Machine Leg Extension

How to do it

1. Sit on the machine and adjust the back pad so your knees line up with the machine's pivot point.
2. Place your shins behind the roller pad with the pad sitting just above the ankle joint, not on the foot.
3. Grip the side handles, brace your core, and press your back firmly into the pad.
4. Extend your knees smoothly until the legs are straight, squeezing the quads hard at the top.
5. Hold the lockout for a beat, keeping the toes pulled up toward the shins for max quad engagement.
6. Lower the pad slowly over 2 to 3 seconds back to the start, never letting the stack slam down.

Common mistakes

• Slamming the legs straight with momentum, then dropping the weight fast, which removes most of the loading.
• Setting the seat wrong so the knee pivot doesn't match the machine, which puts shear stress on the joint.
• Lifting the hips off the seat to muscle the weight up, which shifts work away from the quads.
• Cutting the range short on the bottom half, which trains only the easy top portion of the lift.