Today we are going to talk about the quadriceps extensions on machine. We will talk about the benefits and possible problems that this exercise may have, when to incorporate it into our leg routine, the best range of series and repetitions and the most intelligent load in order to achieve good muscle growth in the quadriceps.
There is a lot of controversy on the net about this exercise. Some pages will recommend it to you, especially if you are a beginner and you do not master the squat, others will tell you that you should eliminate it immediately due to its inefficiency and risk of future knee problems. The truth is that neither one nor the other have the absolute truth.
Below I will give you the keys you need to know to be able to perform this exercise in the best way to enhance its effectiveness and minimize risks.
The first thing I must tell you is that it is an exercise that cannot replace the squat or the lunge. These two exercises should be the foundation of your leg training and should be performed first in order to handle higher loads.
However, machine quad extensions are an exercise that I love to do towards the end of my workout to finish hypertrophying the muscle. And this is where I think the key is, many criticize this exercise because it can subject the knee to too much tension both at the beginning and at the end of the route. How can we solve this?
The best way to perform this exercise is with a moderate load that allows us to perform the repetitions with a constant speed throughout the range of travel. No maximum loads and repetitions with sudden movements, because that is where the problems appear.
When to do quadriceps extensions?
As we will first do the squats, lunges and some other exercises, our legs will already be fatigued. This is the best time to introduce machine quad extensions. As I have told you, the load should not be the maximum that you can move, but a little lower so that you can perform the 8 or 10 repetitions with a perfect technique and with a constant speed. The rep range will really depend on the accumulated fatigue after the other exercises, but choose a weight that allows you to do more than 8 in all sets.
Regarding the range of motion, to avoid pain, the key is not to lock the knee at the highest point and not to exceed 90 degrees of knee flexion at the lowest point. Therefore, raise the weight until you approach full leg extension but never reach that point and when you lower the weight do not go past the right angle of knee flexion.
Finally let’s talk about the series. Since I use this exercise to finish training, I don’t have a fixed number of sets. I train by sensations. If I am very fatigued I do not do more than 3 or 4 series. If, on the other hand, I feel that my legs are not yet loaded enough, I do more sets or combine this exercise with the knee curl machine (hamstrings) as supersets.
I hope that the post has been useful to you and that my advice will help you to improve your physique day by day. As always, do not forget to share the post on your social networks if you liked it and subscribe to my blog page to receive exclusive content.
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