Every gym-goer knows the rush of a good leg day—the burn that tells you you're getting stronger, the challenge of pushing past your limits, and the satisfaction of walking away knowing your lower body just got a serious upgrade.
Among the arsenal of moves at your disposal, leg extensions and leg curls have become staples, while squats reign supreme as the undisputed king of leg workouts. But how do these exercises stack up against each other?
Diving into the world of leg extensions, leg curls, and squats is like unlocking the secret recipe for lower-body prowess. Each exercise brings something unique to the table, targeting different muscles and testing your strength in varied ways.
Stick around as we break down the nitty-gritty of these three leg day champions. Whether you're just starting to dip your toes into the fitness world or you're the one turning heads with your squat PR, this exploration is your roadmap to building legs that don't just look strong—they are strong!
Table of Contents:
In this section, we'll dive into the differences and benefits of three popular lower body exercises: leg extensions, leg curls, and squats. We'll explore their key differences and how they can each contribute to a well-rounded leg workout.
Leg extensions fall into the category of "open chain" exercises, which simply means that during the movement, the end part of the limb in action isn't anchored to a solid surface like the ground.
Leg extensions are a focused exercise targeting the quadriceps at the front of the thigh, particularly the rectus femoris and vastus muscles. This exercise is excellent for enhancing lower body strength and defining muscles, making it a valuable addition to any strength training regimen.
Performed on a leg extension machine, you sit and lift your lower legs by extending your knees against a weighted pad, engaging your quads in the process. Ideal for those aiming to boost their quad strength and size, leg extensions offer a targeted approach to muscle training, allowing for intensive work on specific areas.
They're particularly effective for either wrapping up a session with a targeted burn or prepping your quads for a more extensive workout by pre-exhausting them. As an isolation movement, leg extensions concentrate solely on the quads, setting them apart from exercises that engage multiple muscle groups.
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Related: Leg Extension Muscles Worked, Benefits, & More (Complete Guide)
Hamstring curls, often simply called leg curls, focus on the hamstrings and calves at the back of the leg. This exercise, adaptable to different positions, enhances any lower body strength routine.
Performed mainly on a leg curl machine, it involves drawing your heels towards your buttocks while keeping your upper body stationary, effectively strengthening the hamstrings.
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Related: Leg Curl Muscles Worked, Benefits, & More (Complete Guide)
Squats are a fantastic way to strengthen your lower body, not just the quads but also other key muscle groups. With a variety of types like back, front, split, and belt squats, you can target different areas.
As a comprehensive exercise, squats work the entire posterior chain, especially focusing on the quadriceps and gluteus maximus, with support from the hamstrings.
During a squat, you start from a standing position, bend your knees and hips to lower your body as if sitting back into an invisible chair, then return to standing. This exercise can be performed with body weight alone, or with added resistance such as barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells.
Pro Tip:
When squatting, make sure your knees don't extend past your toes and keep your neck straight, focusing on a point directly ahead in the mirror. Avoid looking up or down to prevent neck strain. It's also wise to have a spotter when lifting heavy weights.
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When comparing leg extensions, leg curls, and squats, it's important to understand the variation of each exercise, from the muscles they target to their overall impact on fitness and health.
Squats are a versatile exercise that can be incorporated into a variety of fitness programs. It's from their ability to work multiple muscles, improve functional fitness, and increase overall strength.
Leg extensions and curls are isolation exercises, meaning they focus on single muscle groups, making them best for targeted training and rehabilitation purposes.
Pro tip:
Leg extensions are superior for targeting quads compared to squats, mainly due to their ability to isolate these muscles. While it is safer, they don't engage gluteus maximus at all. To ensure a well-rounded workout, I recommend incorporating a glute-specific exercise, like the multi-hip machine, into your routine.
This is because many of the compound exercises we perform, such as squats extend the knee and hip simultaneously, which doesn't adequately stress this specific part of our quads. By only doing these compound lifts, it's not fully engaging all four muscles in quadriceps.
It's evident that leg extensions, as straightforward knee extension exercises, effectively stimulate and develop all the knee extensor muscles. In contrast, squats primarily target the vasti muscles – specifically the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis. Notably, leg extensions are particularly beneficial for enhancing the vastus lateralis, the outer quad muscle that contributes to the desirable 'quad sweep.'
Leg extensions isolate the quadriceps, making them great for targeted muscle building. Hack squats, being a compound movement, engage multiple leg muscles, including quads, glutes, and hamstrings, offering a more comprehensive lower body workout. Choose based on whether you aim for specific quad strengthening or overall leg development.
No, leg curls and squats are not the same. Leg curls are an isolation exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings by bending the knee to bring the heel towards the buttocks. Squats are a compound exercise that engages multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core, by bending at the hips and knees to lower the body as if sitting back into a chair, then standing back up.
Matt Gemkow, the author of this content section at Select Fitness USA, boasts more than 15 years of fitness experience. He started out in sports and athletic training for many years and has since 2014 transitioned into heavy-weight training and bodybuilding. As a result, he has become one of the most experienced fitness equipment experts out there, and a valuable source of information.
