Leg exercises should be an essential part of your fitness routine. Though most of your lower body training is done with barbells or free weights, exclusive leg machines can help fix imbalances or weak points in your lower body.
Besides, leg workouts stimulate your body’s upper muscles, which helps to create a metabolic state required for muscle building. According to a report, lower-body training is beneficial to stimulate balance and growth of the upper body muscles.
When it comes to leg workouts, machines are a great way to add power and speed to your routine and isolate certain muscle groups with guided contractions. A combination of both free-weights and leg machines will give variety to your workout and promote greater strength and stability.
Here are the five best leg machines to give more power to your leg workouts:
- Leg Press
The leg press tool is excellent for hypertrophying or growing your leg muscles. This is one among the most popular and preferred leg machines available with top fitness equipment platforms such as Stirling Fitness Leg Machines.
This leg machine is easy to use and is generally very safe if you never lock out your legs under heavy load. An effective way to use the leg press machine is to add more training density to your legs after completing main lifts, squats, and deadlifts or exercises that are predominantly knee-dominant.
Two exercises – leg press and hack swat can be performed in this machine to target vastus medialis (inner quad) and outer sweep (vastus lateralis) of the leg. Some machines have other added functionality.
2. Seated or Lying Hamstring Curl
Hamstrings are a critical part of your leg that reside on the back of your leg. The hamstring curl is performed either seated or lying on the stomach; both give your hamstrings the same workout.
Hamstring curls are staple workouts done to strengthen knees, quadriceps, and glutes, and they help protect your joints and knees from becoming stress or injured. Ensure to focus on your body position and direction of your toes when using a hamstring curl machine.
3. Leg Extension
A popular lever machine, leg extension fitness equipment, targets the quadriceps leg muscles and isolates the front and side of the thighs. The workout involves bending the leg at the knee and extending the legs by raising a padded bar and lowering back to the original position.
When using this machine, it’s recommended to adjust the seating so that your knees are directly in line with the machine’s axis. Choose a machine that maintains an uptight body position from the range of leg machine equipment of Stirling Fitness Leg Machines. Also, opt for a lighter version crafted from quality materials for an effective thigh workout.
4. Inner/Outer Thigh Machines
These machines are widely used to shape, tone, and promote the strength of leg and hip muscles subsequently. Thighs provide stability to the knees and pelvis when you walk, so it’s vital to strengthen your thigh muscles.
Machines with thigh pads specifically help to rotate in and out with the user’s body to alleviate pinch points. When using this machine, work out slowly with lightweight initially to focus on the muscle contractions. Work your way up to add side lunges and resistance bands to add more power to your routine.
5. Squat Machine
This machine is an excellent tool for fitness enthusiasts to protect and support individuals recovering from an injury who need extra guidance. Equipped with a barbell, it’s easy for exercisers to develop core strength without losing balance. It enables lower-body muscles to move the same amount of weight with a barbell without the risk of dropping the equipment or falling over.
Squats are an essential workout that helps to enhance your lower body strength, endurance, and mobility. Initially, it can be not very comforting to maintain perfect form. This is where a squat machine can help you get the hang of it and progress to other difficult squat variations.
Mobility, balance and endurance – are some of the core elements that can be strengthened with the above leg machine fitness equipment. Before attempting to use these machines, consult with a trainer to help you design the right workout routine. Ensure to do a proper warm-up and then embark on an exercise plan. Besides, pay attention to your form, don’t over-strain your knee muscles and avoid excessive forward movement.
When buying fitness leg machines, quality and durability need to be given high priority. Shop around at online stores such as Stirling Fitness Leg Machines to explore the wide range of fitness equipment and accessories and choose the right leg machine to target the desired leg muscle groups and, in turn, promote upper body strength.