Tell me why Squats are better than Leg Press.

[BenT]

OK, this may sound ridiculous to you guys, but I am wondering why a squat is so much better than a leg press. Just give me some facts. I don't advocate leg press over squats by any means, I am a squatter. However, I am honestly curious why someone would say squats are so much better than leg press. :confused:

[Bronco]

The Squat is a compound excercise that works mutliple muscle groups for one thing.

Leg press isolates more specific areas.

[jgriffith]

leg press bends all of the same joints, how is it incorporating more muscle groups? I agree squats are better, but I dont think thats the reason why.

[Tuna Fish]

Squats: require the weight to be supported by the entire body/trunk. Back and abs come into play heavily.

Leg press: body is supported by the machine, hence fewer muscles working in support roles.

[Todd]

Squats are a superior exercise because you are supporting your own bodyweight as well as a ton of poundage, you are working against gravity, and you are forced to use and recruit more muscles and muscle fibers because you have to balance the weight and because of the biomechanics involved in performing the exercise. Just do a set of heavy squats and then do a set of heavy leg presses, you will then easily see why they are better (and harder!)

Have a look at this article...it pretty much sums it up why they are better and why MOST people avoid squats in the first place, compared to other leg exercises. ---> http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa_search/...xt.asp?ID=1203

Squats separate the "men" from the "boys"...point blank!

[BenT]

Originally Posted by Todd

Squats are a superior exercise because you are supporting your own bodyweight as well as a ton of poundage, you are working against gravity, and you are forced to use and recruit more muscles and muscle fibers because you have to balance the weight and because of the biomechanics involved in performing the exercise. Just do a set of heavy squats and then do a set of heavy leg presses, you will then easily see why they are better (and harder!)

Have a look at this article...it pretty much sums it up why they are better and why MOST people avoid squats in the first place, compared to other leg exercises. ---> http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa_search/...xt.asp?ID=1203

Squats separate the "men" from the "boys"...point blank!

Thanks Todd, but that still doesn't offer me any real factual information. I completely agree with all of it, but he doesn't support it with hard evidence. Is there any concrete factual information to prove squats are better than leg pressing?

I feel the difference Todd, I am with you on this. However, I am in the process of training a friend of mine who is trying to make the US Ski Team. He hates squats and refuses to go near a loaded rack. I want to prove to him why he is cheating himself. I know I'm not the best trainer out there, but the routine I have developed has done me wonders. I'm trying to get him to do the same so he can take it to the next level next season.

[Todd]

How about this article...it almost sounds exactly what you asked me in your above post...lol. http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa_search/...xt.asp?ID=2016

I don't know how else to explain it to your buddy, but that squats require more stabilization muscles to come into play, they require you to balance the load, and it is more of a compound movement. That is about as factual as you can get...for that is the reason why it's harder than leg presses. You are supporting your own body weight plus a ton more weight and you are using more muscle groups to execute the exercise. That should be good enough reason for him to see the light.

It sounds like tho, your friend is simply afraid of getting under a loaded bar and doing what is undoubtedly the hardest, most demanding and feared exercise in bodybuilding. Tell him this, if he is still wondering why squats are better than leg presses etc. Tell him that the harder the exercise, the more effective it is at stimulating growth. Squats are WAY harder to do than leg presses, making them a more effective exercise. Just like doing chin-ups is harder than lat pulldowns...and again, it's a way more effective exercise. Don't see too many people doing unassisted chin-ups from a plain old bar now do you? But almost everyone is at the lat pulldown machine. Same thing goes for squats...you don't see anyone lined up at the squat racks waiting to get in there to do their heavy sets of squats...but the leg press machines are always being used! See a pattern here?

[MostMuscle]

You could try this link here

[Todd]

Originally Posted by MostMuscle

You could try this link here

Says you need a subscription to view the article dude.

[Gartrell]

Originally Posted by Todd

Squats separate the "men" from the "boys"...point blank!

Well put :

[grambo]

If I were a skier. I'd choose squats as you're able to strengthen every muscle from the waist down, including your overall core strength in one movement.

When applying weight lifting to sports, when choosing exercises, a movement that involves more than one muscle group (a compound movement) is much more applicable to most athletes. An athlete needs to strengthen their whole body, and increase strength that is applicable to their sport. The squat is a universally accepted exercise when it comes to strengthening the lower the body, and improving overall strength.


So, squat dammit!

[NateDogg]

Originally Posted by Todd

Says you need a subscription to view the article dude.

Lol, I was all ready to say I got in fine...then I remembered I'm a subscriber...lol.

[Firehawk]

Tell your friend to quit being a SISSY, and get in there and lift like a MAN lifts. Squats are a true weightlifter's exercise, and should never be unincluded in your workouts. You want hard evidence? LOOK AROUND! Look at people that have huge legs and ask them if they didnt do squats to get those legs. Look at EVERY HUGE bodybuilder that has enormous legs, famous or not famous. Theres no way they got to that point doing leg presses.

[MostMuscle]

Originally Posted by Todd

Says you need a subscription to view the article dude.

Sorry about that.....like NateDogg I forgot about the membership requirement. Great resource though!! Well worth the cost!

[manif3st]

i used to be just like your friend, i thought i could get my legs in shape with just leg presses and that squats werent all that great cause i couldnt do nearly as much weight with squats as i could presses. ive read about how awesome squats are numerous times, people ranting and raving about them and how inferior leg presses are. the ONLY thing that convinced me that squats are far more superiour to leg presses, that they completely, and utterly dwarf the effectiveness of the leg press is that i actually decided to grow some balls one day and TRY THEM! after that, i finally understood how much better squats are. i still to this day dont exactly know why, but i let results speak for themselves so seriously, just get the guy to do a few heavy sets of squats one day and when he walks funny for the next few days, im sure he'll be a believer too :