Muscle strength is the foundation of human movement and of vital importance regardless of age or activity level. Assessing muscle strength has often been part of any health and fitness professionals assessment process, whether to identify deficiencies or imbalances that may predispose to injury or pathology or to set strength baselines for fitness professionals looking to improve conditioning through a training program.
Typically many health professionals have used manual muscle testing techniques and rating muscle strength on the Oxford Scale of 1-5 to measure muscle strength in their patients and clients.
One of the problems with measuring strength using manual muscle testing techniques is that it has many limitations including. Cuthbert et al 2007 identified issues including:
- Poor relevance to everyday function.
- Non-linearity i.e. the difference between grades 3 and 4 is not necessarily the same as the difference between grades 4 and 5.
- It may be easily effected due to fatigue
- Intra-rater reliability.
Lower limb strength is especially important in providing a stable base from which to move, with the gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves playing pivotal roles. The leg press is a compound exercise designed to target each of these muscle groups and can be used in the assessment of lower limb strength in a manner that is controlled a requires little training experience from the person being assessed.
The subject is typically seated, either horizontally or at a fixed angle, and is required to push a footplate loaded with additional weight through a set range of motion using their lower limbs for a given number of repetitions.
Following an adequate warm-up, leg press strength testing may begin with setting a load equivalent to approximately the individual’s one-repetition maximum, increasing the load by 2.5-5% thereafter with each successful repetition until failure is reached (Verdijk, van Loon, Meijer, & Savelberg, 2009).
Collecting such data allows clinicians to determine whether the client has deficiencies in strength based on known references or whether there is a relevant imbalance from side to side.
This information can then be used to determine whether an athlete is ready to return to sport, whether an individual has the physical capacity to withstand forces required in certain activities such as when running and in the assessment of whether a training plan is showing progress towards an individual's goals.
Studies have reported the following:
- Quadriceps strength deficits in ACL reconstructed limbs averaging 23%, 6-12 months post-surgery, increasing the risk of injury and re-injury due to a shift in forces transferred to joints other than the knee (Lepley, 2015)
- Accelerated rates of patellofemoral osteoarthritis one year post-ACL reconstruction (Culvenor et al., 2016)
- Recommendation that runners be able to leg press a minimum of 1.5 times bodyweight for 10 repetitions bilaterally, and greater than 2 times bodyweight for 10 repetitions unilaterally (Cleather, Goodwin, & Bull, 2013)
- Recommendation that leg press differences between sides be within 5% (Cleather, Goodwin, & Bull, 2013)
Are you usingSingle Leg Press Strength Testingwith your patients and clients?
Join the thousands of therapists and trainers worldwide who have stopped guessing and started measuring their patients and clients using objective strength testing and the MAT.
Sign up for our MAT Course today to learn how to use Single Leg Press Testing alongside 50+ other objective assessments.
Click here to sign up for the MAT Course today.
Want To Improve Your Assessment?
Not Sure If The MAT Data-Driven Approach Is Right For You?
Get a taste ofour MAT Course and data-drivenapproachusing the MAT with a FREE module fromour online MATCourse.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
FAQs
Following an adequate warm-up, leg press strength testing may begin with setting a load equivalent to approximately the individual's one-repetition maximum, increasing the load by 2.5-5% thereafter with each successful repetition until failure is reached (Verdijk, van Loon, Meijer, & Savelberg, 2009).
What percentage of my body weight should I be able to leg press? ›
As a rule of thumb, novices should start out using half their body weight. People with more experience can start at three quarters of their body weight. Wherever you start, getting the full range of motion out of your reps on the machine should be your goal. Don't just focus on pressing the most weight you can!
Is 300 lbs leg press good? ›
The ideal leg press weight for adult males varies depending on factors such as fitness level and age. For an intermediate male lifter (50th percentile), a comfortable leg press weight is around 191 kg (425 lb). Beginners should start with a weight that's 50 to 75 percent of their total body weight.
How much weight is the leg press machine without plates? ›
Generally, these machines have a base weight that includes the frame, seat, and other components. On average, a leg press machine without additional weight plates might weigh between 100 to 200 pounds (45 to 91 kilograms).
How to do a leg strength test? ›
How to conduct the test
- The athlete warms up for 10 minutes.
- The assistant, using cones, marks out a 25-metre section.
- The athlete starts at cone A.
- The athlete uses a jog run-up to the start line cone (B) and then hops the 25-metre section to the finish line (C) on the right leg as fast as possible.
Key Points. Isometric mid-thigh pulls and squats are reliable tests that can differentiate between strength ability of participants.
Is 250 lbs leg press good? ›
The average Horizontal Leg Press weight for a female lifter is 258 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Horizontal Leg Press? Female beginners should aim to lift 82 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.
What is the average strength of a leg press? ›
The average Sled Leg Press weight for a male lifter is 499 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Sled Leg Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 191 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.
How many plates is 500 pounds on leg press? ›
500 lbs is pretty good. That's like 5 plates per side and the 75 lbs of the weight from the machine. So not bad. Usually the weight goes up quick for leg press, so don't worry about it now.
Is squat or leg press better? ›
The leg press machine works mostly with the quads and hamstrings, as well as the glutes. Depending on how you do them, you may also work the calves. However, the squat forces you to balance, and this engages your back and core. The squat works more muscles and therefore has additional benefits on this front.
For many beginners, leg pressing 100 pounds is an excellent achievement. For more experienced lifters, a 500-pound leg press may be considered ideal. The goal is progress, after all.
What weight should a beginner leg press? ›
Beginner - 0.50 x body weight. Novice - 1.25 x body weight. Intermediate - 2 x body weight. Advanced - 3.25 x body weight.
How heavy is an empty hack squat? ›
Generally speaking, most hack squat machines weigh between 190 to 500 pounds without any added weight plates. For example, the Leg Press Hack Squat Machine is constructed from solid steel and weighs 322 pounds.
What is the actual weight of the leg press machine? ›
Incline Linear Leg Press Starting Weight
Typically, the sled of the machine weighs around 70lbs. to roughly 150lbs, but this can vary significantly brand to brand. In addition to the weight of the sled, the angle of the incline which sometimes varies also, can change the actual feeling of the starting weight.
What is the best test for muscular strength in the legs? ›
Lower body: Squat test
“The squat muscular endurance test measures muscular endurance of the lower body, specifically hips, quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, and many smaller supporting muscles,” explains Jacquelyn Baston, LMT, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CYT. And the best part, you don't need any equipment.
What is the functional test for leg strength? ›
Subject will perform a single-leg leg press for 60 seconds, trying for as many repetitions as possible. Repetitions will not be counted if the subject uses the opposite limb for support or loses proper form, including dynamic valgus. Each repetition must be performed from 0-90 degrees.
