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What Times Should I Be Eating Carbohydrates?

There are essential fatty acids, and there are essential amino acids, but there are no essential carbohydrates – our body ...

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BCAA’s

In terms of exercise performance and recovery, few amino acids get the notable mention that BCAA’s do.  While glutamine is ...

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Metabolic Flexibility: What It Is, and How Can You Improve Yours!

The ability to switch between glucose and fats (our two major energy sources) based on the foods we consume and ...

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Coconut Oil and Its Countless Benefits

For decades, medical experts and enthusiasts have been nay saying the use of fats. This approach is a result of ...

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The Importance of Fibre for Bodybuilders

The importance of fibre as an essential nutrient is often overlooked and the daily requirements of obtaining enough presents a ...

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Lactic Acid: The Power of the BURN!

The ‘BURN’... both masochistically loved and hated at the same time. We’ve all felt it. We’ve all heard varying opinions ...

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Shrugs

Want titan-sized traps? Here are the best 'shrugging' exercises and how to execute them to pack on the pounds!

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Back Isolation Exercises

Step-by-step instructions for performing the best isolation exercises for building a barn door back!

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Lunges / Split-Squats

Whether your goal is to target the glutes, hams or quads, Ben explains you how to lunge your way ...

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The Essentials of Bodypart Specialization: Hamstring and Glute Training

In preparation for writing this article, I wanted to see what exactly was written out on the web when it ...

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Tricep Dips

Tricep dips done right for visually impacting arms!

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The Essentials of Bodypart Specialization: Arm Training

Training arms is so important to the common bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast that there is absolutely no shortage of information ...

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Leg Presses


General guidelines for all leg pressing movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

  • keep your back flush against the seat (no arching) & butt down (pull on the handles and drive hips into the pad throughout); head back against the pad at all times
  • pull down with the hamstrings bringing the thighs / knees back just prior to the point at which the hips begins to roll / back arches (keep in mind that the higher the feet, the greater the range of motion will be)
  • don’t just let the weight ‘fall’ on the negative, control it down with the hamstrings
  • come up just prior to knee lock-out and ensure constant movement throughout (avoid rest if hypertrophy is the goal).
  • * FOR QUAD FOCUS: add ‘intent’, either by shoving the heels:
       > inwards towards each other
       > outwards
       > or upwards
       …but NOTdown.

    * FOR HAMSTRING FOCUS:
       > easiest when performed with feet high and / or wide – start with this until your ability to contract the hams on this exercise has reached an advanced level
       > apply downward heel ‘intent’ throughout: begin by shoving heels down hard when initiating every rep (everything down the back of the legs should contract).
       > Advanced: once you’ve mastered the above and no sooner (when you’re certain that the emphasis is on the hamstrings at all times), progress by also shoving the knees ‘downwards’ as opposed to simply pushing the weight ‘away’.

 

Leg Press – Variations

’Feet low’ variation for quad emphasis

’Feet wide’ variation

’One-Legged’ variation

    Exercise Specific:

  • With Feet Low:
       > be aware that the range will be smaller, but that this position will most effectively shorten the quads.
  • With Feet Wide:
       > position feet outside of shoulder joint
       > externally rotate toes to about 45º
       > ankle joint outside of knees
       > knees outside of hips (‘V’ the legs outwards)
       > bend knees slightly, allow them to simply fall outwards on the negative
       > shove heels inwards towards each other throughout (‘intent’).
  • With Feet High:
       > use angle of back-pad closest to the floor for greater range of motion
       > place feet ‘comfortably’ high, not excessively high.
  • With Feet Narrow:
       > touch feet and knees together.
  • One-Legged:
       > ideally, keep the resting foot on the ground.