Leg Extension

Lean back against the pad and adjust the seat so your knee joint lines up with the machine’s axis. Set the pad just above your ankles, then grip the handles to keep your hips down.

Straighten your knees to lift the pad. Raise it slowly without momentum, stopping short of locking out your knees.

Lower slowly while keeping tension in your quads. Continue feeling the resistance as you lower so the pad doesn’t drop.

Make sure your quads contract hard through a short, strong range. Instead of rushing through partial reps, own the squeeze at the top and control the way down.

Leaning back or kicking the weight up with momentum increases stress on your knees and hips. Even if you reduce the weight, prioritize knee alignment and a slow tempo.

Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. Not holding your breath makes it easier to maintain the quad contraction longer.

Pause for 1 second at the top to make the quad contraction much stronger. The same principle applies to the single-leg version, so use less weight on the weaker side and prioritize precision.