There are several excellent leg exercise machines for both beginners and advanced professionals. These machines help in building lean muscle tissue along with boosting metabolism, which supports functional movements and burns fat.
Some of the key benefits include promoting muscle growth, isolating the muscles, reduced likelihood of getting injured, improving athletic performance, and more. In this article, we have curated a list of best leg exercise machines you can include in your workout routine.
Best Leg Exercise Machines
Here’s a look at five such machines:
1) Leg Press Machine
Leg presses are one of the most popular leg exercises that engage the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and quadriceps. This exercise also helps in packing both strength and muscles in the lower body.
How to use a leg press machine:
- Take a seated position on the machine, with your back and head on the padded support and feet on the foot plate while kept apart at hip distance.
- Bend your knees to create an angle of 90 degrees, and brace your abdominals.
- Slowly extend your legs with your upper body pressed against the padded support, and hold.
- Reverse the movement to bring the foot plate back to its starting position, and repeat.
2) Leg Extension Machine
Leg extensions are a classic leg exercise that can help add significant strength to the lower body. You can even train unilaterally with this machine, which can help in correcting muscle imbalance and increasing muscle awareness.
How to use a leg extension machine:
- Assume a seated position on the machine, with your knees bent at 90 degrees and pads secured on the ankles.
- Position your arms on the hand bars. Elevate the weight till the legs are about to extend, without locking the knees.
- Make sure not to arch your back during the movement. Bring the weight back to the starting position, and repeat.
3) Leg Curl Machine
Leg curls are a decent leg exercise, especially for beginners, which target the glutes and hamstrings. This exercise can also improve athletic performance by adding power to movements such as jumping and running.
How to use a leg curl machine:
- Begin by lying down with your face on the ground and torso and thighs secured on the machine.
- Brace your muscles, and grasp the handles in the front to start the exercise. Without moving your thighs from the pad, curl your lower legs upward as much as you can.
- Pause at the top of the movement before reversing. Repeat.
4) Calf Raise Machine
Calf raise is a great leg exercise that can provide several benefits, including enhanced ankle stability, better strength development, fuller range of motion, improved mobility, flexibility of ankles, and more.
How to use a calf raise machine:
- Start in a seated position on the machine, with your thighs secured on the pads right over your knees.
- Position your heels on the foot rest as the ankles hang on the edge.
- Bring your heels downward towards the ground at the lowest position.
- Reverse the movement, and repeat.
5) Hip Abduction Machine
The hip abduction is are another decent leg exercise that works on the stabilizer muscles and thighs. This exercise can also help in strengthening the hip abductors, which can be easily injured by playing excessive sports or fatiguing the muscles.
How to use a hip abduction machine:
- Begin in a seated position with your palms on the handle bars and thighs locked on the leg pads.
- Separate your legs as much as you can by pressing your legs onto the thigh pads, and hold.
- Reverse the movement, and repeat.
Bottom Line
The aforementioned leg exercise machines are among the best and most amazing ones you should incorporate in your workout routine. They provide a highly effective workout for the legs, especially for beginners.
These leg exercise machines train the lower body along with promoting muscle growth in the upper body and boosting metabolism. They also help build strength and power in the lower body, reducing the probability of leg injuries.
For an injury-free workout, make sure to assume the correct form, and take help from your trainer before using exercise machines for the first time. Also, avoid excessive strain on the joints during the movement of these exercises.