the chair and press the roller with all your strength with your feet. Do not relax the tension for 30-60 seconds, then relax, rest for a couple of minutes and repeat.

With stop turn

In one study figured outthat turning the feet outward helps to better load the rectus femoris. Try this option if you want to pump this part of the quadriceps to the maximum.

If you want to load the outer part of the thighs more - the lateral head of the muscle, turn the toes of the feet inside and perform in a limited range - not until fully extended, but until the legs are bent at the knees at an angle 30°.

How to do leg extension at home

You can perform a similar exercise without a simulator. To do this, you need an elastic expander and a stable support to hook it.

According to research, leg extension with an elastic band loads the quadriceps no worse than the same movement in the simulator.

Find a stable support, hook the tape on it and put the loop on the ankle.

Overcoming the resistance of the elastic band, unbend the leg in a small range from 90 to 60 °. This will reduce stress on the anterior cruciate ligament and knee joint, but provide a good stimulus for muscle growth.

Do 25 reps, then rest and do 3-4 more sets. You can also do isometric approaches - hold the tension in the muscles at an angle of bend in the knee of about 60 °.

How to add a leg extension in the simulator to your program

Perform leg extension in the simulator once a week - on leg day if you work in splits, and in one of the workouts if you pump the whole body in one lesson. Add this movement at the end of the session, after multi-joint heavy exercises like the barbell squat or leg press.

Do 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps. Choose the weight so that the last repetitions of the set are difficult, but without the need to swing the body or tear the pelvis off the seat.

If at the end of the approach, burning and pain increase in the muscles of the thighs, the weight is chosen correctly.