Are Leg Extensions Ok?

Ive read articles that say leg extensions are really bad for your knees, but I want to start I BODYBUILDER which includes leg extensions. I know Christian Thibaudeau is a smart guy should this be ok?

hahahahaha

Nothing wrong with leg extensions in general unless you’re using a crappy machine. For example the machine in my old gym back in Poland was so bad that I had to MacGyver the setup quite a bit to be able to use it pain free, and even then it was uncomfortable.

B.

You have to consider that leg extensions are often used for rehabilitation after a knee injury. If they were so bad for your knees I doubt so many physical therapists would use them.

Try them. If you feel a good contraction/pump in your Quads, keep at it. If they hurt, don’t do them.

Just make sure you use a weight that you can control. this isn’t an exercise you do low reps with. I think there also may be a slightly higher risk of injury if you have it setup so that your feet are well behind your knee at the start of each rep.

Not safe without dbol sandwhiches before and after each rep

Only when supersetted with squats.

Yeah.

Don’t let your knees rotate past 90 degrees at the bottom of the rep.

[quote]MAF14 wrote:
Don’t let your knees rotate past 90 degrees at the bottom of the rep.[/quote]

I’ve only started using leg extensions, but I found this to be key in order to keep tension on the quads. I get a really nice quad pump with them.

[quote]Piyneimad wrote:

[quote]MAF14 wrote:
Don’t let your knees rotate past 90 degrees at the bottom of the rep.[/quote]

I’ve only started using leg extensions, but I found this to be key in order to keep tension on the quads. I get a really nice quad pump with them.[/quote]

I like to do so just because it hurts if I start the rep any further back.

I like them, paused at the bottom, full explosive extentsion and a 2 second squeeze at the top (usually moderate-light weight, high reps)…Nice finisher after heavy squats and leg presses.

[quote]patrick96 wrote:
Ive read articles that say leg extensions are really bad for your knees, but I want to start I BODYBUILDER which includes leg extensions. I know Christian Thibaudeau is a smart guy should this be ok?[/quote]

The premise behind leg extensions being ‘bad for the knees’ lies in the fact that during the movement there is no co-contraction of the hamstrings/calf to buttress the knee joint and the resulting shearing that occurs as a result.

The quads and hams are designed to work together during squats, deads, lunges (closed kinetic chain exercises) etc. but in isolation movements like leg extensions this does not happen and as a result the potential for injury may increase either directly by means of the shearing force or indirectly through strength imbalances incurred through improper programming i.e. overzealous use of said machine or neglecting the hams.

It’s about weighing up your options and intelligent programming. CT knows his stuff bigtime!

To say leg extensions are really bad for the knees is taking it to far but sprinting in cloggs on the other hand probably would be…