Leg extension Exercise: Muscle worked, Health Benefits, How to do?

What is leg extension exercise?

The leg extension exercise is also known as the knee extension. This is a type of strength training exercise. It is an excellent movement for strengthening your quadriceps muscles, which are located in the anterior of your upper thigh.

Knee extensions are done on a leg extension machine or by different exercise techniques. This is an “open-chain kinetic” exercise, while in the leg extension, you’re moving the padded bar, Which means your legs aren’t stationary as they work, and thus the chain of movement is open in the leg extension.

Which muscles are used for leg extension exercise?

Knee extension exercises mainly target your quadriceps group muscles.

The Quadriceps muscle group includes these muscles:

• Rectus femoris
• Vastus lateralis
• Vastus medialis
• Vastus intermedius

The quadriceps is the largest muscles group in the human body whose action is to extend the knee. you will need strong quadriceps for a walk, squat and good posture,

Health benefits by doing leg extension exercise.

• Helps to strengthen the ligaments around the knee joint.
• Helps to strengthen quadriceps muscles.
• Helps to give tone to your thigh muscles
• Helps to improve athletes performance or any sports performance
• Helps to prevent leg injury.
• Helps to increase spine flexibility.
• Helps to improve posture.

You can do leg extension with different techniques.

Body weight leg extensions

You can also perform leg extensions while sitting in a normal chair. This will help to strengthen your quadriceps without using any weight. This is also known as a seated leg extension.

It is also less stressful on the knee joint.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to Sit in a chair. Put your feet on the ground with, hip-foot width apart.

• Your back should be straightened.
• Straighten your left knee to lift your left leg.
• Then return to the initial position.
• In a Starting phase, you will complete two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Repeat with the right leg.
• If you want To make this exercise harder, then add some weight on the ankle to lift the leg.

Standing leg extensions

This variation strengthens your core and quadriceps, give similar benefits to leg extensions on a machine. It also improves your coordination and balance.

How to do it?

• You have to stand with feet hip-width apart. your shoulders should be away from your ears.
• Contract your core muscle. lift your left foot 1 or 2 inches off the ground.
• Flexed your left knee to send your left foot back.
• Extend your left knee to straighten your leg in front of you.
• In a Starting phase, you will complete two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Repeat with the right leg.if you want To make this harder, then add some weight on the ankle to lift the leg or You can also stand near the wall to take support.

Leg extension machine

Set the leg extension machine, so the pad is at the top of the ankle joint. Your knees flexed upto90 degrees. Select a weight that will give you a comfortable movement for 10 to 15 repetitions.

How to do it?

• Put your hands on the hand bars. Then lift the ankle weight by extending your knee in front of you.
• Don’t lock your knee joint your back should be straight on the backrest throughout the movement.
• Breath out and flex the knee and lower the weight to starting position.
• Do 2 to 3sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Leg extension with resistance band

For this variation, you have to stand with feet hip-width apart and wrap the resistance band around the ankle joint. Put another end of band behind you to get resistance.

How to do it?

• Slowly extend your left knee to bring the band under tension, you should maintain your back straight.
• Straight your knee as far as comfortable. Hold for a second and slowly return to the initial position.
• Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.

Leg extension with dumbbells

How to do it?

• Put a dumbbell in between your ankle and hold it.
• Straighten your knees until your legs are fully extended in front of you.
• Hold this position for two seconds and then move your legs back to the initial position.

Kettlebell leg extension

How to do it?

• Put a kettlebell handle on your one foot.
• Then extend your one leg out to one side of the kettlebell.
• When you straighten your legs out then flex your elbows and lean backward.
• Pull knees straight your legs out to one side of the kettlebell.
• As you extend your legs out, flex your elbows and lean back. Pull your knees back in as you bring your chest in towards your legs.
• Back and move your chest towards your legs, with this extend another side of kettlebell.
• This is the first repetition. Gradually you can increase the weight when you smoothly do a movement.You have to complete 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Alternative exercises of leg extension.

Squatting

How to do it?

• You have to Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. move your toes slightly outward. hold your hands together or place them by your sides.
• Contract your core and straighten your back. Push your hips backward and flex your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Lower your hips until your front thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees above your ankles.
• Push into your heels and stand up.
• Start with two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Reverse lunges

How to do it?

• For this exercise, you have to stand with your foot’s lateral side move.
• Then take a backward step by your right foot. then lower your right knee up to 90-degree flexion.
• Then push on the right foot to get the initial position. Then do this same movement with the left leg.
• In a starting phase complete 10 to 15 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets.

Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells

For this variation, you need a dumbbell and a bench. the bench height up to the knee joint or slightly lower than it.

How to do it?

• For this exercise, you have to stand with your back to the bench.
• Grab a dumbbell in both hands and place your elbows against the body.
• Move your leg into a lunge stance, put your right foot on the bench.put your left foot on the ground.
• Flexed your left leg to down your right knee. Lower down your left leg until thighs are parallel to the ground and your right knee almost touches the ground. push to left foot to get the initial position. In a starting phase, you have to complete10 to 15 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets. Then do this movement on another leg.

Step-ups

This is the more effective exercise for strengthening your glutes, core, quadriceps. This exercise also increase your hip flexibility and balance.
for this exercise, you will need one step stool or bench.

How to do it?

• You have to Stand facing the bench with feet hip-width apart. your hands are placed on your hips and your trunk should be straight, Place your left foot on top of the bench. Keep your left knee over your left ankle.
• Push off your left foot to step onto the box. Put your left leg next to your right leg and stand up straight.
• Step your right foot back and onto the floor. Repeat with your left foot to return to starting position.
• In a Starting phase you have to complete two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Side lunges

How to do it?

• For this exercise, you have to stand with hip foot width apart. move your toes forward.
• Hold your hand together or straight in front of you.` contract your core muscles.
• Step your left foot to side ward, move your hip back and move weight on your right leg.
• Push into the right leg then return to the initial position.
• Do this movement on the left leg to complete the first repetition.
• Then you have to complete 2 to3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Why alternatives are better?

• This is the ideal exercise if you want to more focus on your quadriceps. But if you would like to increase overall leg muscle strength, then it is best to go for alternatives.

• Leg extension alternatives utilize more leg muscles, like the hamstrings and glutes. many exercises even contract your core, which is important for maintaining proper posture and balance.

• Alternatives offer you a more functional workout than only leg extensions on a machine. Additionally, alternative exercises decrease the risk of injury because they are less stressful on the knee joint. This may be good if you have are suffering from knee conditions like knee osteoarthritis.

Common mistakes happen while performing leg extensions.

Avoid these mistakes to get more benefit from this exercise and prevent injury or strain.

Heavy Lifting
Your leg is not the machine to try to a maximum lift, if you will lift the heavyweight then you did not get the proper form of this exercise.

High Reps
Do not do more than 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps at moderate load. You do not need to do any high repetitions on the leg extension machine.

Going Too Fast
If you doing this exercise very fast then it does not use muscle engagement it will use momentum so you have to complete this exercise slow and smoothly.

Locking the Knees
Don’t lock your knees at maximum extension. This will strain your knee joint.

When did you not do this exercise?

• If you have any thigh, ankle, or knee injury then consult your therapist before starting this exercise.
• Do not do this exercise if you feel any pain or discomfort in the knee and ankle.
• If your leg bone is fractured.
• If your physician advised you to take a rest.