leg extension

The Seated Leg Extension is an assisted machine exercise and it is great for isolating and building your quads. Almost every gym will have one, and yet few people will know how and when to use this piece of equipment to their best advantage. Keep reading because you’re about to find out.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to use the Seated Leg Extension, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Using the Seated Leg Extension

This is an isolation exercise and the primary muscle group worked during Seated Leg Extensions is the quads.

Quadriceps: The Seated Leg Extension specifically targets and strengthens all four quadriceps muscles, helping to build strength and definition in the front of the thighs.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

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How to Perform the Seated Leg Extension

1. Machine Setup: Before starting, ensure you adjust the Seated Leg Extension machine to your own physical proportions. Pay attention to the backrest and the footpad. The footpad should rest just above your ankles, and your back should be firmly against the backrest.

2. Weight Selection: Choose a weight that is challenging but manageable for your current strength level. Start with a low moderate weight if you are new to this exercise. You can always load more later.

3. Execution: Sit on the machine, grasp the handles for support, and brace yourself. Then lift your legs until they are fully extended but not locked at the knees. This motion contracts your quads.

4. Controlled Return: Lower the weight back down, through the same clean and controlled movement. Focus on engaging your quads throughout the exercise.

5. Go for reps.

Benefits of the Seated Leg Extension

Quad Isolation: The Seated Leg Extension effectively isolates the quads, helping to enhance their strength and aesthetic.

Enhanced Definition: If you want to sculpt your thighs you can build more definition by adding this isolation exercise at the end of any Leg Workout Plan.

Last Reps: This machine is perfect for squeezing out the last few reps left in you after a heavy leg workout. It is said that those last few reps is where the muscle grows.

Injury Rehabilitation: Seated Leg Extensions can be valuable for individuals recovering from most injuries, as they are low impact and allow controlled strengthening of the quads.

Seated Leg Extension: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Momentum: Avoid swinging your legs or using momentum to lift the weight. Focus on moving the weight fully through your quads. Don’t use your upper body for momentum, this is a single joint movement exercise, the only part of you that should be moving is your knees.

Going Too Light: While maintaining proper form, choose a weight that challenges your muscles. You should start to feel the burn in your quads towards the end of your set. Light weights don’t put enough resistance on the muscle to sufficiently build it.

Ignoring Full Range of Motion: Work through the full range of motion for optimal results. Ensure that your knees fully extend without locking, and engage your quads throughout the entire movement. Half reps are reserved for lifters who know how and when to use them. Otherwise you should perform the full range of motion.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep the weight low until you are comfortable, then slowly add more. Get yourself to a weight level where you are struggling from the 8th rep or a 10 rep set.

Then perform 10 reps of the Seated Leg Extension for 3-6 sets, depending on your personal goals.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Seated Leg Extension More Challenging

To make this exercise more challenging you can add more weight of course, or you can slow down the range of motion so that you are performing your Leg Extensions with more time under tension.

How to Incorporate the Seated Leg Extension into Your Workouts

This is an assisted exercise as well as an isolation exercise, so it belongs towards the end of your leg, lower body or full body workout plan.

Always start with the biggest moves that use the most weight, and work your way down from there. If your plan includes a Squat or a Deadlift, do that first, then work your way down through barbell exercises to dumbbell exercises and then onto cable and machine/isolation exercises towards the end, this is where your Seated Leg Extensions belong in your workout plan. You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to the Seated Leg Extension

To complement your quad training, consider incorporating Squats, Lunges, and Step-Ups into your plan. These compound exercises engage the quads while involving additional muscle groups which allow you to move more overall weight so you can build muscle and strength faster.

There are more Leg Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

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