30 Seconds Summary
Research Spotlight: Foot positioning doesn’t affect muscle activation in the leg press

April 23, 2023

Recent research challenges the belief that narrow stance and forward-facing feet in leg press exercises enhance quad growth compared to wider stance alternatives or feet turned outward.
A 2001 study showed small differences in certain non-primary muscles (gastrocnemius and hamstrings) due to stance and foot position, but found no significant differences in the main quad muscles across various foot positions and stance widths.
A more recent study similarly found no impact of stance width or foot angle on muscle activation during the leg press, indicating consistent findings across studies.
The newer study also revealed that lifting speed (maximum velocity vs. controlled cadence) affects muscle activation more significantly than foot angle or stance width.
EMG data shows no strong correlation between acute muscle activation responses in leg press variations and long-term muscle growth, indicating other factors might be more important for hypertrophy.

Stronger By Science

Greg Nuckols

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