Quads you can see on the stack
Leg Extension
Sit. Pad on the shins. Kick out. Pause. Lower. Your hips stay in the seat. This is isolation, not a squat replacement.
Hunter: I use these after a squat when I still want quad work without another bar. If my knees yell, I shorten the range or I skip. This page is not a clinic.
Cues
- Seat so the knee lines up with the machine's pivot. Back against the pad.
- Pad on the lower shin, not the ankle bone if it pinches.
- Extend until the knees are long. Pause a beat. Do not slam the lockout.
- Lower under control. Do not bounce the stack.
- Hands on the handles. Do not yank your torso to finish.
Setup
Pin you can own for 10-12. Three sets after a squat pattern. If the machine is a line, goblet squats still train quads. Log that name. Pair with a curl if you want both sides of the thigh in one visit.
After the squat
The squat trained the pattern. This fills the quad if you still have time. Three sets. Log the pin. You do not need a hack squat plus a belt squat plus this because the floor had three machines.
With the curl
Leg curl then extension, or the other way, is a fine pair. Rest after the pair. Write both numbers. Skipping the log because it was a superset is how the history dies.
If the knees complain
Shorten the range. Lighten the pin. Or skip and squat. Tell a parent or coach if something is sharp. Coaching, not a clinic.
Common misses
Seat so far back you are swinging. Momentum from the hips. Tiny range. Slamming lockout. Also: a pin so heavy you need to grab the seat like a roller coaster.
FAQ
Toes in or out?
Neutral is the default. Do not chase a trick angle. Pick one for a month.
One leg?
Later, if one side is clearly weaker. Log single-leg as its own movement.
Log leg extensions in the free Vitality Engine. Pin number, every working set.