Thank you Menno, I always love these quick explanation videos. I've never thought about leaning back when doing leg extensions, I'll have to incorporate that then next time I add leg extensions to my program.
I love the impression of the Japanese researcher, I'm sure it will receive much positive feedback 🤣 Man, I miss the good old days when being funny wasn't a crime
@@menno.henselmans here's an intellectual exercise for you, was your 3 sec gag funny enough or provide something useful (i.e. editing that drew attention to a point) that you would risk being offensive? You missed putting on fake buckteeth, and pulling the sides of your eyes with your fingers to make it extra funny. Bruh I'm here to watch a sports scientist SCIENCE. If you've gonna try jokes that are at best cause a mild chuckle and at worst virtue signals to the mildly (to overtly) racist crowd, you are gonna get a rude awakening if you ever get really popular. You wanna risk being cancelled at your peak for a weak racist caricature gag?
1:32 in general, this is called passive insufficiency, namely the inability to stretch the hamstrings and this is the main reason why in such a position it is impossible to extend the knee, because the hamstrings are stretched to a greater length and do not allow this to be done. But if, for example, during leg extension you tilt the pelvis back, then the hamstrings will decrease in length, and then you will be able to straighten the knee. Therefore, the limitation in knee extension occurs due to the hamstrings.
It was never quite clear to me which it is that's limiting the movement, the passive insufficiency of the hams or the active insufficiency of the RF. For me, moving the pelvis doesn't allow me to actively straighten my leg no matter what, but I can do it passively, so I'd think there must be an active component. I know textbooks cite the passive insufficiency as the main reason though.
@@menno.henselmans 1) during tilting of the pelvis back, hip extension occurs (that is, the main thing that affects the length of the hamstrings is the angle of hip flexion), that is, if it allows you to slightly extend the hip and thereby increase the length of the hamstrings, then the limitation in terms of their length automatically disappears during knee extension . 2) It is believed that active insufficiency can be observed only for biarticular muscles, although in fact active insufficiency depends on the range of working sarcomeres (the work of sarcomeres in the ascending length-tension phase ) and as far as I remember from the researched quadriceps practically does not experience active insufficiency.
Hey Menno, if only having access to dumbbells and no cables/leg extensions machine, will sissy squats train the rectus femoris as good as leg extensions?
If you do them strictly, they're pretty good, yes. I like reverse Nordic ham curls better generally though to really take the hips out of the movement and hammer the quads hard in a full stretch.
Can you explain at 10:00 what do you mean by muscle activation is not mutual exclusive? In the chinup for example if you lean back and try to curl rather than pull doesn’t that decrease the lats activity because biceps take more of the load?
Menno, the Military press was the video before this one? You mean the rounder delts one? That went up 5 months ago. Or is it another video and not up yet.
Does this advice assume that the Leg extension machine allows the user to slide the seat-back backwards and forwards to get the pivot in the right place, but also to tilt the seat-back/ vary the angle of it? The machines at my gym only have a sliding function, so if I were to move the seat-back further back to try and alter the angle to 40 degrees, my knees may not be in the right place but I'd also have no support for my lower-to-mid back. I assume that you're not advocating doing the latter Menno, as trying to get power out-of the legs with a wobbly/ unsupported/ potentially rounded back obviously isn't ideal.
I have the set up you describe and have no problems. 75% of my back is still in contact with the pad, and pulling down on the handles when performing the exercise prevents any instability in the exercise and allows the quads to produce force unimpeeded.
@@asprinklingofclouds the probability that 2 complete strangers have exactly same machine and same body proportions and strength is practically 0. The fact that you can doesn't mean the others can as well. I actually have the same problem and moving the seat as far as possible only give me instability and excessive muscle tension in mid/lower back in spite of using the handles correctly. Edit: Also, putting so much effort in stabilizing your back takes attention away from really producing force with your quads so, I wouçd say its better to have increased angle if you can't get sufficient stabilization from te seat itself.
Would it make sense for a powerlifter to perform additional leg extensions work more upright to build the vasti muscle but limit "unnecessary" weight gains from the rectus?
Good breakdown on the papers, my problem here is, body builders are considered as advanced, the majority of those that go to the gym are part timers in comparison. Did the conclusion of the study show growth/more development of the rectus femoris and vastus groups.
This is kind of how I’ve been naturally doing them. When I injured my back fully upright would aggravate it further but leaning back was fine. Unrelated question but where do you get the shirts?
Not quite surprised that a comfortable position works out well. Like name a person who ever felt sitting fully upright felt like it's the best position. Not too surprised about person not being able to tell which section of the muscle is activating to what measure either, like is there a signficant mechanism in the body to even isolate different sections of a muscle? I know muscle activation tests can measure all kinds of stuff (that doesn't always line up with hypertrophy results and subjective observation), but how "real" as in practical for humans are they per case?
Sucks leg extension machines never ever go to full rom on the knee. Sissy squats and reverse nordics feel so much better but the rom at the top has no tension so it feels incomplete.
So one thing I have played with when doing leg extensions. Is when I reach the full extension (the top of movement). I can take my leg and lift it like another 1 or 2 inches (at the hip, not knee). I have felt that there was recruitment of femoris to do this little "bump" at the top. Your thoughts? Or have you tried something like that?
I've never heard of that, but thinking about it and practising at home, it sounds about right. The thing is, I've got (a bit of) rec fem development but very little sweep. It may just be down to genetics to be honest, but my quads are very flat at the sides as-if someone has chopped the sweep off, despite me doing back squats, front squats, leg press, split squats and leg extensions. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I could do with getting some vastus lateralis development from Leg extensions, but I'm not sure if it's feasible really, even with the oft-bandied toes-in or knees-close forms.
@@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495 LOL, dude I am in the same boat. Heck my left tear drop is so differently developed compared to my right one. It ain't even funny.
I've done this based on feel for years, always put the back of the seat as far back as you can. Knew I was on the right track. Similar to the sissy squat Tom Platz popularized I suppose
Lmao, I was doing something completely different while listening, then checked the comments and found the spot. 10/10 I need to adjust my stance on the leg extension I guess. I have a good teardrop, but I sit fairly upright.
![The best pull-up grip: everyone got it WRONG [study]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxtqcE2GqoI/mqdefault.jpg)
That Japan joke was super funny 🤣
You should try a weekly 'journal club' format where you discuss your favorite/latest papers in exercise & nutrition.
Always the racist white people who think mocking Asian accent is funny. It is actually very offensive
I think that was pretty racist. It's crazy when a white guy makes a racist comment it makes it ok because no racial group makes fun of white people.
@jeffy911 My filipina gf does a white guy accent all the time. Its hilarious.
Thank you Menno, I always love these quick explanation videos. I've never thought about leaning back when doing leg extensions, I'll have to incorporate that then next time I add leg extensions to my program.
What? Legs are meant to be trained?
Only by bodybuilders
This really IS newsworthy 😊
weird
I've been doing this for years. I was all excited to try something new. Still a great video of course!
I love the impression of the Japanese researcher, I'm sure it will receive much positive feedback 🤣
Man, I miss the good old days when being funny wasn't a crime
Ha, so far nothing negative on TH-cam, only on IG, which fits with YT being a more intellectual audience.
Agreed. Karate Chop!
@@menno.henselmans here's an intellectual exercise for you, was your 3 sec gag funny enough or provide something useful (i.e. editing that drew attention to a point) that you would risk being offensive?
You missed putting on fake buckteeth, and pulling the sides of your eyes with your fingers to make it extra funny. Bruh I'm here to watch a sports scientist SCIENCE. If you've gonna try jokes that are at best cause a mild chuckle and at worst virtue signals to the mildly (to overtly) racist crowd, you are gonna get a rude awakening if you ever get really popular. You wanna risk being cancelled at your peak for a weak racist caricature gag?
If I recall correctly, John Meadows talked about this as well. (leaning back)
Interesting how success leaves clues.. Tom Platz would lean back doing leg extensions as well..great content..👌
1:32 in general, this is called passive insufficiency, namely the inability to stretch the hamstrings and this is the main reason why in such a position it is impossible to extend the knee, because the hamstrings are stretched to a greater length and do not allow this to be done. But if, for example, during leg extension you tilt the pelvis back, then the hamstrings will decrease in length, and then you will be able to straighten the knee. Therefore, the limitation in knee extension occurs due to the hamstrings.
It was never quite clear to me which it is that's limiting the movement, the passive insufficiency of the hams or the active insufficiency of the RF. For me, moving the pelvis doesn't allow me to actively straighten my leg no matter what, but I can do it passively, so I'd think there must be an active component. I know textbooks cite the passive insufficiency as the main reason though.
@@menno.henselmans 1) during tilting of the pelvis back, hip extension occurs (that is, the main thing that affects the length of the hamstrings is the angle of hip flexion), that is, if it allows you to slightly extend the hip and thereby increase the length of the hamstrings, then the limitation in terms of their length automatically disappears during knee extension . 2) It is believed that active insufficiency can be observed only for biarticular muscles, although in fact active insufficiency depends on the range of working sarcomeres (the work of sarcomeres in the ascending length-tension phase ) and as far as I remember from the researched quadriceps practically does not experience active insufficiency.
Your videos are the best, Menno. Thank you!
Hey Menno, if only having access to dumbbells and no cables/leg extensions machine, will sissy squats train the rectus femoris as good as leg extensions?
following this
If you do them strictly, they're pretty good, yes. I like reverse Nordic ham curls better generally though to really take the hips out of the movement and hammer the quads hard in a full stretch.
or keep a dumbbell between your feet or use elastic bands attached to your ankles and do your extensions. that's what I did during c'vid
@@the_notorious_bas those are not stretch loaded
@@tili_ true for the db version, but the bands version works well. Or combine them.
i've been doing leg extensions as far leaned back as the machine allows for a while now and I always get weird looks but it's worth it lolol
At 90 degrees of active hip flexion the active insufficiency isn’t the limiting factor it’s hamstring length or nerve tension.
Another brilliant video from our guru
Can you explain at 10:00 what do you mean by muscle activation is not mutual exclusive? In the chinup for example if you lean back and try to curl rather than pull doesn’t that decrease the lats activity because biceps take more of the load?
Menno, the Military press was the video before this one? You mean the rounder delts one? That went up 5 months ago. Or is it another video and not up yet.
Yeah, it's that one. This video was delayed a lot.
Excellent content. Thank you Menno!
Does this advice assume that the Leg extension machine allows the user to slide the seat-back backwards and forwards to get the pivot in the right place, but also to tilt the seat-back/ vary the angle of it? The machines at my gym only have a sliding function, so if I were to move the seat-back further back to try and alter the angle to 40 degrees, my knees may not be in the right place but I'd also have no support for my lower-to-mid back. I assume that you're not advocating doing the latter Menno, as trying to get power out-of the legs with a wobbly/ unsupported/ potentially rounded back obviously isn't ideal.
I have the set up you describe and have no problems. 75% of my back is still in contact with the pad, and pulling down on the handles when performing the exercise prevents any instability in the exercise and allows the quads to produce force unimpeeded.
@@asprinklingofclouds the probability that 2 complete strangers have exactly same machine and same body proportions and strength is practically 0. The fact that you can doesn't mean the others can as well. I actually have the same problem and moving the seat as far as possible only give me instability and excessive muscle tension in mid/lower back in spite of using the handles correctly.
Edit: Also, putting so much effort in stabilizing your back takes attention away from really producing force with your quads so, I wouçd say its better to have increased angle if you can't get sufficient stabilization from te seat itself.
Great vlog,Whats your favourite rep range for leg curl and leg extension?
Would it make sense for a powerlifter to perform additional leg extensions work more upright to build the vasti muscle but limit "unnecessary" weight gains from the rectus?
Good breakdown on the papers, my problem here is, body builders are considered as advanced, the majority of those that go to the gym are part timers in comparison. Did the conclusion of the study show growth/more development of the rectus femoris and vastus groups.
Does doing leg extensions at 90 degree increase the vastus lateralis more?
2:20 I cant ☠ 🤣
This is kind of how I’ve been naturally doing them. When I injured my back fully upright would aggravate it further but leaning back was fine. Unrelated question but where do you get the shirts?
Egyptian tailor. Got a whole new wardrobe when I was there.
Not quite surprised that a comfortable position works out well. Like name a person who ever felt sitting fully upright felt like it's the best position. Not too surprised about person not being able to tell which section of the muscle is activating to what measure either, like is there a signficant mechanism in the body to even isolate different sections of a muscle? I know muscle activation tests can measure all kinds of stuff (that doesn't always line up with hypertrophy results and subjective observation), but how "real" as in practical for humans are they per case?
You'll probably like this article then: mennohenselmans.com/can-we-feel-muscle-activation
More impressions please 🙏🏻
Menno do you suggest variations for the vasti group on the leg extension machine?
Hey menno i have a full layout set up that feels great pretty sure i can get more force at 90degrees than in this study.
Sucks leg extension machines never ever go to full rom on the knee. Sissy squats and reverse nordics feel so much better but the rom at the top has no tension so it feels incomplete.
So one thing I have played with when doing leg extensions. Is when I reach the full extension (the top of movement). I can take my leg and lift it like another 1 or 2 inches (at the hip, not knee). I have felt that there was recruitment of femoris to do this little "bump" at the top. Your thoughts? Or have you tried something like that?
I've never heard of that, but thinking about it and practising at home, it sounds about right. The thing is, I've got (a bit of) rec fem development but very little sweep. It may just be down to genetics to be honest, but my quads are very flat at the sides as-if someone has chopped the sweep off, despite me doing back squats, front squats, leg press, split squats and leg extensions. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I could do with getting some vastus lateralis development from Leg extensions, but I'm not sure if it's feasible really, even with the oft-bandied toes-in or knees-close forms.
@@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495 LOL, dude I am in the same boat. Heck my left tear drop is so differently developed compared to my right one. It ain't even funny.
Could you review and analyse sissy squat as an alternative to leg press please?
I like this kind of content ;)
It seems to me that the “Stretch” is more important than the “contraction” now?
Lean way back when doing leg extensions
I've done this based on feel for years, always put the back of the seat as far back as you can. Knew I was on the right track. Similar to the sissy squat Tom Platz popularized I suppose
Love your japanese accent Menno-san. Hahaha.
Or you could do reverse Nordic curls.
Just need to go into a Tae Kwon Do class doing kicking drills. People absolutely can extend the knee with your hip bent.
You mean your hamstrings are too tight?
this was my thought… I can definitely do the raised leg extension he claimed you can’t do 🤔
Lmao, I was doing something completely different while listening, then checked the comments and found the spot. 10/10
I need to adjust my stance on the leg extension I guess. I have a good teardrop, but I sit fairly upright.
Or do Sissy Squats.
No thanks. I’m going for the triangle on a stick body type.
So we should abandon military positioned leg extension machines and the notion that 0.05 is a god-given threshold for p-values
You will get more interest if your videos were 5min long... sometimes in this fast pace world less is best
Here's effective trick for bigger legs that most people are clueless of... Pendulum sissy squats & RDL's
You know that that Japanese impression is easily a cause to be canceled today, right? 😀
Heh, I have no intention of producing content for people that choose to be offended to anything, so they're free to unfollow.
@@menno.henselmansfair enuff💪😀
You muscles don't care about your feelings.. ..#sniff
Sheesh