The Best Leg Machines for Lower Body Day
A guide on how to build lower body strength w/o the back squat!
Looking for a breakdown of specific leg machines you seen around the gym? Look no further! While most machines tend to be geared for upper body, there are many lower body machines to increase strength & grow your legs! It's time to utilize everything the gym has to offer!
Today's blog post shares the importance of exercise machines and goes over the best leg machines to build lower body strength! Keep scrolling to learn more!
Most, if not all local gyms have an abundance of exercise machines. Anywhere from upper body machines to ab machines, there sure seems to be one for every muscle group and we are here for it!
With a large selection of machines from one corner to the next, it all may be overwhelming. But the good news is is that those machines are there to help you workout!
In today's blog post, we will breakdown the most common leg day machines: including how to use the machine, benefits, muscles worked, and significance for each! Keep scrolling to learn more!
Why use the exercise machines?
While most experienced lifters will opt for free weights and barbells, those who are new to the gym or looking for new exercises to add to their workout may find themselves in the machine section of the gym. Exercise machines are not only great for beginners, but they are also a great way to adjust to your body measurements, such as adjusting the seat or height of the cable! Additionally, exercise machines allow you to modify the resistance (weight added), so that it is tailored to what load your body can handle! These machines typically have two types of ways to adjust and alter the weight: the type where you move a pin to the weight you prefer and the ones where there are plates to load on each side.
So, why choose leg machines when there is a nice looking squat rack over in the corner? While dumbbells and squat racks are great for building lower body strength, leg machines offer many benefits that other exercise might not be able to hit!
The central benefits of leg machines include:
Stabilization & full support of specific muscle groups, such as your core.
Isolation of targeted muscles - such as your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, etc..
Longer endurance - machines will allow secondary muscle to not fatigue as quickly, allowing you to perform more reps on the working muscle.
Safe & beginner friendly - exercise machines allow you to lift until failure without the risk of a full barbell taking you to the floor.
Creating confidence in the gym - many of us are still learning how to be confident in the gym and machines are a great way to start! They are a great way to learn more about resistance training and allow you to feel a bit more comfortable starting out!
Now that we have gone over the main benefits of exercise machines, it's time to dive into specific leg machines that are geared for lower body strength and muscle growth!
The Best Leg Machines for Lower Body Day:
1. Hack Squat Machine
The hack squat machine is a great lower body focused machine that acts like a back squat, but puts the weight on your shoulders.
To perform a proper squat on the hack squat machine, you will dig your feet into the bottom platform and your body up in the same motion as a squat.
The hack squat machine gives support to your lower back, engages fewer muscles than a regular squat, and targets the quads and glutes!
2. Leg Press
The leg press machine comes in a variety of different angles to the machine: the standard horizontal leg press and the 45-degree leg press.
The most common leg press is the 45-degree angled machine, with a back-support seat that reclines at an angle while your legs press upward.
To perform, you will adjust the weight on each side of the machine to your preference/capabilities, sit in the back-supported seat, brace your core, and press off with your legs in an upward direction.
The leg press is great for building quad and glute strength; adjusting your feet width apart can hit more glutes and hamstrings!
3. Smith Machine
The Smith Machine might just be one of the most underrated machines there is. While this machine is great for lower body exercises, it is also a great machine for all round full body strength.
Similar to any exercise with a barbell on your back, you can also use the Smith Machine to perform squats, deadlifts, lunges, and hip thrusts. The Smith Machine works like a carriage system: it takes the feeling of a regular squat rack and uses a fixed barbell that slides up and down when perform a squat, lunge, hip thrusts, etc..
The Smith Machine is great for lower back and core support, stability, and balance. Additionally, Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger uses the Smith Machine to this day for a variety of lower body exercises. The Smith Machine is a great way to add variety into your workout such as unilateral and bilateral leg exercises like reverse lunges, squats, and calf raises!
4. Leg Extension Machine
The leg extension machine is another great lower body exercise machine that isolate the quadriceps. Like other exercise machines, the leg extension machine is known as a "pin-select" machine, meaning that you will move the pin to your preferred weight/resistance.
To performthe leg extesnion machine, adjust the seat and weight, sit into the machine, and extend your legs into an upward direction. Squeezing your quads at the top of the exercise, this machine is great for building quad strength!
5. Hamstring Curl Machine
The hamstring curl is similar to the leg extension machine, but acts as the antagonist to the quadriceps. In other words, this machine works to increase strength in your hamstrings!
The hamstring curl will either be seen as a seated machine or lying machine.
Like other pin-select machines, you will adjust the weight/resistance, lay belly down into the machine, and curl your legs upward. This will fire up the hamstrings! The more reps you whip out, the more your hamstring will feel the burn!
6. Hip Adductor/Abductor Machine
The hip adductor & abductor machine has two movements to the machine. This machine primarily focuses on the small group of muscles on the inner and outer thigh. For hip abduction, think of a motion "going away from your abs." You will start in a seated position with knees together and push against resistance to push knees apart.
For hip adduction, think of a motion "adding to your abs." You will again start in a seated position, with knees apart and wide and pull them together.
This machine is great for hitting your inner and outer thigh, glutes, and small muscle groups of the lower body!
Summary
Leg day might just be one of the most challenging, but effective days of the week. Avid gym goers, frequent weight lifters, and beginners may all be questioning the exercise machines seeming to be on both ends of the gym. As you have read, there are many options for strengthening your lower body by the use of exercise machines!
Exercise machines are safe, great for beginners, and allow you to hit different muscles that the dumbbells may not be reaching! The best part is is that you can adjust the resistance tailored to your own body and the weight you are capable of performing. Although we love the feeling of lifting a heavy back squat, the machines are such a positive component to the gym! Remember, machines are there to help you workout and make you feel comfortable in the gym, so utilize them when you can!
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KSM-66® Clinically shown to relieve stress, improve brain health, as well as decrease body fat in conjunction with resistance training.
Maca increases natural energy, promotes healthy hormone balance and helps stimulate and support libido.
7-Keto-DHEA speeds up the metabolism and heat production to promote weight loss. 7-Keto-DHEA is also used to improve lean body mass and build muscle, increase the activity of the thyroid gland, boost the immune system, enhance memory, and slow aging.
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