The leg extension is a resistance weight training exercise that targets the quadriceps muscle (m. quadriceps femoris) [1] in the legs. The exercise is done using a machine called the Leg Extension Machine. There are various manufacturers of these machines and each one is slightly different. The leg extension is an isolated exercise targeting one specific muscle group, the quadriceps. [2] or deadlift.[ citation needed ]
The leg extension machine was created by American fitness guru Jack LaLanne in the 1950s. [3] The first prototype is recognized to have been made under Gustav Zander, but labeled the machine as a form of “mechanotherapy” along with other machines that extended the knee and ankle. [3] The machine was made to target the quadriceps. The exact method of inventing the leg extension machine is not consistently recorded, but in most cases, it is attributed to LaLanne. [3]
Calisthenics or callisthenics is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment.
Francois Henri LaLanne, the "Godfather of Fitness", was an American fitness and nutrition guru and motivational speaker. He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15 years old. He also had behavioral problems but "turned his life around" after listening to a public lecture about the benefits of good nutrition by health food pioneer Paul Bragg. During his career, he came to believe that the country's overall health depended on the health of its population, and he referred to physical culture and nutrition as "the salvation of America".
The quadriceps femoris muscle is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass which covers the front and sides of the femur. The name derives from Latin four-headed muscle of the femur.
The leg press is a compound weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight or resistance away from them using their legs. The term leg press machine refers to the apparatus used to perform this exercise. The leg press can be used to evaluate an athlete's overall lower body strength. It can help to build squat strength. If performed correctly, the inclined leg press can help build knees that can handle heavier free weights, on the other hand, it also carries a risk of serious damage since locked knees can bend the wrong direction throughout the exercise.
Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate a variety of training techniques such as bodyweight exercises, isometrics, and plyometrics.
A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. Squats also help the hip muscles.
The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. A primal test of brute physical strength, it is one of the three powerlifting movements along with the squat and bench press, as well as a quintessential lift in strongman. Widely regarded as the king of all exercises, the all-time world record deadlift stands at 501 kg (1,105 lb), achieved by Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
In strength training, rowing is an exercise where the purpose is to strengthen the muscles that draw the rower's arms toward the body as well as those that retract the scapulae and those that support the spine. When done on a rowing machine, rowing also exercises muscles that extend and support the legs. In all cases, the abdominal and lower back muscles must be used in order to support the body and prevent back injury.
A lunge can refer to any position of the human body where one leg is positioned forward with knee bent and foot flat on the ground while the other leg is positioned behind. It is used by athletes in cross-training for sports, by weight-trainers as a fitness exercise, and by practitioners of yoga as part of an asana regimen.
Weighted clothing are garments that have heavy materials incorporated into them, to add weight to various parts of the body, usually as part of resistance training. The effect is achieved through attaching weighted pieces to the body which leave the hands free to grasp objects. Unlike with held weights or machines, weighted clothing can leave users more able to do a variety of movements and manual labour. In some cases certain weighted clothing can be worn under normal clothing, to disguise its use to allow exercise in casual environments.
The pull-down exercise is a strength training exercise designed to develop the latissimus dorsi muscle. It performs the functions of downward rotation and depression of the scapulae combined with adduction and extension of the shoulder joint.
An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during injury, instability of the knee, and joint swelling. Swelling generally appears within a couple of hours. In approximately 50% of cases, other structures of the knee such as surrounding ligaments, cartilage, or meniscus are damaged.
Functional training is a classification of exercise which involves training the body for the activities performed in daily life.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:
Calf raises are a method of exercising the triceps surae, tibialis posterior, and peroneal muscles of the lower leg. The movement performed is plantar flexion, also called ankle extension.
The leg raise is a strength training exercise which targets the iliopsoas. Because the abdominal muscles are used isometrically to stabilize the body during the motion, leg raises are also often used to strengthen the rectus abdominis muscle and the internal and external oblique muscles.
The Precor USA StretchTrainer is a piece of exercise equipment used to improve flexibility, coordination and athletic performance. The seated design ensures that users are kept in the correct position to stretch muscle groups.
The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up.
Split weight training, also known as split routine, or split workout routine, is a type of exercise workout routine. It is a workout regimen where different muscle groups are targeted on separate days, rather than exercising the entire body in a single session. This type of training allows for focused work on each muscle group while providing appropriate recovery time between training on the same muscle. This type of training is mostly used by bodybuilders and fitness trainers, while professional lifters typically avoid this approach. It is the opposite of a full-body workout, where the entire body is targeted in a single session.
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