Really Weak at Leg Press Compared to Squat

Thanks Chris. I started with the bar because I was such a naturally gifted lifter. LOL. Nah seriously though its just a movement pattern thing probably. I don’t really care as long as my squat keeps progressing. I’m going to keep leg pressing to keep my hamstring to quad ratio strong. I’m noticing throughout the months that I’m using my glutes and hams more than my quads while im squatting. Which is warranted because I’m doing extra glute and hamstring work and not any extra quad.

Any reason in particular you need a strong quad to hamstring ratio?

[quote]Reed wrote:
… Learning2lift let me say this in the nicest most beginner way I can… No one and I mean no one me, anyone here, your mom, your girlfriend even your boyfriend after this thread nor should you give any FUCKs about your leg press compared to your Squat. I like you I do but please get this out of your head.[/quote]

^^^This

And I might add; the next time I’m concerned about my leg press ability will be the first time. Squats seem to be a whole lot more useful in general. Especially in making it so darn easy to get up off the toilet. No more struggling and calling for assistance to get off the can is quite an esteem-builder.

Old post, but gonna chime in anyhow. In my 20s I was squating in the 500s ass to grass and Leg press- lets just say there was never enough weight (I’d get a friend to hold plates and sit on top of the machine). By the way my legs always looked like toothpicks.

Fast forward to m 40’s. I can squat around a pitiful 185lbs, with knee pain, but I can still do 8-10 solid reps knees to chest leg press with 24 45lb plates no pain. It’s all about leverage. Hell in that postion, when the machine isn’t bolted down I can exert enough force to move the whole machine about 3 ft if I don’t keep it slow (legs still look like toothpicks).

I think other than keeping what little size I have in my legs up ( esp with arthritis in both knees and in neck and back), the leg press is useless for athletic performance. When I was squating the big numbers, I could tomahawk a basket ball (dunk at 6ft). Now I’m luck to grab the bottom of the net.
But I’m slowly easing back into squating- which Crossfit has helped me with minus a knee strain 5 months ago.
So Squat to be a better everything. Leg press can be a tool to help you with at least maintance. By the way I stopped doing hack squats- just made me look like an ass when I hogged all the plates, and then turned around and did 115lb squats.