# Average Leg Press vs Squat



## Boost777 (Jan 4, 2007)

Does anyone have an idea as to what the average person can leg press versus there squat?  I can squat a max of 305 but press around 600 for 4 reps.  Should I be able to squat more?


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## P-funk (Jan 4, 2007)

nope.  no way you can be able to tell what the ratio is.

they are two completly different exercises.


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## Boost777 (Jan 4, 2007)

Oh, well can you give me an idea of what you squat vs press?


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## mike456 (Jan 4, 2007)

some one with a shitty core can leg press a thousand pounds, but squat 0.

No ratio


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## Gazhole (Jan 4, 2007)

mike456 said:


> some one with a shitty core can leg press a thousand pounds, but squat 0.
> 
> No ratio



Very true.

I have a friend who can Leg Press a ton of weight, but cant do even the motions of the Squat or Deadlift with BW because of frightening muscle imbalances.

I offered to help him, but apparently he's happier using machines.

Go figure.

Ditch the Leg Press and work on Squats. Better for you in the long run.

The best way to figure out what you can Squat is to just get underneath a bar and find out.


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## largepkg (Jan 4, 2007)

I've never gone above 405lbs on the squat but that was for many reps. I was always afraid of injury to my already fragile back. As for the leg press I've gone as high as my machine will hold, 36 plates or 1600+lbs for 4-6 reps. 

Those days are gone now with my recent knee injury.


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## AKIRA (Jan 4, 2007)

P-funk said:


> nope.  no way you can be able to tell what the ratio is.
> 
> they are *two completly different exercises*.



Not being argumentative, but I want to know why.


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## largepkg (Jan 4, 2007)

AKIRA said:


> Not being argumentative, but I want to know why.



Stabilizers aren't recruited at all, as well as very little core muscles. That's why squats & deads are the granddaddy's of muscle building. They recruit the most muscles.


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## fufu (Jan 4, 2007)

largepkg said:


> I've never gone above 405lbs on the squat but that was for many reps. I was always afraid of injury to my already fragile back. As for the leg press I've gone as high as my machine will hold, 36 plates or 1600+lbs for 4-6 reps.
> 
> Those days are gone now with my recent knee injury.



Damn, 36 plates...I wouldn't do that just because it would be a pain loading/unloading. I don't even think my gym has that many 45's.


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## largepkg (Jan 4, 2007)

fufu said:


> Damn, 36 plates...I wouldn't do that just because it would be a pain loading/unloading. I don't even think my gym has that many 45's.




You aren't kidding! Try unloading them after doing 4 sets of 5 reps and you can barely stand let alone remove 36 freaking plates.


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## AKIRA (Jan 4, 2007)

fufu said:


> Damn, 36 plates...I wouldn't do that just because it would be a pain loading/unloading. I don't even think my gym has that many 45's.



Not to mention, pissing off everyone else that would like to use some plates.

In any case, I knew about the stabilizers, however, I wanted to know why theyd be "completely different."


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## largepkg (Jan 4, 2007)

AKIRA said:


> Not to mention, pissing off everyone else that would like to use some plates.
> 
> In any case, I knew about the stabilizers, however, I wanted to know why theyd be "completely different."



I belong to a globo gym. They must have 1,000 45lb plates in that place. My 36 won't upset anyone. If it does upset them they're probably the ones who stand in front of the damn DB rack doing ridiculous cheat curls with 60lb DB's, so F'em.


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## fufu (Jan 4, 2007)

lol, that is alot of fucking 45's!!! My gym has like...20.


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## Squaggleboggin (Jan 4, 2007)

First, every leg press machine is different. Different angles, lubrication, comfort levels, seat adjustments, etc, meaning even comparisons between two separate leg press machines would be difficult.



AKIRA said:


> Not to mention, pissing off everyone else that would like to use some plates.
> 
> In any case, I knew about the stabilizers, however, I wanted to know why theyd be "completely different."



Think about why the stabilizers are involved in the first place. It's like pushing a box up a set of stairs versus carrying it. Fixed track, less work (not technically speaking, but from a lifting point of view it's better to carry), different movement, etc. Even though the two seem very similar, you are first in a very different position most of the time in a leg press. Even the squat and deadlift are quite different based solely on bar placement. Small differences in movement equate to big differences in workout results.


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## Gazhole (Jan 4, 2007)

RDLs and Good Mornings are two incredibly similar exercises that i do, and even those feel totally different to me. Its weird how the bar placement can change everything.


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## mike456 (Jan 4, 2007)

AKIRA said:


> Not being argumentative, but I want to know why.



not to be a dick but how did you become a pt


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## Boost777 (Jan 4, 2007)

Gazhole said:


> Ditch the Leg Press and work on Squats. Better for you in the long run.
> 
> The best way to figure out what you can Squat is to just get underneath a bar and find out.



I know how much I can squat, just wondering if there was a ratio but I guess not.  I do both on my quad dominant days.


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## P-funk (Jan 4, 2007)

Boost777 said:


> Oh, well can you give me an idea of what you squat vs press?



I don't leg press.  Haven't done it in years.


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## P-funk (Jan 4, 2007)

AKIRA said:


> Not being argumentative, but I want to know why.



are you joking?


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## HaRdWoRkInG (Jan 4, 2007)

I leg pressed about 1000 lbs for the hell of it a few weeks ago. I could prolly do 1400-1600 max. About six months ago I was doing squats at like 375 lbs for sets of 5. I recently just recovered from a shoulder injury and I was kinda being lazy for six months and didnt squat at all. I lost a lot of leg muscle. I think I could still put up 350 on the squat though. Actually for the last six months I didn't weight lift at all so everything kind of went down. But I'm back now and I'm going to keep it that way. Leg press in my opinion should only be used to supplement your squatting. Don't ever think of it as a replacement for the squat.


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## Gazhole (Jan 5, 2007)

Boost777 said:


> I know how much I can squat, just wondering if there was a ratio but I guess not. I do both on my quad dominant days.



Ah right, my bad .

Still, that IS the best and only accurate way of finding out what you can lift for anything, rather than doing ratios between exercises.


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## slip (Jan 5, 2007)

mike456 said:


> not to be a dick but how did you become a pt



when i became certified, there were guys in their late 30's who had NEVER been to a gym in their life - overweight, unfit, uncoordinated, the lot.

Passed easy.

When a company is paid $5000 (Aussie) to certify you as a personal trainer, the do exactly that.

There is one company that is quite infamous, their students come out after 8wks, no exams, no nothing, taught only 1 real way of training.  It's pretty bad.


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