How to do the Leg Extension?

The leg extension is a strength training exercise for thighs which particularly solicits the quadriceps. This isolation exercise can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of the session but also as a finishing exercise at the end. It can be particularly interesting for people who suffer from herniated discs and who cannot do squats or exercises that compress the spine.

However, it may not be suitable for people with knee joint problems due to the high stress on the knee joint.

How do I do THIS exercise?

Before you sit on the Leg Extension machine, adjust the seat and the height of the flange which should be at ankle level and choose your load.

Sit with your lower back against the seat, grasp your wrists on the side of the machine, place your ankles under the curl, then extend your legs, holding the contraction for 1 to 2 seconds at the top of the movement. Lower your legs, controlling the load slowly, and repeat until the end of your set.

CAUTION: The torso should remain upright without swaying during the entire movement. Keep your feet parallel to avoid putting too much stress on your knee joints. The leg extension can be painful for the knees and may not be suitable for all body types.

Tips

1. Keep your feet parallel throughout the movement. It is sometimes advisable to point the feet in or out depending on whether you want to develop the vastus medialis or vastus lateralis of the quadriceps, but in the end these variations are more stressful on the knees than anything else.
2. Inhale as you bend your legs and exhale as you raise the load.
3. Keep your thighs contracted for 1 to 2 seconds at the top of the movement.

Variants

• You can vary the position of the feet to solicit more the vastus medialis (feet outwards) or the vastus medialis (feet inwards) but this puts a lot of stress on the knee joints.
• The leg extension exercise can be done unilaterally to focus more on each quadriceps or to catch up on any delays.
• If we have a specific machine, it is possible to perform the leg extension with 1 leg.

Need to build up your muscles?

Supplementary article :

4 good reasons to build up your thighs