Opinions on my leg day pls

[Suzy Brown]

Today I was totally amped to try squatting 220. It wasn't tough, so I went to 230... that's 30lbs more than last week!

I figured that since my squat was so good, I could do as well on the leg press. I did the sled machine, where your back slides and the foot plate stays still. It goes every 20lbs so I sert it for 220. *couldn't budge it!* So I went back to 180. I thought I was getting a pressure headache after 8! Next set went back to 160. I got stuck in the down position after 6!!! I had to drop the stack and yank my legs out!! So last set I went down to 140, and finally did some decent work.

Why does my leg press blow so bad when my squat is pretty decent????

((I also did a PB on SLDL, 100lb bitchez!))

[Sistersteel]

Swan, do you squat using free weights or a smith machine?

[Suzy Brown]

Neither, I moved to a machine called a super squat. Its like a hack but less angled. It has a back pad. Once I hit around 180lb I found I'd buck the weight thru my lower back, so I started using this one to protect myself a bit.

[Suzy Brown]

I aim for getting my thighs parallel to the angle of the foot pad, there are mirrors...

[Suzy Brown]

Super Squat machine (like a hack but not as much angle) 220lbs for 10, 12 & 230 for 10
standing ham curl, 25lb per leg, 10 reps
Walking twisted lunges, 15 per leg

next set
cable side kicks, 40lbs, 15 per leg
glute isolator machine, 75lbs 15 per leg
SLDL, 100lbs for 8,10, 8

next set
seated ham curl, 80lbs for 8reps
seated ext, 80lbs for 12reps
sled leg press, ... ^^

[sassy69]

Do you have access to a standard squat rack & free bar?

I can squat 225 for 10 to parallel (ATF blows my knees w/ heavy weights and I'm over 40 so I'm allowed to whine about my joints )

However, we used to have a similar plate loaded machine called a Power Squat that I could load up to 10 plates or so on and squat.

Don't cheat yourself out of free-standing exercises - best stuff for your core & balance. The weights don't matter. Your form and your body's ability to hold you up & be functionally correct is a lot more important.

.. unless I'm reading your comments wrong -- you went to this machine after 180 in regular squats?

[Suzy Brown]

You got it Sassy... I got up to 180 in a regular rack and I could see that I was moving too much thru my lower back & belly. I thought if I moved to this machine, I could brace my back better (the bar leaves marks on me *whine*) and focus more on quads. My quads have grown a lot! And I made small slow increases (like 3 months) from 180-200lbs. The past 2 weeks I was somehow able to go from 200-230lbs but for some reason now my leg press is sucking even worse than ever. I don't get it: most people can leg press 2-3x their squat.

(I know my squats are wussy, but I'm small & I've only done about a year and a half of training)

Sometimes, if I feel i need a break, I'll do ATG with a 40lb weighted bar instead of traditional squats.