Should You Chose Leg Press or Hack Squat For Muscle Growth?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Mike from RP Strength discusses the differences between leg presses and hack squats for muscle growth. He explains the benefits and potential drawbacks of each exercise, highlighting how leg presses can effectively target the quadriceps with minimal lower back strain. Dr. Mike also addresses common issues with leg press machines, such as poor design and limited range of motion. He suggests using both exercises for a robust quad workout, depending on the individual's training level and the quality of the equipment available. The video concludes with advice tailored to beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters on how to incorporate leg presses and hack squats into their routines for optimal results.
Takeaways
- 🦵 Leg presses are beneficial for targeting the quadriceps without placing significant stress on the lower back, making them a good option when back fatigue is a concern.
- 🔄 Leg presses have a low axial fatigue contribution, which means they don't compress the spine much and are less tiring on the body compared to squats or lunges.
- 🛑 Poorly designed leg press machines can limit the range of motion and effectiveness of the exercise, such as bad seat angles or foot plates that don't angle towards the heels.
- 🔄 Hack squats also target the quads effectively and have a lower axial fatigue than squats, but they can still be limited by machine design flaws, like inadequate range of motion.
- 🔄 Both leg presses and hack squats can be used for a big quad stimulus with lower systemic and axial fatigue, making them suitable alternatives to squats when back health is a priority.
- 🔄 The choice between leg press and hack squat should be based on the individual's current fitness level, the availability of well-designed machines, and personal preference for stimulus to fatigue ratio.
- 🔄 For beginners, the recommendation is to stick to barbell squats and lunges to build core movement competency, with leg presses and hack squats being less critical at this stage.
- 🔄 Intermediate lifters should experiment with both leg presses and hack squats to determine which provides the best stimulus to fatigue ratio at the time, considering machine quality.
- 🔄 Advanced lifters can fine-tune their training by focusing on specific setups, rep ranges, and incorporating training modalities like myo-rep training for greater effectiveness.
- 🔄 To keep training fresh and effective, advanced lifters should rotate between leg presses, hack squats, and other exercises, adjusting based on how they feel and their progress.
Q & A
What are the main benefits of leg presses for muscle growth?
-Leg presses are beneficial for muscle growth as they target the quads very effectively, provide a good stimulus for the glutes and adductors, and have a low axial fatigue contribution, which means they don't compress the spine much and leave the lower back mostly alone.
What are some potential downsides of leg presses?
-Downsides of leg presses include the possibility of using a poorly designed machine with bad seat angles or stoppers that limit range of motion, a poorly angled foot plate that can limit motion and increase the chance of injury, and machines that are easier at the bottom and harder at the top, which is the opposite of the ideal squat biomechanics.
How do hack squats compare to leg presses in terms of muscle growth?
-Hack squats are similar to leg presses in that they also target the quads effectively and have lower axial fatigue than barbell squats. However, they can have higher axial fatigue than leg presses and may not be as effective if the machine design limits the bottom end range of motion.
What factors should be considered when choosing between leg presses and hack squats?
-When choosing between leg presses and hack squats, consider the machine design, your current fitness level, the stimulus to fatigue ratio, and whether the exercise is fresh and effective for you. Both exercises can be used for a big quad stimulus with lower systemic and axial fatigue.
Why might someone prefer leg presses over hack squats?
-Someone might prefer leg presses over hack squats if the leg press machine is well-designed, providing a good range of motion and a high stimulus to fatigue ratio, and if the individual is not experiencing any joint discomfort or fatigue from the exercise.
How can one optimize their leg press or hack squat routine?
-To optimize a leg press or hack squat routine, one should ensure proper machine setup, focus on full range of motion, vary foot placement and stance, experiment with rep ranges, and incorporate training techniques like myo-rep training to increase stimulus without increasing fatigue.
What advice does Dr. Mike give for beginners regarding leg presses and hack squats?
-For beginners, Dr. Mike advises sticking to barbell squats and lunges to build core free weight movement competency and basic technique. If they choose to include leg presses or hack squats, they should experiment with both as they are both effective for beginners.
How does the advice for intermediate lifters differ from that for beginners regarding these exercises?
-For intermediate lifters, the advice is to use both hack squats and leg presses based on which one provides the best stimulus to fatigue ratio at the time, considering machine quality and personal preference.
What specific considerations does Dr. Mike suggest for advanced lifters when using leg presses or hack squats?
-Advanced lifters should consider specific setups, rep ranges, and training modalities that are ideal for them, such as myo-rep training, and should be aware of their personal preferences and responses to different exercises.
How can one avoid staleness and keep their leg press or hack squat routine effective?
-To avoid staleness, one can switch between leg presses and hack squats when one becomes less effective or enjoyable. They can also vary foot stance, rep ranges, and incorporate different training techniques to refresh the stimulus.
What is the significance of the stimulus to fatigue ratio in choosing between leg presses and hack squats?
-The stimulus to fatigue ratio is significant because it represents the effectiveness of the exercise in promoting muscle growth relative to the fatigue it causes. A high ratio means more muscle growth with less fatigue, which is desirable.
Outlines
🏋️♂️ Leg Presses vs. Hack Squats for Muscle Growth
Dr. Mike from RP Strength discusses the advantages and disadvantages of leg presses and hack squats for muscle growth. Leg presses are beneficial for targeting the quadriceps with minimal impact on the lower back, making them ideal for those with back issues. They also engage the glutes and adductors, though not as much as other exercises like hip hinges. Despite their low axial and systemic fatigue, leg presses can be limited by poorly designed machines that restrict range of motion or have footplates that don't angle correctly, potentially leading to less effective workouts. Hack squats, while similar in muscle targeting, may have higher axial fatigue but are generally better designed for range of motion and are less likely to cause back strain.
🔧 Design Flaws in Leg Press and Hack Squat Machines
The video script highlights common design flaws in leg press and hack squat machines that can hinder workout effectiveness. Leg press machines may have a bad seat angle or stoppers that limit range of motion, especially the crucial bottom half of the movement where most muscle stretch occurs. Footplates that angle away from the heels can also limit motion and force users to adjust their stance, potentially increasing the risk of injury. Hack squat machines can suffer from similar issues, such as a belt that doesn't allow full range of motion or a footplate at the wrong angle, which can limit the depth of the squat and affect muscle engagement. The script suggests that while hack squats generally offer a better range of motion, the quality of the machine can significantly impact the effectiveness of the exercise.
💡 Practical Advice for Choosing Between Leg Press and Hack Squat
Dr. Mike provides practical advice on how to choose between leg presses and hack squats based on individual needs and the quality of available equipment. He suggests that beginners should focus on basic free weight movements like barbell squats and lunges to build foundational strength and technique. Intermediates should use both exercises based on which provides the best stimulus to fatigue ratio at the time, considering the quality of the machines at their gym. Advanced lifters should experiment with different setups, rep ranges, and even training modalities like myo-rep training to find what works best for them. The advice emphasizes the importance of feeling tension in the target muscles, experiencing a good pump, and making consistent strength progressions as indicators of an effective exercise choice.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Leg Press
💡Hack Squat
💡Axial Fatigue
💡Systemic Fatigue
💡Quadriceps
💡Glutes
💡Adductors
💡Range of Motion (ROM)
💡Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio (SFR)
💡MYO-reps
💡Training Stale
Highlights
Leg presses can be an effective alternative for training legs without taxing the lower back.
Leg presses target the quads well and have a low axial fatigue contribution.
Hack squats provide a similar stimulus to leg presses but with higher axial fatigue.
Poorly designed leg press machines can limit range of motion and effectiveness.
Leg press machines that are easier at the bottom can hinder muscle growth.
Hack squats can be limited by machine design, such as belts running out or stoppers.
Both leg presses and hack squats can be used for a big quad stimulus with lower systemic fatigue.
Leg presses are recommended when the machine is well-designed and provides a good stimulus to fatigue ratio.
Hack squats can be a good alternative when leg presses become stale or cause discomfort.
For beginners, focus on barbell squats and lunges to build foundational movement competency.
Intermediates should use both leg presses and hack squats based on the best stimulus to fatigue ratio at the time.
Advanced lifters can refine specific setups and rep ranges for optimal results with leg presses or hack squats.
Myo-reps can be particularly effective for advanced lifters looking to maximize stimulus in leg presses and hack squats.
Switch between leg presses and hack squats to keep exercises fresh and avoid plateaus.
Always consider how the exercise feels in terms of tension, burn, and joint comfort when choosing between leg presses and hack squats.
Both leg presses and hack squats are valuable tools for targeting quads without excessive fatigue to the rest of the body.
Transcripts
cuz sometimes you're just beat up your
back's beat up your lower back is tired
your whole upper back is tired and you
want to train legs but you know your
back is going to be a limiting factor
well if you find a good Hax got a good
leg press that's not the case anymore
you can train the living shit out of
your quads and really not pay a price
axial or systemic fatigue wise nearly as
much hey folks Dr Mike here for RP
strength let's talk about leg presses
versus hack squats for muscle growth
what is the difference and which one
should you choose for your own
programming let's start with leg presses
first leg presses have some benefits and
they have some potential cost SL
downsides on the benefit side for leg
press they target the quads very well as
an exercise if you want robust muscular
stimulus leg presses are great they
target the glutes and adductors a little
bit as well so great uh training for
them glutes and adductors are targeted
through a bunch of other different
exercises including hip hinges so if you
do a lot of hip hinges and a lot of leg
pressing your gluten adductors are
actually very well taken care of through
that
combination really good news is that leg
presses mostly leave the lower back
alone which is uncharacteristic for
barbell and Smith machine squatting
moves which do hit up your lower back a
little bit and because they leave your
lower back alone and don't compress your
spine much leg presses have a pretty low
axial fatigue contribution which is the
fatigue of crunching down your back um
and a pretty low systemic fatigue
compared to something like squats or
lunges Etc so interesting tool in the
toolbox but not without their
limitations some of these limitations
are limitations that free weight moves
do not have for example at least four of
them one is the leg press machine you're
using can be poorly designed in a few
ways the first way is it has a bad seat
angle or it has Stoppers to the plate
mechanism such that you can't get a
really deep range of motion if the seat
angle is really bad in respect to the
plate or if you have Stoppers you might
not even be able to go down for a big
deep quad stretch and thus you're
eliminating literally the most
scientifically validated part of the
range of motion which is like the bottom
half bottom third of almost every
movement where you get a big stretch and
that sucks because it'll cost you
results your leg press that you could be
using may have may have a poorly angled
foot plate especially if the foot plate
doesn't angle towards your heels but
angles instead away from your heels it
can really limit the range of motion
that you get and thus results and if you
want a big range of motion out of it you
might have to do it off your hippy toes
which limits how much force you can
produce marginally increases the chance
of injury unless you make the weight a
lot lighter and so it's just a bunch of
modifications you have to make without
an ideal setup that in a barbell squat I
mean a barbell squat is a barbell squat
is a barbell Squat and if you have good
technique and access to one barbell you
just don't run in any of these problems
another one is the machine can be poorly
designed and many leg presses are such
that the machine is made intentionally
easier at the bottom where it's supposed
to be harder to get more stretch mediate
hypertrophy and it's harder at the top
where it just saps out a lot of your
strength and a lot of your fatigue
without giving you a huge return to the
hypertrophic yield of that movement it
just doesn't make you nearly as jacked
so a lot of machines a lot of leg
presses are really tough at the top
really easy at the bottom and that's
backwards it is also backwards to a
squat the squat is real tough at the
bottom which is why most people avoid
that part of the range of motion and
pretty easy at the top which is why
almost everyone squats at least the top
half part and so you end up having an
exercise that's just not nearly as
effective if you cut your squats but if
you do full squats you're good to go but
even if you do full range of motion leg
presses on a poorly built machine you
can get into a situation where yeah
you're doing full ROM but that bottom
stretch isn't much of a stretch at all
because there's not a ton of tension in
it and that top part you really just
want to Coast through or even skip but
it's the hardest part of the movement so
it really kind of screws you over lastly
if you manage to rig a leg press in such
a way that you put the back pad down a
lot and you get some weightlifting shoes
it may be designed now to spit you out
of the machine so you have to hold
yourself into the seat and sometimes
they don't really put the handles where
they're supposed to and you end up kind
of trying to slide your fingers
underneath one of the metal bars in the
machine it gets really annoying so yeah
now you have a decent setup but you're
getting shot out of the machine the
entire time and that really can suck
there's like how leg presses are in
ideal fantasy and then there's leg press
reality sometimes reality is like
fucking awful and then the leg press
takes a really big hit so not ideal all
right what about hack squats let's talk
about the benefits and the cost of a
hack squat so the benefits of a hack
Squad are very similar to that of a leg
press very very similar Target the quads
very well they hit a bit of the uh
glutes and adatc as well they leave the
lower back mostly alone though because
the weight is introduced through your
shoulders not nearly as much so they do
have higher axial fatigue than leg
presses but still considerably more than
things like squats deadlifts lunges Etc
you can't slip out of a hack squat which
is great so it's definitely Superior to
leg pressing in that regard but hack
squatting has some downsides as well it
can be poorly designed to limit bottom
end range of motion a lot of times hack
squats the the the belt will run out or
there Stoppers that you can't move you
got to try to weld them out and which
I've tried to do with machines before
with some limited success but it ends up
being like you can't literally get a
full stretch because the machine just
stops and you're like okay this is a
nice idea of a hack squat but it's not
really giving me what I want so that can
suck the hack squat could be poorly
designed
and thus you have a situation where it's
really hard at the top really easy at
the bottom some some hack squat machines
work on a kind of a cam system and then
it's just super not ideal because you're
supposed to have a lot of tension at the
bottom much less tension at the top you
flip the script all of a sudden it's
just more fatigue and less muscle growth
and very concerningly from any hack
squats the foot plate can be at the
wrong angle again requiring you to take
a very deep heel position and thus your
calf tendons and Ankle joints will be
what stops you from becoming fully
Mobile on an exercise and either you
need to go down with your tippy toes
which really sucks or if you insist on
having your heels down the whole time
you can only go down halfway or
two-thirds of the way and you miss that
bottom super high tension stretch
position so hack squats generally afford
a bigger range of motion than a leg
press I'll put it to you other way if I
go to a random gym and there's random
leg presses and random hack squats
there's more of a chance that you're
going to get a good quad workout in a
hack squat than a leg press but if it's
a good leg press versus a good Squad
you're starting to have very very close
comparison of effect and especially
because lag presses don't fatigue the
axial part of your skeleton much they
don't fatigue your lower back as much in
some cases very good leg press typically
beats a very good hack squat un stimulus
to fatigue ratio on average but most
hack squats are better than most leg
presses so it ends up being on average
average kind of a
tie so because it's a tie what are the
best use cases for leg press what are
the best use cases for hack squat how do
we navigate this environment which one
should you use well here's the deal for
both leg presses and hack squats you can
use them whenever you want a big quad
stimulus with some adductor and glute
involvement you can also use them when
you want a big quad stimulus but with
lower systemic and axial fatigue than
something like barbell squats would
provide you because sometimes you're
just beat up your back's beat up your
your your lower back is tired your whole
upper back is tired and you want to
train legs but you know your back is
going to be limiting factor well if you
find a good hack Squad a good leg press
that's not the case anymore you can
train the living shit out of your quads
and really not pay a price axial or
systemic fatigue wise nearly as
much if you already have one leg day
planned for your week and you're using a
lot of barbell squatting or smith
machine squatting in it both leg presses
and hack squats are an excellent primary
quad move alternative for the other leg
day of your week so if you train legs
twice a week like many people do if one
of them is some kind of free weight or
smith machine squat situation then yeah
you probably can do some leg presses or
hack squats later in the week in that
other leg workout and they will provide
you a crapload of squad stimulus but
maybe because you also train back Etc no
doubt you do in your workout you want to
limit that axial loading and axial
fatigue so one really axial fatiguing
movement like squats per week most
people can benefit from and it's
actually super great more than one some
ese especially bigger and stronger
people that have trained for a while it
starts to become too much for them and
thus a leg press or hack squat is just a
better alternative than just another day
of barbell squat
it now what about hack squat versus leg
press well really in the end here it's
when you are not stale on the leg press
and it's just smooth and going super
well your stimulus to fatigue ratio on
it is very high you love training it
everything's feeling great your joints
feel great your muscles are getting good
pump good tension good soreness then
just go and you're making excellent
strength progressions just use leg press
for a while if leg presses become stale
your joints start to feel leaky you just
don't like to do the movement anymore
your strength prog press installed
you're not getting super pumped and sore
anymore just kind of like tired trying
the hack Squat and all of a sudden it's
fresh and new and awesome then you go to
hack squat so when leg press is stale
you train hack squats when hack squats
become stale you've laid off leg presses
for weeks if not months you come back to
leg press and then usually it's super
resensitized super new super effective
so you kind of switch back and forth
between them and possibly some belt
squats and some Smith machine squats and
other such exercises that you keep in a
rotation so everything always fresh and
new and you're always making really good
consistent gains that's how you squash
the beef between leg press and hack
squat they're both tools that are very
similar so use one when you're feeling
one when your stimulus to fatigue ratio
is good when it's not stale and the
other one you keep on the back burner
until it refreshes and you can use it
beneficially again that's the general
advice but I can be more specific before
we sign off for today I'm going to give
you guys advice based on if you're a
beginner intermediate or Advanced
beginners typically train between 0er
and 3 years intermediates between 3 and
7 years and in my book Advanced seven
years plus of consistent training
another way to think of which one you
are if you're just doing stuff and
everything's working you're a beginner
if you have to start thinking about the
basics of your plan or you don't uh get
really good results you get plateaus
you're intermediate and if you have all
your ducks in a row and you're still
making very small gains even though
you're really intelligent about your
training you've been training for a
while then you're an advanced lifter so
for beginners is it hack squats is it
leg press which one is it how to you use
them my best advice is two part one
stick to barbell squats and lunges as
well as other free weight moves to build
your core free weight movement
competency builds basic technique
excellent balance it's going to follow
you all the way through your entire
lifting career remember you're just
beginning you don't need the ultimate
yet if you get a chance to lag press or
hack Squad in your program it just does
not matter which one you choose because
you're going to have to experiment with
both and for you they're both equally
effective no doubt in a grand scale if
you're an intermediate use both hack
squats and leg presses based on what's
getting the best stimulus to fatigue
ratio at the time which means if you
have a shitty leg press at your gym and
a really really good hack squat you
might train hack squats nine months out
of the year and shitty leg press kind of
rigged so you can step on your toes
maybe three months out of the year if
both machines are excellent six and six
months if the leg press is better 9 to
three the other way around and I don't
mean to be specific about these uh
numbers these amounts of time training
but basically if it's really good sfr
it's either squad or L press it doesn't
matter it's kind of like macros being
the same do you pasta do you do Rice you
can do both you can even mix and match
if you like generally it's one or the
other and you're good to go now for the
advanced a couple of more particular
points you can use both hack squats and
lag presses based on what's getting your
best sfr at the time but you also want
to hone in on specific setups and rep
ranges that are ideal for you so for
example if you do hack squats are you
going to do them all the way up and down
are you going to do bottom two-thirds
partials where do you put your feet
exactly is it a wide stance is a narrow
stance how is your Cadence as an
advanced lifter you'll learn which one
of these setups are go into your
definitely try this and do this box some
of these setups like a WID stance kind
of more rapid descent hack squat you'll
be like you know what man that's not me
other people it works for it doesn't
work for me you learn yourself so well
by the time you're Advanced I'm not
saying you can write off entire methods
of training or modalities of training
but you can know what really works well
for you and everything else maybe to
experiment with on occasion but you know
it's probably not going to work nearly
as well so Advanced people have specific
setups and ideal rep ranges you know
people say well leg press for me Works
in the 15 to 20 rep range the best but
hack squat because it's somewhat
systemically fatiguing it works better
in the 10 to 15 rep range otherwise I
run out of breath that's something you
have to know yourself and you won't
really get to realize it until you're
Advanced beginners don't even know how
to tell what's more effective for them
intermediates are still in the process
of figuring that
out and lastly if you're Advanced
definitely consider doing some my reps
and other such modalities my rep
matching is really great for like press
and hack squat so when you're plugging
into the sets you're not just doing sets
of 10 or sets of five or sets of 15
straight you're using something like my
reps uh which is a method of rest
pausing you do a bunch of reps and you
rest a little bit do a bunch of reps
rest a little bit you never leave the
machine that entire time it can make
each set much more stimulative and
because you have to do fewer sets
there's less transitional time less
fatigue of unracking racking unracking
racking setting up and thus you can
spend less time in the gym get a bigger
effect if you use some of these
strategies which really start to pay a
huge dividend when you're Advanced when
you're intermediate especially when
you're a beginner they don't really
matter all that much so those are my
recommendations to some come up black
presses and ha qus are both excellent
they're excellent for really targeting
the quads and leaving everything else
kind of the fuck alone use them at your
best discretion and use whichever ones
seem to be working for you best at the
time you feel the most tension in the
Target muscle you feel the burn in the
Target muscle you get a pump after a few
sets that's pretty gnarly you get sore
really tired for a few days afterwards
and your joints feel great and you love
the exercise you love doing it you're
progressing on strength be it hack
squats or leg presses that's your
exercise for a while when that doesn't
happen anymore much and the exer gets a
little Annoying and stale flip the
script go to the other exercise work in
your foot stance work in your rep ranges
work in some my reps or something get
that going train it for a few months
until it becomes stale rinse repeat and
uh eventually you have really big legs
which is good for having big legs
and that's
it it's all you got see you guys next
time
[Music]
than
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