No squat rack but have a leg press

[rocketskates]

Join a real gym. The first and only two things I look at when I go to a gym is if they have a squat rack and they allow deadlifts.



Leg Presses don't seem very challenging. There's a guy in my gym who literally has to use every single 20kg plate in the gym to get a workout. I don't know why he doesn't just do squats.

Most guys use the sled to show off. The reality is you don’t need more than 4-5 plates on each side. It’s mostly about a good full rep rather than loading up every plate in the gym and doing 1/4 reps. The same people who overload the sled don’t even squat usually.

 

[Pugilistic]

Most guys use the sled to show off. The reality is you don’t need more than 4-5 plates on each side. It’s mostly about a good full rep rather than loading up every plate in the gym and doing 1/4 reps. The same people who overload the sled don’t even squat usually.

For sure I think it makes guys feel strong. When my max squat was around 105kg, I could load the legpress with 3 plates on each side pump out 10 reps. That's when I decided I wasn't even going to bother with the leg press. That and people tend to gravitate towards it so they can sit and look at their phones.

 

[Prokofievian]

I really like the leg press, btw. It is not - in any way shape or form - a replacement for the back squat for someone who can safely perform that exercise, but as a complement to the back squat I think it's fantastic. Throwing in leg press after squat and bench, or at the end of a double deadlift workout will be a staple of my training for the forseeable future.

 

[rocketskates]

I really like the leg press, btw. It is not - in any way shape or form - a replacement for the back squat for someone who can safely perform that exercise, but as a complement to the back squat I think it's fantastic. Throwing in leg press after squat and bench, or at the end of a double deadlift workout will be a staple of my training for the forseeable future.

I agree. After squatting it’s a great accessory. I like to even use it for pause reps.

 

[Prokofievian]

I agree. After squatting it’s a great accessory. I like to even use it for pause reps.

That's a good idea. Particularly, I like that the leg press allows you to control where the tension goes in your muscles. Pausing the reps takes that even further.

 

[NoSmilez]

I don't know why but I never liked the leg press machine. It hurts my lower back for some odd reason

 

[deadshot138]

I don't know why but I never liked the leg press machine. It hurts my lower back for some odd reason

Likely letting it round your lumbar spine by coming down to far with the sled

 

[kevo1295]

Don't trust a gym without a squat rack. I barely trust mine when there's only two, and I have to wait forever to get a workout

 

[Lip]

Change gyms

 

[KO By Knee]

So this new gym has or does not have a squat rack?

It does check my IG: FitnessVince89 I just hit 315 x 20 the other night on squats : )

 

[KO By Knee]

Check out Pavel's Power To The People. He shows several deadlift variations that hit the legs, as a replacement for squats.

You could also learn how to power clean and front squat.

Check out my IG at FitnessVince:89
I am not a front squat or a power clean person lol. I do hexbar deadlifts in my routine now and I find it hits the rest of the legs that squats, deadlift and calf raises don't hit. I usually do them in sets of 10

 

[auger38]

Do not check his Instagram. Just a bunch of shirtless pics that I may or may not have saved for personal use. No vids though.

 

[KO By Knee]

Do not check his Instagram. Just a bunch of shirtless pics that I may or may not have saved for personal use. No vids though.

I got one vid on there looking like im hitting the punching bag on the moon im so slow lol.

 

[Ian Coe]

I agree. After squatting it’s a great accessory. I like to even use it for pause reps.

+1.

I've now included the leg press (probably 4 weeks ago) after my squat (and once deadlift) session as a accessory. I use it for single leg pressing and use it to increase the workload and work out any potential strength imbalance I may have between the two legs.

My last 2 working sets last time were 10's @ 70kg, which is about 40kg more than when I started in late Oct/early Nov.

Trying to get the 'extended ROM' from it as well (ie like my squat, ass to grass) for single leg.

 

[rocketskates]

+1.

I've now included the leg press (probably 4 weeks ago) after my squat (and once deadlift) session as a accessory. I use it for single leg pressing and use it to increase the workload and work out any potential strength imbalance I may have between the two legs.

My last 2 working sets last time were 10's @ 70kg, which is about 40kg more than when I started in late Oct/early Nov.

Trying to get the 'extended ROM' from it as well (ie like my squat, ass to grass) for single leg.

That’s perfect. Always get the ROM. You see all these knuckleheads loading 9 plates now on each side for 1/8 reps...they aren’t doing shit. Keep it modest but focus on getting those weights down!

 

[Ian Coe]

It's pretty fucking annoying to be honest though. There is often 4 plates on either side which I mostly have to unrack.

I had a upper body bosun when I was unracking asked me if I knew how to use it and if I had used it before.
I let him finish talking about how they have asked for more weights and thinner plates, before asking him to try and lift with 1 leg to the same ROM what I was doing. He couldn't get half way with 40 on a leg.