National Strength & Conditioning Association

Volume 23, Number 4, pages 6364

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

Leg Press Versus Squat

Lee E. Brown
Column Editor

WHICH EXERCISE SHOULD BE

done to produce the best gains in
strength and athletic ability in a
safe manner? Working in a middle/high school I often hear concerns that the squat is a move for
older more advanced athletes and
that the leg press is a much more
safe alternative to develop hip/leg
strength. I believe quite the contrary.
First, the squat is a much
more sport-specific move. It requires the body to be in a good
athletic stance at the bottom of
the move and produces complete
hip extension at the top, both positions that are reproduced incessantly on the court or field. The leg
press does get good hip flexion at
the bottom, but at the top the hips
are incompletely extended. The leg
press machine in our weightroom
left the hips flexed at 120100
(depending on seat adjustment)
when the weight was pressed to
the top. I believe it is in those last
6080 of hip extension, not covered by the leg press, that an ath-

letes power/speed strength is

produced. The squat trains this
portion of the hips range of motion.
Second, the squat is a much
safer move for the athlete. Proponents of the leg press may say that
it is a much safer move than the
squat; that leg strength can be developed without putting the low
back at risk. The leg press requires no balance, and the force
the body produces is transferred
from the seat to a moving sled
above the level of a nearly supine
athlete. With the upper body being
completely supported by the seat
of the leg press machine the core
of the body is not recruited to stabilize the hips and low back. The
legs become stronger and can
exert forces much greater than
those that can be safely transferred through the body during
athletic movements. I believe that
the leg press will predispose the
low back, hips, and knees to in-

CONS
PROS

ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF

prescribing an exercise program is
to ensure the safety and quality of
the exercise. Injuries can occur
with any type of exercise even
when performed properly. Howev-

er choosing the right exercise can

be the difference between injury
and maximal benefit.

August 2001

Strength and Conditioning Journal

jury because of the lack of involvement of the bodys stabilizing core.

On the other hand, the squat requires the athlete to balance on
his/her own 2 feet and transfer a
force from the ground through the
body into a resistance at the top of
the body, exactly that which is required on the court/field. The
squat will allow the athlete to develop sport-specific strength and
the ability to transfer it into efficient movement with injury preventing stability. Squatting is
safer for the athlete.
The squat can first be learned
with body weight and a broom
stick and then progressed through
variations up to big weights on the
bar. Properly taught and implemented into a sound program, the
squat is an invaluable tool that
can be used to develop strong, injury-free athletes.

Les Rogers, MS, CSCS

St. Edwards School,
Vero Beach, Florida
Regarding lower body exercise
the most controversial is the decision between the leg press and the
squat. There have been arguments
made for both. I agree that both
exercises enhance leg strength
63

and athletic performance. Further, both exercises are commonly

used in rehabilitation programs to
improve knee stability. However
for the general population, the
squat is not as safe as the leg
press.
Safety enhances the quality of
the workout. Manufacturers design leg press machines so that all
shapes and sizes can perform the
leg press. When performing the
squat, it is easy to adopt improper
mechanics, thereby altering ones

balance during the execution of

the squat. Improper balance during the execution of the squat can
result in severe injury. Research
has indicated that tall people with
short torsos have difficulty in
keeping complete foot contact on
the ground when performing the
squat. This is also true with the
novice trainees. I see improper
technique in the gym. And I am
sure that I am not alone. Why take
a chance at getting hurt, when research has indicated that the leg

NSCA CAREER SERVICES

Save Time , Money and Assets

press can yield the same benefits

as the squat.
The leg press is a safe exercise
yielding positive effects for
strength or rehabilitation. Further,
it is easy to perform correctly.
When choosing a lower body exercise, choose something that is safe
and effective. Choose the leg
press.
Todd Sherman
Middle Tennessee State University,
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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Strength and Conditioning Journal

August 2001