Are you tired of not feeling the burn in your lower body during your leg workouts? Do squats and lunges feel repetitive and not challenging enough? It’s a common issue for those striving for a killer lower body workout. Enter the sled leg wide press. This exercise targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes in a unique way that will leave you feeling the burn for days. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of this exercise before. It’s not a mainstream exercise found in most gyms. But in this post, I’ll show you how to perform the sled leg wide press correctly and effectively for maximum results in your leg day routine.
Sled Leg Wide Press Summary
- Primary Muscles: Quadriceps
- Secondary Muscles: Adductor Magnus, Gluteus Maximus, and Soleus
- Equipment: Leg Press Machine
- Mechanics Type: Compound
- Force: Push
- Utility: Basic
Sled Leg Wide Press Instructions
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
- Place a resistance band around your ankles.
- Reach your arms up and out to the sides, palms facing up.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Keep your chest up and your back flat.
- Press through the heels and drive your arms up as you extend your legs to return to the standing position.
Video Tutorial
Sled Leg Wide Press Muscles
Target (Agonist)
Synergists
- Adductor Magnus
- Gluteus Maximus
- Soleus
Dynamic Stabilizers
Stabilizers
- Erector Spinae
- Levator Scapulae
- Trapezius – Middle
- Trapezius – Upper
Antagonist Stabilizers
Benefits of Sled Leg Wide Press
The Sled Leg Wide Press is an excellent exercise for targeting the quadriceps muscles. It helps to build strength and power, while also helping to improve balance and stability. The exercise also helps to increase flexibility in the hips, which can lead to improved performance in other exercises as well. The wide stance of the exercise also helps to engage the glutes, hamstrings, and calves, making it a great full-body exercise. Additionally, the Sled Leg Wide Press can help to increase muscular endurance, which is key for performing multiple reps with heavier weights or longer duration sets.
Tips for Performing Sled Leg Wide Press
If you want to get fit and reap the benefits of the Sled Leg Wide Press, then following these tips can help you maximize your results. This exercise is a great way to add intensity and variety to your workout, so keep reading for some helpful tips on how to do it correctly.
- Ensure that the core is engaged and the back is kept straight throughout the exercise: To maximize the benefit of this exercise and avoid any potential injury, it is important to keep a neutral spine and engage the core muscles throughout the entire movement. This will help keep the body in a strong and stable position, allowing for maximum muscle activation and results.
- Focus on using the glutes to initiate the movement: Rather than relying solely on the quads to power through this exercise, focus on driving through the heels and using the glutes to initiate the movement. This will help ensure that all of the leg muscles are engaged, resulting in a more effective workout.
- Move through a full range of motion: To achieve optimal results from this exercise, it is important to move through a full range of motion. This means pushing the sled out with control until the legs are fully extended, then bringing it back with control until the legs are in their starting position. Focusing on proper form throughout each rep will help ensure that all of the muscles are being properly activated.
Benefits and Tips Video
Frequent Mistakes To Avoid
When performing the sled leg wide press, it is important to pay attention to form and technique. Doing the exercise incorrectly can lead to injury or reduced effectiveness, so it is important to avoid common mistakes. Below is a list of mistakes to avoid when performing the sled leg wide press.
- Not setting up the sled properly: To ensure maximum effectiveness and safety, it is important to adjust the sled to the appropriate weight and to secure it in place before beginning the exercise.
- Not using proper form: As with any exercise, using proper form is essential to maximize the benefits of the exercise and prevent injury. Make sure to keep the core engaged and press through the heels, not the toes, for each repetition.
- Not allowing adequate recovery time: Too much intensity and volume can lead to overtraining and injury. Allow for adequate recovery time between sets and workouts to prevent fatigue and ensure progress.
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Variations and Complementary Exercises
If you’re looking to switch up your routine and target similar muscles as the Sled Leg Wide Press, try out these variations, complementary, and alternative exercises. They’re sure to give you a great workout without getting stuck in the same old routine.
Sled Narrow Stance Leg Press
The Sled Narrow Stance Leg Press is a great complementary or alternative exercise to the Sled Leg Wide Press. It helps target the same muscles, but with a narrower stance. This helps to focus on the quads and glutes while still providing a full range of motion. With this exercise, you can also adjust the weight to add more resistance and challenge yourself. This exercise can help build strength and improve balance and coordination. Additionally, it is a great way to help prevent overtraining of the same muscles.
Sled One Leg Press
The Sled One Leg Press is a great complementary or alternative exercise to the Sled Leg Wide Press. It is a single-leg press that can be performed with a sled or a weight machine. It is an effective exercise for strengthening the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings and increasing power in the lower body. It also helps to stabilize the core, which can help improve balance and posture. This exercise allows you to target one side of the body at a time, making it easier to focus on form and target specific muscle groups. It is a great way to add variety and challenge to your leg workout routine.
Sled Leg Press
The Sled Leg Press is an excellent alternative or complementary exercise to the Sled Leg Wide Press. This exercise works the same muscles as the Sled Leg Wide Press, but in a different way. With the Sled Leg Press, the user pushes the sled away from their body, rather than pushing outward. This shift in form puts more emphasis on the quads and glutes, and less on the hamstrings and lower back. Additionally, because of the sled’s resistance, users can adjust the weight to their desired level of difficulty. The Sled Leg Press is a great way to switch up your lower body workout routine and keep your muscles challenged.
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Sled Reverse Hack Squat
The Sled Reverse Hack Squat is a great complementary or alternative exercise to the Sled Leg Wide Press. It is a unilateral exercise that works the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, while also targeting the core and adductors. This exercise is performed by placing a barbell on the ground, facing away from you, then pushing your body away from the barbell and back again. This exercise can be done with heavier weights for increased resistance and is beneficial for improving strength and balance in the lower body. Additionally, the Sled Reverse Hack Squat is a great exercise for injury prevention and rehabilitation, as it helps to strengthen the muscles that support the knee joint.
Sled One Leg Hack Squat
The Sled One Leg Hack Squat is a great alternative or complementary exercise to the Sled Leg Wide Press. This exercise targets the same muscles as the Wide Press but in a different way. It focuses on strength and power as well as stability and balance, making it a great choice for those looking to build strength and balance. The Hack Squat requires you to place one foot on the sled and use the other to push yourself up and down. This allows for a greater range of motion, which can be beneficial for athletes looking to improve flexibility and mobility. Additionally, because the exercise is unilateral, it can help reduce the risk of injury.
Sled Narrow Stance Hack Squat
The Sled Narrow Stance Hack Squat is an excellent complementary or alternative exercise for the Sled Leg Wide Press. This exercise focuses on strengthening the quads, glutes, and hamstrings in a more focused range of motion. To perform this exercise, you stand between two sleds with your feet placed shoulder-width apart. You then lower yourself down into a squat position, and then power up through your heels to return to the starting position. This exercise can help to target the quads and glutes in a way that is different from the Leg Wide Press, making it a great alternative or complementary exercise.
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Opposing Complementary Exercises
Opposing muscle groups are key to a balanced workout. To ensure you are targeting all of the muscles necessary for a complete workout, try these exercises that complement the exercise Sled Leg Wide Press.
Smith Machine Deadlift
The Smith Machine Deadlift is a great way to complement the Sled Leg Wide Press. The Smith Machine Deadlift targets the posterior chain muscles like the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors. This exercise works the muscles in an opposite motion to the Sled Leg Wide Press, creating balance and symmetry in the body. Additionally, it increases strength and stability in the lower body, while also helping to improve posture. In combination with the Sled Leg Wide Press, the Smith Machine Deadlift helps develop a strong, balanced physique.
Trap Bar Deadlift
The Trap Bar Deadlift is an excellent compliment to the Sled Leg Wide Press. It strengthens the posterior chain, which includes the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles. These muscles are used to extend and stabilize the hips and spine during the Trap Bar Deadlift, which is the opposite of the Sled Leg Wide Press which requires flexion of the hips. Additionally, the Trap Bar Deadlift strengthens the quads, core, and upper back muscles which are used to stabilize the body and keep it in proper alignment throughout the exercise. Both exercises together provide a comprehensive lower body workout that targets all the major muscle groups.
Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift
The Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift is a great complement to the Sled Leg Wide Press exercise. It targets the same muscle group but in an opposing manner, which helps to build strength and stability. The Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift works the posterior chain of muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, while the Sled Leg Wide Press works the anterior chain of muscles, including the quads, hip flexors, and core. Working these opposing muscle groups helps to create balance and stability in the body while also building strength.
Power Up Your Lower Body with Sled Leg Wide Press
Are you looking for an exercise to help power up your lower body? Look no further than the sled leg wide press. This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, helping to strengthen and tone those muscles. It’s a simple yet effective exercise that can be modified to fit different fitness levels. So, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, incorporating the sled leg wide press into your workout routine can help you reach your fitness goals. So, grab a sled and power up your lower body with this powerful exercise.
References: Wikipedia | ExRx.net | PubMed.gov | Comprehensive List of Legs Machine Exercises
