Does anyone else think that the leg press is a superior quad builder compared to conventional barbell squats?

jinxy

New member
When I started out lifting, I bought into the idea that the key to building big legs was simply to develop a strong squat. I started out with toothpick legs and an empty barbell and built up to around a 350 x 5 squat over the course of about 2-3 years. Whilst my legs certainly grew a lot, I still felt like my quads were pretty underdeveloped relative to my glutes and hamstrings, despite the fact that I always did high-bar squats.

It was only when I made the standard 45 degree leg press my primary quad movement that my quads actually starting blowing up. If I did leg press with strict form, used full ROM by taking the sledge all the way down, and pushed my sets to failure, I could really f*ck up my quads in a way that was hard to do with squats, as other muscles/cardio would always be the limiting factor.

I've noticed that quite a lot of guys who are primarily interested in bodybuilding have moved away from the "just squat" mantra in recent years, and many seem to be substituting barbell back squats for other movements, like hack squats or leg press. The thinking being that these movements allow you to stabilize yourself in a safe position and just focus purely on targeting the quads.

Does anyone else agree with this thought process? Or do you think that squats will always be king as far as building big legs go? I lift with my university powerlifting club from time to time, and whilst a lot of the members there have somewhat underdeveloped upper bodies, there's no denying they've all got amazing quads. And all they ever seem to do is squat... so I may well be wrong. But perhaps the results you get from squatting are in part determined by your body structure/height (e.g. the taller you are, the less your quads are activated during a squat)?

Thoughts?
 
@jinxy I’m 6’6” and 55 years old. Back in my bodybuilding days in the 80’s, squats and hack squats were my favorite exercises. I now prefer leg press as it doesn’t punish me so badly for a momentary loss in form. Plus, it builds killer quads. Sure wish we had a hack squat rack at my gym.
 
@loveis I’m in a similar boat. I’m 50 and I’ve had back problems for years and leg press allows me to continue to move a lot of weight without paying the price.
 
@maurits I’m an older lifter and have stopped doing even leg presses due to slipped disc issues.

It’s just impossible to keep the lower back flat against the seat while still achieving a good ROM

hip belt squats are my go to now.
 
@bubblegumlove01 Do you place your foot in the middle of the plate? Or keep it natural, placed more in line with your hip?

Any tips to keep your lower back flat against the seat?

Thank you
 
@v2kwame Don’t know if you ever got this answered since it’s been nearly a year but I let my other leg stay straightened out on the floor, basically in line with my hips. The lower the elevation the better imo.
 
@bogdan I wish more gyms had the single leg leg press machine, not a big deal to use the standard machine but I've used the ones where you can split the platform and do it and it feels so great.
 
@jinxy Totally agree that squats are not always best for quad size gains. Tall long legged people are limited by other factors when it comes to the squat movement.
 
@awak3nedm1nd Yes it's very true. Angles are different for taller people as well as (sometimes, not always) the hip functioning in the socket different. The mechanics definitely change.
 
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