Leg Extension

How to perform the Leg Extension

1. Adjust the machine so the seat back supports the lower spine and the knee aligns with the pivot of the lever arm.
2. Set the ankle pad so it rests just above the ankle joint, not on the shin.
3. Extend the knees to lift the lever, leading with the quads and squeezing them hard at the top.
4. Pause briefly at full extension without snapping into hyperextension of the knee.
5. Lower under control on a 2–3 second eccentric to a depth that maintains tension; do not let the stack crash back at the bottom.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Snapping the knees into hyperextension at the top of every rep.
• •Going so heavy that the hips lift off the pad and the lower back takes part of the load.
• •Using a partial range from the top, never reaching a real stretch at the bottom.
• •Crashing the stack back at the bottom of every rep instead of controlling the eccentric.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.