The Power of Compounding: Tips for Your Leg Day

Compounding Exercises are efficient and effective. Compounding exercises allow you to work many muscle groups within one exercise. You are allowing your body to experience eccentric (stretching) and concentric (contraction or work phase) in 2 or more muscle groups. This builds muscle quickly and efficiently.

The Leg Press/Hip Sled is a great machine to help you achieve strong and efficient lower body muscles. You can complete a set of leg presses at a desired angle and then experience a Squat using different leg positions all within the same machine.The squat is the most effective lower body exercise you can do for muscle strength. The squat will strengthen your legs, glutes, lower back and abdominals. You will also notice your heart rate increasing due to many major muscle groups working together. A squat can create a cardiovascular element into your strength training program.

A leg press is a great way to progressively develop the leg strength needed for the squat.The two exercises compliment each other very well. Creating a way to incorporate both of these exercises into one machine is brilliant. See a sample program below that will guarantee a stronger core and stronger legs in two weeks.

Level 1 Leg Press

2 sets of 10: Feet are shoulder width apart, bend knees 90 degrees or a little less.  Push with your heels to engage more hamstrings.

Level 1 Squat

2 sets of 10: Feet are shoulder width apart, squat down 90 degrees or a little more, keep knees behind toes. Push with the heels to keep knees safe. (Can do a few second holds at the bottom of each squat)

Level 2 Leg Press

2 sets of 10: Place one foot slightly higher than the other one, feet are slightly less than shoulder width apart Start out with a 45 degree bend with less weight and progress to 90 degree bend with a light weight

Level 2 Squat

2 sets of 10: One foot is slightly ahead of the other foot. Still keep knees behind toes. Make the weight lighter, feet a little closer together. Start with a 45 degree bend and then progress to a 90 degree bend.

Level 3

2 sets of 12: Put all of it together and complete level 1 and level 2

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Written by Guest Fitness Blogger and CPT Michele Cannell

Read more of Michele’s work at her site fitgirl.us!

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