Exercise Library
Lever Leg Extension
Sit on the leg extension machine with your back firmly against the pad and your legs positioned under the padded lever. Grip the side handles for stability and start with your knees bent. Extend your legs by straightening the knees against the resistance until they are nearly fully straight, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position with control to isolate and strengthen the quadriceps.
Primary muscle
Quadriceps (vastus lateralis
Secondary muscles
vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, rectus femoris)
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Category
Quadriceps
How to Do the Lever Leg Extension
- Adjust the seat so your knees line up with the machine's pivot point and the back pad supports your hips.
- Set the ankle pad so it rests on the front of your lower shins, just above the feet.
- Select a working weight on the stack and grip the handles beside the seat.
- Exhale and extend both knees to lift the pad until your legs are straight, without slamming into lockout.
- Pause briefly at the top and squeeze the quads.
- Inhale and lower the weight under control through the full range until your knees are bent to about 90 degrees.
- Stop the stack just short of resting between reps to keep tension on the muscle.
Common Mistakes
- Swinging the weight up: using momentum from the hips to kick the pad up removes tension from the quads; lift with a controlled two second extension.
- Lifting the hips off the seat: bridging up to move heavier weight changes the knee angle and strains the joint; stay pinned to the pad.
- Dropping the stack: letting the weight free fall on the way down wastes the eccentric half of the rep where much of the growth stimulus lives.
- Misaligned pivot: sitting with your knees ahead of or behind the machine's axis creates shear at the knee; take the time to adjust the seat.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your lever leg extension sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.