Why leg extensions beat squats for the quads [study] 

Great stuff, Menno. Thank you very much for this information

I've heard your name thousands of times over the last decade 😀 as a reference from mass influencers even the Turkish, local influencers. It is really helpful for people like me who do not want to double check every article explanation myself, I am learning directly from the source. Thanks.

Great content

Jay Cutler always did a lot of leg extensions. He had insane rectus femoris development, even compared to most pros.

great video! Is the sissy squat roman chair apparatus also effective for the rectus femoris?

@mennohenselmans I love a study based approach but I find that studies are all based on traditional techniques. I've been experimenting with my training methods, especially with quads. By modifying the squat and leg extension and lowering the weight to very very low, I am now seeing results that I have never experienced before. At 53, I have actual stretch marks on my quads! Low here means super light weights. With this method, heavy weights are not possible. However, if I switch back to conventional methods I can use heavier weights than before.

Menno loved the title of your video... My single best exercises that can offer 1) stretch mediated hypertrophy 2) hitting all 3 vastus and rectus femoris muscles and 3) exhibit a resistance curve where the load increases as you approach ur most stretched position and hence 4) are great candiate even for lengthened partials should you choose to do them and 5) where the reps begin first with the negative instead of the positive are a) kneeling quad extentions (reverse nordics), b) leaning back sissy squats, or c) leaning back on a quad developer machine like the one from west side. In my opinion, sticking to either a, b or c, should be your best bet if you only had to choose one exercise as the most complete way to train your quads. But If your split allows it, I would pair one of a, b or c, with extentions done on a leg extention machine. Which brings me to my final point,... why oh why isn't a gym equipement manufacturer make a unilateral, plate loaded, dual action, seated/lying leg extention machine.

Reverse nordics are awesome if you don’t have a leg extension machine. I actually prefer the reverse nordics cause you get better lengthening than the leg extension machine

Awesome makes perfect sense. I like to do a kneeling sissy squat or “reverse Nordic” at the end of my quad day. Can you talk about if doing a super wide sumo stance during squat really targets the glutes more?

Hey Menno, great vid thanks. What about reverse nordic curls? Any opinion on those?

I get a pretty gnarly quad pump from leg extensions that I haven't really been able to replicate with a squat pattern. Good to know that there was a good reason for me to put leg extensions back into my program. I felt I was missing something with just squats alone.

Is there benefit in doing leg extensionsn for powerlifting?

This totally explains why my quads have the shape they do compared to body builders. I look at body builders and see they have this fullness down to their knees that my quads do not. Glad i got a gym membership again so i can work on all the muscles in my quads more evenly.

I do reverse nordics to hit the rec fem at the end of leg days is that enough volume u think?

i do hack squat full knee flexion and leg extension of pausing 2-3 at the top. my quads have grown alot since doing them.

Can you perform Leg raises 1 leg at a time to save the back?

I use cables and do Doug's sissy squats. I also do leg extensions and do squats on a machine.

@mennohenselmans LOWBAR, HIGH BAR OR FRONT SQUAT? LONG FEMURS , SHORT TORSO ALSO FOR BALANCE, PHYSIQUE AND ALSO HYPERTROPHY

I feel when I have been doing sissy squats, it engages the rectus femoris. This a good option as well as leg extensions?

What about the raw stimulus magnitude? Does it still apply.

So then, for a power lifter, would that mean leg extensions perhaps aren’t the best use of your hypertrophy allocation slots? That is, if the rectus tenor is doesn’t activate during a squat would you be better off spending your hypertrophy work on exercises that preferentially hypertrophy the vasti muscles?

I have a home gym, and as well as barbell squats I have a sissy squat bench. Does anyone know if this will work as a finisher instead of leg extension?

Can i ask sir menno do we need to train the adductors? How to avoid straining it?

Combining both exercises in same session has given me leagues of more soreness. Usually train extensions after the squat

hey menno , in a home gym would it work to do sissy squats and bulgarian split squats for quad development?

If I do lying double leg raises on the bench, I only feel them in my abs. If I do single leg raises (one foot on the floor), then I feel them in my hip flexors

I have a long torso so even if i like them, my long core is the weak link. Leg presses are getting me waaay more results

What about the reverse nordic or sissy squat? Do they train the rectus femoris?

The problem with leg extensions in my case is, that we have shitty machines in my gym. I can only go down to about 90° and so can't really stretch the quads properly.

It always baffled me that people could argue that leg extensions are a “bad quad exercise”, given that it trains the primary function of the quads directly.

Would reverse Nordics work as well as leg extensions for rectus femoris?

What about heel elevated squats, where your upper body stays pretty upright and it's mostly a knee extension?

Menno, did you agree with most of what Doug Brignole said?

Do squats effectively help develop the glutes? How inferior are they in that capacity to hip thrusts?

I can't squat due to a hernia so this is great to know

NOT SURE I AGREE, MENNO, once when i did single leg leg presses, my rectus femoris got so pumped and activatedd it was popping out of my quad like ive never seen before or since. i was shocked thot maybe i pulled a muscle or something. IT WAS literally about 3/4 of an inch higher than quads on either side!? you could even see it thru my jeans cuz i went straight home. So if your premise is true for squats , why isnt it true for one leg leg presses?

The question is, were the squats done in these studies, with full rom or emphasis on the lengthened position?

How about the femur length does it has an impact on quad development according to the scientific literature?

But during lying leg raises the rectus femoris may still be in active insufficiency because the knee is extended. In that case wouldn't reverse nordic or sissy squats be better? Let me go a little further. I've tried doing lying leg raises with FLEXED knees but I find them uncomfortable. They feel weird. At least in theory I think about another excercise: Something like a reverse nordic, but instead of extending the knee, leaving it flexed but flexing the hip, like sitting up. Has anyone tried something like this?

Is better to put Leg extension first And then squats tips?

i wish i knew this a year ago

What about reverse Nordics?

Why would anyone think squats were a better quadriceps exercise than leg extensions? It just wouldn’t make sense that squats could be better than leg extensions for the quadriceps specifically even if there wasn’t scientific evidence A squat not only is a compound movement but also a weighted calisthenics movement so you’re fatiguing not only other muscles than the quadriceps but also moving your body through space so after so many reps you’re wasting energy on those things rather than just on the quadriceps like in a leg extension where you’re sat down on your bum quite literally only activating the quadriceps and maybe the calves a tiny bit. If you asked a monkey to choose one of those exercises for his quadriceps muscles he would surely choose the leg extension. The squat is a full lower body compound movement that’s also calisthenics while the leg extension is a quadriceps isolation exercise done while completely still and sitting, so it has two reasons it would be obviously better for the quadriceps. Great video

I wonder if you need leg extensions for athletic movements tho, such as kicking and stuff

Please read Doug Brignole s book .

Since rec fem isnt a priority for me rn i just do split squats for them

Add cheap amazon Yoga pads between shins and leg extension pad, it's 💰. I also like to belt myself in, more stability, higher output.

Thanks first of all. However, pretty localized topic to begin with. One should focus on overall strength first and then segway into paying special attention to a muscle. At least people who want functional growth, somebody who wants to perform better in a complex activity or sport persay. Having the "I want best hypertrophy in quads or biceps or abdominals" alone would force future bias and deficiencies in a consolidated overall structure. It is logically very obvious that specialized single-handed focus or in other words isolation would always lead to great gains locally. Nobody would usually think that squat would ever cause more hypertrophy in quads than a quad-centric exercise. Nobody would every assume that general pull ups would cause greater growth in biceps than proper curls.

Can you build decent quads with just Leg extensions?

You are Lex Fridman for fitness.

Dont forget Sissy Squats!!!!

Nordic squats or reverse Nordic ??

Doug Brignole would be proud of you

What are some alternatives for leg extensions? Because, after trying many machines and intensity/volumes, leg extensions ALWAYS give me knee pain. Squats however make my knees feel good and strong, I don't understand why.

leg press leg extension and hammy curl is all you need machines ftw

There’s also another leg extension-type movement where you can get the range of motion that’s unreachable on the machine…. The kneeling quad extension 💪

As an alternative you can also perform a sissy squat. I prefer the classic one without a sissy squat machine.

Every bodybuilder and powerlifter I've ever spoken to (a lot) would disagree, as do I.

I tore a little bit of my rectus femoris doing a 100 kg squat last year. I usually trained with 105-110 at the time. Does this imply that my rectus femoris was way too weak and tore under the tension that didn't effectively help out my knee extension? I think so, but if you have some wisdom to add that would be awesome :D

A major caveat is that a lot of leg extension machines are pretty garbage in terms of their ROM and resistance curve But if it's a decent one, not even an ideal one, then you'd be a fool not to include them. As much as sissy squats and reverse nordics are useful in situations with minimal equipment, the variable loading on leg extensions is unbeatable

What about sissy squats? As per Doug Brignole.

leg extensions are the preacher curl of quads, you dont get rid of all back exercises the same way you dont get rid of squats

Since i started sissy squads i see rectus femoris growth

Just do them all, squats, bulgarian split squats, lunges, leg extensions.

I built my legs from leg extensions and ppl don’t believe me when i say i dont squat 😊

SAM SULEK WAS RIGHT, BRO. THE BROS ALWAYS KNOWWWWWW

Theory of active insufficiency. The rec fem being bi articulate can not optimally contract at both the knee and hip joints at the same time. Therefore it is lengthened during the concentric movement of the squat at the hip joint while extending the hip and shortened at the knee joint. If the hip is kept flexed as in the seated leg extension exercise then the rec fem will not contract optimally at the knee joint. Am I right or did I misinterpret the whole thing ?

I think squats are much better for your overall lower body. They help the glutes and lower back and you can exercise that muscle you are saying when you go below parallel.

Be prepared for a LOT of anti science bro replies 😄😄

The little zoomers at my gym are obsessed with the quad extension. It's always taken. It's now actually out of order-broken 😠. I blame Sam Sulek. They all want to be just like him.

Sacrilege! I love it, time to go train my rectus....

😂😂😂😂

What about sissy squats?

"Study".

Uh oh! Butthurt ego lifters incoming....

Click bait bullshit not based in reality

You dont really need a study to know what it's OBVIOUS, really?? 😂😆😆🙄🙄🙄🙄🤦🏻‍♂️

Thanks cosmos and gods I came across this.

Squats are stupid