If you do strength training to improve your sports performance or your general physical functioning in everyday life, you can forget about leg-presses. Rather than wasting your time on the leg-press machine, you would do better to concentrate on squats. We base this bold statement on a study that the German sports scientist Klaus Wirth published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Study The researchers divided almost 80 students into three groups. The first group, the control group, did nothing for eight weeks. The second group of students trained their legs on a leg-press machine twice a week for eight weeks and the third group trained their legs by doing squats. The two training groups used the same training schedule. Results The students who had done squats boosted their maximal strength while squatting by about a quarter. The students who had trained on the leg-press also boosted their maximal strength by a quarter while doing leg presses. The researchers measured the amount of isometric strength the subjects could generate on a kind of leg-extension machine, before and after the training period. They also got the students to do jump squats and countermovement jumps so that they could measure – put simply – the speed the students were capable of developing. The subjects who had done squats made progress in all three areas. The subjects that had trained on the leg-press machine made virtually no progress at all. So the strength you develop by squatting results in an increase in strength and speed when doing real-life movements. The strength that is built up by doing leg-press exercises does not have the same effect. Conclusion "The data suggest a large influence of the selection of training exercise on performance improvement - at least short-term", wrote the researchers. "The squat was shown to be the more effective training exercise. Therefore, it should be preferred to the leg press." "This holds true especially in the special stage before competition because of the better transfer effects on jumping performance but must also be considered in the context of long-term development of speed-strength performance." Source: J Strength Cond Res. 2016 May;30(5):1205-12.
Intuitively this makes sense to me. A squat movement is a compound exercise, in which not only the quads are being used. The leg press is more of an isolation movement, whereby other muscles besides the quads are not really involved. So it does not surprise me that the results on those three control exercises (leg extension, jump squats, counter movement) are better for those who did squats.
I agree that the squat is a better exercise, but I'm surprised that it would translate to such a marked improvement in other movements compared to the leg press.
But I don't care about being able to jump high enough to dunk a basketball, I just want my tushy to look good in a pair of jeans. Also, proper form is harder with squats. To do the movement properly, stand facing a wall with your toes almost touching, and get used to moving your body up and down in a vertical plane. The angle behind your knees and at your waist should open and close at the same rate.
Hold / support a 100lb. Dumbbell on one shoulder. Stand a while, then, walk around some. Shift the weight front a few inches then side a few inches and vary the resting work of the shoulders. Press overhead if desired. You will know how long to do this as you know a training effect. Squatters, I would think would handle this move better than leg pressers due to core strength. If core strength is hard to believe in then move that weight( discussed above) a few inches forward.....in front of the body...shoulder height.......that's it. Functional becomes more important as one ages. I wouldnt bother with this routine 20 years ago either...i mostly feel it as a complex exhaustive, training effect, between the shoulders, higher than the row/bench levels. Do with a weight that exhausts you in 15 minutes. There is a connection to squatting and this...IMO. Honestly guys...you've tried air squats and other atypical moves...try this...no pump...just fatigue with recovery required. How to hold the dumbbell? Any way you can. This is supposed to be hard for the entire duration. Rest as you must by putting the weight down, then pick it up and continue when ready. Stupid simple. Best deal I found...surprisingly good quality...balance or load one to 125lbs. Bar and lock finish does not flake as plates do not as well. Locks are good but do Need frequent check/tightening. https://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-Adjustable-Dumbbells-52-5-105
Rambling continues. Center of gravity on a seated leg press is your ass. You will be excellent propellimg intruders from the foot of your bed IF your shoulders are jammed into the headboard as well. Sure there is carry over from this alignment but not much on core. Back squat center of gravity is a few inches back from the balls of your toes Or between ankles and toes. Gaurenteed when you squat, the weight on your blades( lower is better) , rides smoothly up and down in a vertical plane from that center spot on your foot. Variation is feedback to the system and servo corrected. We get very strong plus/minus 'x' degrees with carry over outside of this. So, front squats are obviously a bitch and a fraction of the weight can be used. More so a bitch is... Walking and shifting weight to off , correcting, and repeating in a wide range of angles and offests from center. Core is the most stressed body lever attempting to maintain or correct weight to center of gravity. Subject to too much weight front , off center you will fail/bend forward at the waist. Good mornings and front squats are primary weighted core Assistance exercises. Ass as center of gravity as in crunches is not ideal but is a good assistance exercise despite common wisdom IMO. You can load these. Function, life , falls outside the center of gravity. When you age it is not possible to enjoy heavy loading over center. Some satisfaction and practicality comes from training outside of center. Furniture movers are some of the functionally strongest people around. I've known some weight lifters who view this activity as seperate , unrelated and wouldnt jepordize a workout or, God forbid, pull a muscle due to variety or leaving a well conditioned zone of comfort. Where do we get these ideas?
Last thing and I am out.....good form prevents injuries partly due to sub maximal loading so one can maintain , control the center of gravity. Injury prevention is extremely important. Possibly most important. Some off center training may allow heavier loading. Varying training, reducing frequency of heavy loading may lead to greater progression of loads if thats your thing. This is all IMO and probably without any scientific backing or credibility at all so.... Be careful. Very last....curls are good for core if you stand. Stand for all you can. But if you row as you are capable of.....you can't curl without overtraining. Large back muscles will fry that tiny bi with good rowing. Recover for the next back session not held back by cooked bi's See ya.
Forget the gym. The best muscle building exercises like squats can be done in a daily routine at home. The upper body muscles can be developed too by pressing up with say the right arm and down with the left thereby exercising both arms in both directions at the same time.