Hands down I have the hardest time connecting with barbell bench press, would love to see a video on that. Excited to see more of this series, thanks guys.
Focus on expanding the chest during the eccentric and pause for 1 sec at the bottom, see if it helps. You will need to lower the weight slightly for this.
I'm following relaxed powerlifting form and I use normal rep ranges, 5-8 and maybe 8-12 in the future. by relaxed I mean arch enough to put my shoulders in a comfortable position and not to reduce ROM, grip width is similar, wide enough bias the chest but not to reduce the ROM, and I focus on working my chest rather than "get the weight up" cue. I don't what's different this time but it works greatly for me. can't ensure if it'd work for you but I assume it's worth a shot.
Competition style bench isn't even good for hypertrophy. Larsen bench press is superior. No leg drive, ROM is deeper, like so deep in fact, it's greater than dumbbell variations... But Always do a pause on any bench variation. It gives Unreal pump.
This type of video and structure explanation feels a lot more tangible and easier to understand than the "10 things that you're doing wrong," love this. Thanks Dr. Mike!
Dr. Mike, I was finally able to grab a foam pad and try this on leg press. Game changer! Full ROM and ZERO lower back rounding. My quads, and lumbar spine, thank you.
48 years old, been lifting since 22, consider myself an advanced lifter. Just did leg press incorporating these suggestions. Incredible. Thank you so much for your incredible content. I am on week 10 of 12 week cut and best cut ever utilizing your "preventing muscle loss on a cut" protocol. Great info!
Thanks for this vid, it's always nice to hear Dr Mike reaffirm what I've already been doing. Can get an awesome stimulus with less weight, less joint fatigue, and still feel like I'm gonna throw up after! Doing this for sets of 20 is absolutely bonkers. One thing I also really like about wider foot position with toes pointed out is that in addition to a really deep range of motion, I also get great stimulus for the adductors!
I was literally in the gym yesterday looking for a video on the leg press because I'm just not feeling my quads like I do with lunges. All the stupid videos talk about the BS with "toes in, toes out". I said screw it and had another crappy leg press session. Then you post this and it's exactly what I was looking for, I hate this exercise because I just don't feel it where I want like other exercises and now I can't wait for my next leg day. Can't wait for the next video in this series. I love you videos because you don't just stand there rambling on, you have a clear and concise outline of what your talking about and stay on topic. Sorry I sound like I have a man crush but your videos on everything exercise, fitness, and training are hands down the best on YT.
oh my goodness, i've been having lower back pain for a long time and I couldn't hit depth anymore for leg press. Learning to tweak my stance from this video has given me, for the first time in a year, no back pain during a leg press. TY sir.
I really needed this, god its like you read our minds. I'm 6"2' with very long limbs and I have to do all sorts of funny things to properly squat. I've always had trouble with the leg press in that I don't know if I'm doing them right but your tips put me on the right track. Thanks !
Tried these the other day. I can confirm 100% my quads have never felt so sore in a very long time. The tension on quads, the depth I can hit. Amazing. I do have yoga blocks at my gym and I used one block as they are quite thick, however my lower back hurts a fair bit. Admittedly my back did come off the pad at times. May need to work with two blocks or adjust something. Either way thanks for this Dr Mike
Would love to see this breakdown for upper back. I find gauging lat engagement is easy but really feeling an upper back pump is not something that I’ve been consistently able to achieve, especially factoring in the different muscle groups and their functions.
Hey Dr. Mike. I watched this video last night and applied the tips today and wow I really felt my quads activating so much better. Always quality content thanks so much.
Awsome series! Would love⬇️ 1) lats in any back excersise really…. 2) side delts in laterals (instead of traps and shoulder joints) 3) glutes in lunges (bulgarian and regular) 3) rear delts in facepulls
Seat placement: lower more quads as it allow more knee flexion without shot up the back. Leg placement: as low as possible and able to press from the heel. Slightly point the toe outward can allow for greater range of motion and deep stretch.
Just tried this with the suggest range of motion. Wow what a difference from what I was doing before. Took off a bunch of plates and focused on the form and it was 10 times better than what I was doing. Thank you!
At first, i didnt gave your videos much notice, nothing personal but there is so much content on RUclips, your vids seemed too long but now i can listen to you all day, this channel is gold and filtered out 80 procent of other channels i followed. Keep up the good job!
Wish I’d seen this video sooner! I learned through trial & error that a slight wider stance & toes out gave me that full stretch on the way down & I could finally feel it! Still, happy to see it confirmed that I’m not doing it wrong, thank you for this! 🙏😊
I also feel like there are a lot of factors that play a role in how good of a mind-muscle connection you have. How fresh/fatigued you are, how fast/slow your tempo is, how much momentum you're using, how many reps/duration of set/duration of exertion, the active range of motion for the given exercise, and last but not least how much weight you're using. I can never feel my biceps in any curl no matter what I do.
Love this video! I’m recovering from knee reconstruction and as a result I have a fixed knee flexion. I also suffer permanent muscle and nerve damage in the same leg and fixed dorsal flexion as well. Your tips and techniques have helped me hit really nice, deep squats without compromising technique. Even my Physio is impressed. Thank you! 🔥
I have never experienced the leg press like I do since watching your videos. An exercise that I once wrote off as garbage is now a staple. It's insane when done right. Holy FFFF
couldn't ask for a better video, Doc! I would love to see the lateral raise next, I believe I'm doing very good technique, yet I only feel my traps, my shoulder joint and sometimes my elbows, especially if I do super ROM
Lean forward slightly, lead with the elbows and control the eccentric and make sure for the love of god you’re moving in the Sagital plane with slightly bent elbows. That should cover it, deload if you need
This is honestly so well done. Thank you so much for putting the detail and research into this vid. Also I was wondering if you could answer something for me Dr. Mike. Have you ever tried any of these new custom meal plan tools? I just got one from Next Level Diet to help me add some muscle and I actually like their plans. Was just wondering if you've heard of or tried anything like that out. Thanks again man!
Brother I am in the same boat. Have you tried single arm pull downs? Go to a cable pulldown area grab a handle and get on your knees. Then scoot back till you can get a full range of motion and you need to get a good stretch, helps too if you are slightly to one side. Then when you pull down experiment with hand position that allows you to feel it in your last.
I worked a little routine for my legs recently and I took your advice regarding this exercise. Feet spread some to allow my Torso to sink in. 6 sets and 10-15 reps. A few sets of slow eccentric, you definitely feel it. I'm a noob so I got some noob gains, but it's real motivation. Thank you for the videos and instruction.
I had always found leg press machines put my lumbar spine into horrible Gumbie, Stretch Armstrong, Super Elastic Bubble Plastic type flexion. My low back would hurt before I could ever hope to get any quad stimulus from leg press. I tried that Yoga pad method today and it was amazing. My lower back was locked down, it was rigid and stable. I did some slow eccentric reps for a few sets and it just lit up my quads, especially my vastus medialis. I’m going to add these to my leg day routine. THANK YOU!
Yeah thanks for the tip on the pads. I could feel something weird in my vertebrae Monday. Today is Wednesday and my lower back is sore and not right. Never disappointed from your videos Dr Mike!
I’m glad you finally demonstrated how you sit relative to the added padding and how much you’re using. We have the AS leg press at my gym despite my best efforts if I had the seat low enough for crazy ROM I’d start sliding up the seat over a set unless I gassed myself pulling on the handles for dear life.
I've been combatting the sensation of crushing my chest at the bottom by moving my feet higher & wider, only to encounter the issue with my lower back rounding at the bottom - in fact, the rounding of my lower back is the signal that I can't go deeper. I don't get any pain from this, but I do feel the load it's putting there. I'm hopeful that the seat adjustment you recommended will do the trick...maybe the yoga pads, too, if the seat adjustment isn't enough. I anticipate that I'll have to drop the weight, but in my mind, that's a good trade-off. There's no point in adding weight without benefit in terms of strength or hypertrophy.
Hi Dr. Mike, I have a difficult time feeling my hamstrings on hip hinge movements, especially on the deadlift and good morning. RDL is a little bit better but I still just get a lower back pump at the end of the set. No problems on the GHR or hamstring curl machine. Could you do a video about this in this series? Thanks a lot and greets from Belgium!
Hip hinge for hams are tricky like that. Because you are working different function, your hams aren't shortening on hip hinge movements, they are lengthening.... Just do 2-3 second negatives on RDLs... That's It. feel the nice stretch at the bottom and come back up. It's gonna work your hams regardless of the feels I'm not Mike but I've heard him answer this type of question on a QnA video
We got 3 leg presses in my gym including this Arsenal which i just have begun liking the most out of the 3 so now Mike demonstrates exactly how to use this particular press the best is just a win win.
Thanks for the tidbit regarding the yoga pad, I was using a rolled up matt (trick that I picked up from one of your older videos), but this seems much better
Suggestions for bad knees? I usually try to keep the feet high to prevent the knee from going out over the feet which I understand in bad for the knees. Also try to set the machine up so that I don’t go much past 90 degrees of hips to knees. Don’t have huge quads but I’ve always blamed the knees.
Love this video, will look forward to more for different lifts! This is great information to maximize our gains for the time we do spend in the gym, and minimize the chances for injury.
That method using the foam pads changed my life. I was going light to moderate weight doing full range of motion and kept periodically injuring my lower back leg pressing. Wish I found this years ago
Yeah I’m gonna need a bench vid asap. Potentially a double vid addressing both dumbbell and barbell. And please say something different than ‘retract your scapula and push your chest out’ because I’m already doing that bro Also a million thanks for this great content
Phenomenal video Mike - the lower back rounding and heel drive were the biggest issues I had when leg pressing specifically for the quads. Those pads are a great idea. Some slow, controlled negatives and explosive presses are a great way to dial in the quads. Would recommend to anyone.
BACK! Lats and mid-upper back! Whatever variation of pulll-ups, pull-downs, and rows are best or how I figure out which one is best for me. I swear with a full stretch and then a hard squeeze I still never feel like I'm hitting my back properly.
Great idea for a series and great start (I literally just tried doing exactly this in the same machine after having watched your legday workout. Thanks Dr Mike! Would love to see this for Rope Face Pulls to hit the rear delt! I often do them, but never feel confident it's hitting right.
These videos are extremely helpful. I consider myself to be a fairly experienced lifter with 15+ years under my belt. Turns out I don’t know a damn thing lol. I love your channel. Thanks for all the information!
Good tip on the pads. I get the butt wink on the deep leg press and depending at which point in my routine I leg press (how well I haven't warmed up or how tired my back is from other movements), the feeling in my lower back can sometimes prevent me from really pushing it. Gonna give this a try.
Tip for others who lift at robo commercial gyms- as I’m warming up on leg press (and smith leg exercises) I find the sweet spot for my feet and use a lil chalk stick to outline my toes. Your working sets will be bang on with your feet consistently placed
I'd love to see one of these on bent-over barbell rows. For me, it's the most difficult back exercise, with the most stress and muscle fatigue. Oh, and there's lot of variety within the execution which sends me down spiraling and feeling even more overwhelmed by it.
Great video and great tips! I personally don't have trouble feeling my quads on the leg press, but I do have trouble feeling them when I do a barbell back squat. When I squat low bar, my quads rarely ever get sore. When I squat high bar I get sore in my quads sometimes, but I don't feel them much during the movement. The biggest issue for me though by far is my chest. When I do a flat barbell bench press or flat/incline dumbbell flyes, I hardly feel my chest at all. I only feel my chest doing incline dumbbell press or a chest flye machine.. So I'd love to see videos covering the low/high bar squat, barbell bench press, and dumbbell flyes! Also, do these tips matter much for people who are more "intermediate" and not extremely jacked / advanced lifters yet? Thanks for the quality information!
From the moment I started leg pressing full ROM It's been the best exercise to feel my quads. But I'm still struggling with my heavier day earlier in the week and as great as barbell/safety squat bar squats are I just struggle to feel much up to 10 reps but I know I should have at least a few sets of each range in my training. Would love to know how to feel them better as a long femured person that pauses, uses weightlifting shoes and has tried plates under my feet. Love this channel so much barely watch movies or series in my spare time anymore hHHha
I have to say that full body tension plays I huge role in wether or not you 'feel' a muscle. People who are used to heavy squatting have the tendency to tense the core and back musculature which makes you more stable, but for some reason reduces the mind-muscle connection with any specific muscle. I guess reducing the weight and learning how to tense only the target muscle is very important. I'm speaking from experience. Sometimes I've done sets of 15 with 490 Ibs and even with controlled tempo and a pause I still barely feel a thing in my quads. I can feel my entire body tensing though even my forearms from gripping the handles.
I had to leg press for a while because of a back injury, before that I had avoided the leg press for years. I had to use lower weight because of the injury. I feel like it both got my quads way stronger and even fixed up my technique on my squat, which had gotten pretty bad from me constantly trying to use more and more weight. I'm still not putting up the numbers I used to, because my back is still not 100%, but I can see a huge difference in my form, even with the lower weights. Also, now, unlike before, my quads actually get a pump and sometimes get DOMS, with enough volume. Come to think of it, I actually have a MEV/MRV for quads now, before I could never figure it out because everything else would start hurting before my quads.
Glad I found this. I always had trouble with my calf tendons cause my form was wrong making me shyish when ever I jumped on leg press as it’s my favourite machine
I’d welcome some of these for arms. Biceps and Triceps have been my priority this Meso, and yet I rarely feel a burn in them and there is almost never disruption the following day. Needless to say after two mesos of prioritization they’re still a priority…
With no disruption following, I'd say try more volume or intensity. I could take anyone through the most basic arm workout, with enough intensity and volume, and noodle arms would ensue. Curls and tricep pushdowns to failure for sets and sets will do the job. Intensity techniques are easy to incorporate for arms as well.
I found having my knees in line or slightly outside of my stance and feet pretty much straight up, at most 10° out revolutionized my quad training, before worked but now I get a pump where I can barely walk, not even regular squats or high rep leg extensions come close, not even with BFR bands
Gotta try these out. I have really long legs and I feel like I’m always pushing through my toes and never my heels. My back always seems to round when I go as deep as possible too. Cheers Mike
Thank you for the part about going a little wider. I have long femurs and a short upper body so it always felt better to go wider but I wasn't able to sleep at night whenever I did, because of all you hear about it not hitting the quads as much.
This is great! Please do the simple bench press for hypertrophy. Not smith machine, just simple plain old bench press! There's so much info about how to do... too much, to the point that it's hard to figure out what's true really. So yeah, info from Dr Mike would definitely give me something I could trust.
Ok I'll ask the question to get yelled at. I love doing pauses to minimize the stretch reflex. However sometimes I like to rest the weight fully on the safety at the bottom then get back under the weight and build tension to lift from a dead stop. Question one what is a good time to pause for minimize stretch reflex in your opinion?. Two is the second method I mention have any benefit or am I wasting time?
If you'd like to get better at moving from a dead stop, your method is great. If you'd like optimal hypertrophy, there's nothing wrong with the stretch reflex! - Dr. Mike
Dr Mike! Loved the video, weighted dips are my bread and butter and I have trouble with the chest variation. Would kill for a good break down on technique!
Probably my "worst" muscle to feel is my delts. I like to believe that i do make progress hypertrophy-wise but if I ever feel them, it'd be the last few reps of my last set. Mainly doing crosscable flys and (super ROM) dumbbell raises... On an entirely different note, I've purchased and worked with the custom training template for about 4 cycles now and it's been so fkn great, big thanks to the whole RP crew for putting out such an amazing template
Like with a lot of things, I have been too concerned with the amount of weight used rather than feeling optimally in the quads, thanks for the tips. I love the guys that put every plate they can fit and then do short rom, at least I don't do that
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I hope we all find someone who loves us as much as Dr Mike loves full ROM
😂😢
I think they broke up. He started cheating on full ROM with lengthened partials .
Hands down I have the hardest time connecting with barbell bench press, would love to see a video on that. Excited to see more of this series, thanks guys.
Incline dumbbell is far superior for me, maybe give that a go yourself as the main pressing movement for a while!
I also have a hard time connecting with bench press but dips light my chest on fire
Focus on expanding the chest during the eccentric and pause for 1 sec at the bottom, see if it helps.
You will need to lower the weight slightly for this.
I'm following relaxed powerlifting form and I use normal rep ranges, 5-8 and maybe 8-12 in the future.
by relaxed I mean arch enough to put my shoulders in a comfortable position and not to reduce ROM, grip width is similar, wide enough bias the chest but not to reduce the ROM, and I focus on working my chest rather than "get the weight up" cue.
I don't what's different this time but it works greatly for me. can't ensure if it'd work for you but I assume it's worth a shot.
Competition style bench isn't even good for hypertrophy.
Larsen bench press is superior. No leg drive, ROM is deeper, like so deep in fact, it's greater than dumbbell variations...
But Always do a pause on any bench variation. It gives Unreal pump.
Dr. Mike entertains the hell out of me. His delivery is unparalleled.
This type of video and structure explanation feels a lot more tangible and easier to understand than the "10 things that you're doing wrong," love this. Thanks Dr. Mike!
As someone who is a fairly new lifter, this is incredibly useful, thank you!
Dr. Mike, I was finally able to grab a foam pad and try this on leg press. Game changer! Full ROM and ZERO lower back rounding. My quads, and lumbar spine, thank you.
This is the most thorough video I’ve seen regarding how to get more quad activation on the leg press. You answered all the questions. Thank you.
48 years old, been lifting since 22, consider myself an advanced lifter. Just did leg press incorporating these suggestions. Incredible. Thank you so much for your incredible content. I am on week 10 of 12 week cut and best cut ever utilizing your "preventing muscle loss on a cut" protocol. Great info!
You type like a caveman would
@@jarlwhiterun7478 Stop with the unnecessary negativity. Move on with your day; thanks.
Thanks for this vid, it's always nice to hear Dr Mike reaffirm what I've already been doing. Can get an awesome stimulus with less weight, less joint fatigue, and still feel like I'm gonna throw up after! Doing this for sets of 20 is absolutely bonkers. One thing I also really like about wider foot position with toes pointed out is that in addition to a really deep range of motion, I also get great stimulus for the adductors!
Yessss. Folks, normal full-ROM quad training usually FRIES your adductors too! - Dr. Mike
I was literally in the gym yesterday looking for a video on the leg press because I'm just not feeling my quads like I do with lunges. All the stupid videos talk about the BS with "toes in, toes out". I said screw it and had another crappy leg press session. Then you post this and it's exactly what I was looking for, I hate this exercise because I just don't feel it where I want like other exercises and now I can't wait for my next leg day. Can't wait for the next video in this series. I love you videos because you don't just stand there rambling on, you have a clear and concise outline of what your talking about and stay on topic. Sorry I sound like I have a man crush but your videos on everything exercise, fitness, and training are hands down the best on YT.
This will gonna be one of the BEST series on RP!!! Cant keep Calm!!!! Thank U so much DR GENIUS MIKE!!!!
oh my goodness, i've been having lower back pain for a long time and I couldn't hit depth anymore for leg press. Learning to tweak my stance from this video has given me, for the first time in a year, no back pain during a leg press. TY sir.
I really needed this, god its like you read our minds. I'm 6"2' with very long limbs and I have to do all sorts of funny things to properly squat. I've always had trouble with the leg press in that I don't know if I'm doing them right but your tips put me on the right track. Thanks !
I'm also 6'2. I recommend a good pair of elevated shoes for squats and leg press
My pleasure. There will be many more of these vids to come, unless I like, die in a car accident or something, you know. - Dr. Mike
@@RenaissancePeriodization as long as you relax, and roll with the impact through full ROM, you'll be fine. Long live Misha!
@@RenaissancePeriodization i better not see you driving my lambo
Just skip legs and wear pants bro
Tried these the other day. I can confirm 100% my quads have never felt so sore in a very long time. The tension on quads, the depth I can hit. Amazing.
I do have yoga blocks at my gym and I used one block as they are quite thick, however my lower back hurts a fair bit. Admittedly my back did come off the pad at times. May need to work with two blocks or adjust something.
Either way thanks for this Dr Mike
I legit was looking for a video like this yesterday after trying this myself in the gym. RP always on point!
Would love to see this breakdown for upper back. I find gauging lat engagement is easy but really feeling an upper back pump is not something that I’ve been consistently able to achieve, especially factoring in the different muscle groups and their functions.
Had a similar issue, doing chest supported rows with the wide grip with lots of thoracic movement helped me
Yes, i also dont feel much in my upper back it seems to tolerate alot of volume
do seal rows
@@likemy thats for lats
@@claytonlanehart8409 depends on the elbow angle...
Hey Dr. Mike. I watched this video last night and applied the tips today and wow I really felt my quads activating so much better. Always quality content thanks so much.
Perfect timming, today was my rest today and tomorrow is leg day, looking forward for tomorrow and try this tips to improve my quad game.
same tmro is leg day
Awsome series! Would love⬇️
1) lats in any back excersise really….
2) side delts in laterals (instead of traps and shoulder joints)
3) glutes in lunges (bulgarian and regular)
3) rear delts in facepulls
As a newbie to the leg press after soccer injuries have derailed me from squatting, this is a very reassuring video
As someone still fairly new to lifting who once had huge legs from cycling these videos are awesome. Thankyou!
Tried these tips today and certainly feeling the quads a lot more an hour after finishing. Thank you
Seat placement: lower more quads as it allow more knee flexion without shot up the back. Leg placement: as low as possible and able to press from the heel. Slightly point the toe outward can allow for greater range of motion and deep stretch.
Just tried this with the suggest range of motion. Wow what a difference from what I was doing before. Took off a bunch of plates and focused on the form and it was 10 times better than what I was doing. Thank you!
GAME CHANGER!! Tried this today and felt so much better!! Thanks
This series is something that's needed....great work Dr. Mike... looking forward to all the videos in this series
Yes!! Awesome idea for a bodybuilding series
I’m excited for this series! Bring on the barbell high/low bar back squats and split squats 🙏
At first, i didnt gave your videos much notice, nothing personal but there is so much content on RUclips, your vids seemed too long but now i can listen to you all day, this channel is gold and filtered out 80 procent of other channels i followed. Keep up the good job!
Wish I’d seen this video sooner! I learned through trial & error that a slight wider stance & toes out gave me that full stretch on the way down & I could finally feel it! Still, happy to see it confirmed that I’m not doing it wrong, thank you for this! 🙏😊
Bloody love this as an idea for a series Dr. Mike! So much simple but useful info and so many tips. Cheers!
I also feel like there are a lot of factors that play a role in how good of a mind-muscle connection you have. How fresh/fatigued you are, how fast/slow your tempo is, how much momentum you're using, how many reps/duration of set/duration of exertion, the active range of motion for the given exercise, and last but not least how much weight you're using.
I can never feel my biceps in any curl no matter what I do.
Pumped for this. A break down of split squats would be ideal for us home gym folks with limited exercise selection.
Brian Alsruhe Bulgarian Split Squat
Love this video! I’m recovering from knee reconstruction and as a result I have a fixed knee flexion. I also suffer permanent muscle and nerve damage in the same leg and fixed dorsal flexion as well. Your tips and techniques have helped me hit really nice, deep squats without compromising technique. Even my Physio is impressed. Thank you! 🔥
I have never experienced the leg press like I do since watching your videos. An exercise that I once wrote off as garbage is now a staple. It's insane when done right. Holy FFFF
couldn't ask for a better video, Doc! I would love to see the lateral raise next, I believe I'm doing very good technique, yet I only feel my traps, my shoulder joint and sometimes my elbows, especially if I do super ROM
Lean forward slightly, lead with the elbows and control the eccentric and make sure for the love of god you’re moving in the Sagital plane with slightly bent elbows. That should cover it, deload if you need
try doing higher reps like 20-30 and partials and dropsets afterwards, your shoulders will want to fall off
Ooooo I'm trying to think if we already recorded that one yet. Just looked and yep, it will be out in the next little bit! - Dr. Mike
This is honestly so well done. Thank you so much for putting the detail and research into this vid. Also I was wondering if you could answer something for me Dr. Mike. Have you ever tried any of these new custom meal plan tools? I just got one from Next Level Diet to help me add some muscle and I actually like their plans. Was just wondering if you've heard of or tried anything like that out. Thanks again man!
Yeah okay, Mr. Paid Sponsor.
I tend to really struggle with back exercises specifically any vertical pulling. Just cannot seem to feel my back muscles how I’d like to
If you're doing the exercise correctly, the proper muscles are working, whether you feel them or not. Which back exercises do you do?
Brother I am in the same boat. Have you tried single arm pull downs? Go to a cable pulldown area grab a handle and get on your knees. Then scoot back till you can get a full range of motion and you need to get a good stretch, helps too if you are slightly to one side. Then when you pull down experiment with hand position that allows you to feel it in your last.
How You're doing now?
I worked a little routine for my legs recently and I took your advice regarding this exercise. Feet spread some to allow my Torso to sink in. 6 sets and 10-15 reps. A few sets of slow eccentric, you definitely feel it. I'm a noob so I got some noob gains, but it's real motivation. Thank you for the videos and instruction.
I would love to see OHP version. My delts are what causes the failure but not what I feel the most during the set
If they are the cause of failure, you're already succeeding though.
I don’t understand how they can be the cause of your failure, but not be felt.
I had always found leg press machines put my lumbar spine into horrible Gumbie, Stretch Armstrong, Super Elastic Bubble Plastic type flexion. My low back would hurt before I could ever hope to get any quad stimulus from leg press.
I tried that Yoga pad method today and it was amazing. My lower back was locked down, it was rigid and stable. I did some slow eccentric reps for a few sets and it just lit up my quads, especially my vastus medialis. I’m going to add these to my leg day routine. THANK YOU!
Great tutorial. Straight to the point and none of the time consuming chatter of other videos by other people.
Yeah thanks for the tip on the pads. I could feel something weird in my vertebrae Monday. Today is Wednesday and my lower back is sore and not right. Never disappointed from your videos Dr Mike!
I’m glad you finally demonstrated how you sit relative to the added padding and how much you’re using. We have the AS leg press at my gym despite my best efforts if I had the seat low enough for crazy ROM I’d start sliding up the seat over a set unless I gassed myself pulling on the handles for dear life.
I've been combatting the sensation of crushing my chest at the bottom by moving my feet higher & wider, only to encounter the issue with my lower back rounding at the bottom - in fact, the rounding of my lower back is the signal that I can't go deeper. I don't get any pain from this, but I do feel the load it's putting there. I'm hopeful that the seat adjustment you recommended will do the trick...maybe the yoga pads, too, if the seat adjustment isn't enough. I anticipate that I'll have to drop the weight, but in my mind, that's a good trade-off. There's no point in adding weight without benefit in terms of strength or hypertrophy.
When I was young, I used to watch CT Fletcher and Elliot Hulse to inspire me. Now i'm older I feel more calmer and wiser, so I listen to Dr. Mike.
Hi Dr. Mike, I have a difficult time feeling my hamstrings on hip hinge movements, especially on the deadlift and good morning. RDL is a little bit better but I still just get a lower back pump at the end of the set. No problems on the GHR or hamstring curl machine. Could you do a video about this in this series? Thanks a lot and greets from Belgium!
(not Dr Mike)… maybe you’re hinging at your lower back instead of your hips
Hip hinge for hams are tricky like that. Because you are working different function, your hams aren't shortening on hip hinge movements, they are lengthening.... Just do 2-3 second negatives on RDLs... That's It. feel the nice stretch at the bottom and come back up. It's gonna work your hams regardless of the feels
I'm not Mike but I've heard him answer this type of question on a QnA video
The GM video is already recorded and will be out in the next few months! - Dr. Mike
Upvote for RDL!
Try hip hinging on a 45-degree back extension apparatus. The hamstring stretch is INTENSE.
We got 3 leg presses in my gym including this Arsenal which i just have begun liking the most out of the 3 so now Mike demonstrates exactly how to use this particular press the best is just a win win.
Thanks for the tidbit regarding the yoga pad, I was using a rolled up matt (trick that I picked up from one of your older videos), but this seems much better
Too low of feet gave me terrible calf pain. I found out that middle of leg press gives me the best balance of joint comfort and stimulus
Suggestions for bad knees? I usually try to keep the feet high to prevent the knee from going out over the feet which I understand in bad for the knees. Also try to set the machine up so that I don’t go much past 90 degrees of hips to knees. Don’t have huge quads but I’ve always blamed the knees.
insanely comprehensive. more of these would be perfect.
This Is amazing! We need one of these for Squats I never feel my quads on Squats
Bro you are a legend giving these special tips for free. Leg press is my to go exercise since I have knee pain with squats.
Love this video, will look forward to more for different lifts! This is great information to maximize our gains for the time we do spend in the gym, and minimize the chances for injury.
That method using the foam pads changed my life. I was going light to moderate weight doing full range of motion and kept periodically injuring my lower back leg pressing. Wish I found this years ago
Loving this series, Dr. Mike. Keep it coming, please!
Yeah I’m gonna need a bench vid asap. Potentially a double vid addressing both dumbbell and barbell. And please say something different than ‘retract your scapula and push your chest out’ because I’m already doing that bro
Also a million thanks for this great content
Phenomenal video Mike - the lower back rounding and heel drive were the biggest issues I had when leg pressing specifically for the quads. Those pads are a great idea.
Some slow, controlled negatives and explosive presses are a great way to dial in the quads. Would recommend to anyone.
BACK! Lats and mid-upper back! Whatever variation of pulll-ups, pull-downs, and rows are best or how I figure out which one is best for me. I swear with a full stretch and then a hard squeeze I still never feel like I'm hitting my back properly.
Great idea for a series and great start (I literally just tried doing exactly this in the same machine after having watched your legday workout. Thanks Dr Mike!
Would love to see this for Rope Face Pulls to hit the rear delt! I often do them, but never feel confident it's hitting right.
Once again this video was just the information I needed, thanks Dr Mike
Awesome video. I actually started doing deep pauses on all my leg press a few weeks ago an damn it's a killer. Huge difference. Love all your videos
These videos are extremely helpful. I consider myself to be a fairly experienced lifter with 15+ years under my belt. Turns out I don’t know a damn thing lol. I love your channel. Thanks for all the information!
Good tip on the pads. I get the butt wink on the deep leg press and depending at which point in my routine I leg press (how well I haven't warmed up or how tired my back is from other movements), the feeling in my lower back can sometimes prevent me from really pushing it. Gonna give this a try.
Tip for others who lift at robo commercial gyms- as I’m warming up on leg press (and smith leg exercises) I find the sweet spot for my feet and use a lil chalk stick to outline my toes. Your working sets will be bang on with your feet consistently placed
Great video as always!! I would like to see a biceps barbell curl video, I tend to feel too much forearm work doing it. Thanks Mike!!
I'd love to see one of these on bent-over barbell rows. For me, it's the most difficult back exercise, with the most stress and muscle fatigue. Oh, and there's lot of variety within the execution which sends me down spiraling and feeling even more overwhelmed by it.
Great tips Mike thank you.. A demo on the hamstrings would be awesome too. 💪😎💪.. Thanx Alan UK🇬🇧
This video changed the leg press game for me, love it!
Romanian deadlifts! Specifically on the glute/hams more so than lower back.
Great video and great tips! I personally don't have trouble feeling my quads on the leg press, but I do have trouble feeling them when I do a barbell back squat. When I squat low bar, my quads rarely ever get sore. When I squat high bar I get sore in my quads sometimes, but I don't feel them much during the movement.
The biggest issue for me though by far is my chest. When I do a flat barbell bench press or flat/incline dumbbell flyes, I hardly feel my chest at all. I only feel my chest doing incline dumbbell press or a chest flye machine..
So I'd love to see videos covering the low/high bar squat, barbell bench press, and dumbbell flyes!
Also, do these tips matter much for people who are more "intermediate" and not extremely jacked / advanced lifters yet?
Thanks for the quality information!
A video about feeling the chest in the bench and dumbell press would be extremely helpful.
I use those purple yoga blocks everywhere. Chest press and shoulder press mainly to get a better stretch. They work great!
From the moment I started leg pressing full ROM It's been the best exercise to feel my quads. But I'm still struggling with my heavier day earlier in the week and as great as barbell/safety squat bar squats are I just struggle to feel much up to 10 reps but I know I should have at least a few sets of each range in my training. Would love to know how to feel them better as a long femured person that pauses, uses weightlifting shoes and has tried plates under my feet. Love this channel so much barely watch movies or series in my spare time anymore hHHha
This is an excellent video
-Dr. Mike
I have to say that full body tension plays I huge role in wether or not you 'feel' a muscle. People who are used to heavy squatting have the tendency to tense the core and back musculature which makes you more stable, but for some reason reduces the mind-muscle connection with any specific muscle. I guess reducing the weight and learning how to tense only the target muscle is very important. I'm speaking from experience. Sometimes I've done sets of 15 with 490 Ibs and even with controlled tempo and a pause I still barely feel a thing in my quads. I can feel my entire body tensing though even my forearms from gripping the handles.
OMG, that section you talk about foot position happens to me and also hurts my knees. so a more natural distance apart is okay. thanks
Love this series! Would love to see a breakdown of overhead pressing. I’m having a hard time connecting with my delts
I had to leg press for a while because of a back injury, before that I had avoided the leg press for years. I had to use lower weight because of the injury. I feel like it both got my quads way stronger and even fixed up my technique on my squat, which had gotten pretty bad from me constantly trying to use more and more weight. I'm still not putting up the numbers I used to, because my back is still not 100%, but I can see a huge difference in my form, even with the lower weights. Also, now, unlike before, my quads actually get a pump and sometimes get DOMS, with enough volume. Come to think of it, I actually have a MEV/MRV for quads now, before I could never figure it out because everything else would start hurting before my quads.
Hands down best leg press I've ever used is a precor it's almost a hinge style leg press amazing machine.
Glad I found this. I always had trouble with my calf tendons cause my form was wrong making me shyish when ever I jumped on leg press as it’s my favourite machine
I’d welcome some of these for arms. Biceps and Triceps have been my priority this Meso, and yet I rarely feel a burn in them and there is almost never disruption the following day. Needless to say after two mesos of prioritization they’re still a priority…
With no disruption following, I'd say try more volume or intensity. I could take anyone through the most basic arm workout, with enough intensity and volume, and noodle arms would ensue. Curls and tricep pushdowns to failure for sets and sets will do the job. Intensity techniques are easy to incorporate for arms as well.
I found having my knees in line or slightly outside of my stance and feet pretty much straight up, at most 10° out revolutionized my quad training, before worked but now I get a pump where I can barely walk, not even regular squats or high rep leg extensions come close, not even with BFR bands
first video I've watched of you instructing Doc bro, awesome vid appreciate it 💪🏽💯
Always clearly explained while perfectly detailed 👌 Thanks Mike
This series is gonna be more free gold
Gotta try these out. I have really long legs and I feel like I’m always pushing through my toes and never my heels. My back always seems to round when I go as deep as possible too. Cheers Mike
Thank you for the part about going a little wider. I have long femurs and a short upper body so it always felt better to go wider but I wasn't able to sleep at night whenever I did, because of all you hear about it not hitting the quads as much.
Upper/mid back row without exhausting the rear delts !!
This is great!
Please do the simple bench press for hypertrophy. Not smith machine, just simple plain old bench press!
There's so much info about how to do... too much, to the point that it's hard to figure out what's true really. So yeah, info from Dr Mike would definitely give me something I could trust.
Pushing with my heels changed the game for me on all quad exercises
Love Mike's step by step and all in between with his explanation. I have a dose of Mike's knowledge every morning before the gym.
#knowbeforeyougo 👅
Fantastic content Dr Mike 👏 and your the only RUclips celebrity that makes me laugh. How about a bench press squat and deadlift?
Ok I'll ask the question to get yelled at. I love doing pauses to minimize the stretch reflex. However sometimes I like to rest the weight fully on the safety at the bottom then get back under the weight and build tension to lift from a dead stop. Question one what is a good time to pause for minimize stretch reflex in your opinion?. Two is the second method I mention have any benefit or am I wasting time?
If you'd like to get better at moving from a dead stop, your method is great. If you'd like optimal hypertrophy, there's nothing wrong with the stretch reflex! - Dr. Mike
Dr Mike Palestinael, Jared Fur, and Charly Old
Would love to see something for barbell rows. Thanks for the tremendous content!
Absolutely excellent. I’ve been doing at least three things wrong on the leg press. Thank you.
Dr Mike! Loved the video, weighted dips are my bread and butter and I have trouble with the chest variation. Would kill for a good break down on technique!
Probably my "worst" muscle to feel is my delts.
I like to believe that i do make progress hypertrophy-wise but if I ever feel them, it'd be the last few reps of my last set. Mainly doing crosscable flys and (super ROM) dumbbell raises...
On an entirely different note, I've purchased and worked with the custom training template for about 4 cycles now and it's been so fkn great, big thanks to the whole RP crew for putting out such an amazing template
Like with a lot of things, I have been too concerned with the amount of weight used rather than feeling optimally in the quads, thanks for the tips. I love the guys that put every plate they can fit and then do short rom, at least I don't do that