The leg extension, although some are not convinced, is a very useful tool for the training of quadriceps in athletes of different kinds.
As a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer, I train athletes who are also very different from each other: from sportsmen to natural bodybuilders, through functional training enthusiasts and powerbuilders, athletes halfway between bodybuilding and powerlifting.
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What is the leg extension for
The primary purpose of leg extension is to increase muscle mass and muscle strength of the quadriceps muscles.
It’s an exercise that’s rarely missing in my training proposals: whether you do A.I. bodybuilding or follow any of my training cards, it’s almost certain you’ve come across it.
From rehabilitation to performance, through the increase of muscle hypertrophy, leg extension has always been used in gyms around the world and in rehabilitation studies.
I personally love the gym environment, and despite having a home gym by Kingsbox, I prefer to train right in the gym, among athletes and colleagues.
I really like the atmosphere and being around people.
Leg Extension at home
Many others, however, prefer to train in home gym: they love to have their own time, their own spaces, be able to put the music they want, or something on TV while they train.
There is no right or wrong: everyone rightly must find his own way, and what allows him/her to be as constant as possible, because the quality of training is not enough, but you must also train often, and possibly for a lifetime!
Unfortunately a huge limitation of home gym is just the lack of equipment available: you need several tools, in a space that is never as large as you would like.
One of the rarest things to find in a home gym, even among the best, is a leg extension.
Royal Leg Extension solves this problem very well as I have been experiencing for so many years of training.
It is not simply a “leg extension”, but much more: it is more because you can connect it directly to your rack, and this is a great strength.
It reduces the space requirement, which in home gym is essential.
Not only that, but: thanks to the Royal Leg Extension you can perform, sitting on a pliometric box maybe, the sitting leg extension, but you can also use the attachment to perform the standing leg curl.
It basically acts as two machines in one, using little space, and working great.
It’s a really useful tool, therefore: whether you do functional, bodybuilding, powerlifting or other disciplines that require a high muscle mass and muscle strength of quadriceps.
How many sets and repetitions to do
From 3 to 5 training series, between 6 and 12 repetitions about, turn out to be a good starting guideline, coming very close or total muscle failure.
This is because the leg extension is an isolation exercise, from which it recovers relatively quickly, and which therefore we can afford to do to subsidence, even more than once a week.
The exact number of sets and repetitions, frequency and progression over the course of weeks will depend on the level of the athlete and his specific purpose, but these can certainly be excellent guidelines.
Why not doing fewer repetitions with more load?
This is not necessarily a mistake, but many coaches and trainers, myself included, prefer to use the machines in a slightly higher repeating range to increase the total work volume and tonnage, while maintaining high movement quality, much easier than barbell exercises.
Conclusion
The Royal Leg Extension Kingsbox solves a problem that many have had for so many years: being able to do leg extension and leg curl at home.
The quality is high, the bearing is generous on the legs, and the versatility and durability is high.
A tool that I feel I can strongly recommend to bodybuilders, athletes and sportsmen of all kinds, as well as powerbuilders and powerlifters who feel the need to also use machines, and not limited to barbell and dumbbells, to train the muscles of the legs.
Author:
Nicholas Rubini, Strength & Power Coach
BSc in Strength & Conditioning
