aTmSpectre said:
I do'nt understand how the leg press is an ego exercise. It works the exact muscles that I need to work, and rather efficiently too. I like using machines because I can target really well.
You could go back and forth between different experts; some would say the leg press is safer, others would say the squat is safer. Both are more than safe if performed properly. I personally prefer the leg press and have been doing a lot of weight on it for 5-6 years now with no adverse side effects, but I also do squats. Your best bet is to do a program where you alternate, one leg day do squats, the next leg day do leg press.
If you are doing this for sprinting/track cycling your goal is going to be to gain lean muscle mass in your legs which can be trained to become cycling specific by different on-the-bike workouts. Squats are nice because they seem to work more muscles than the leg press and thus give a more complete workout, but the leg press is nice because you focus on a more specific muscle group. I also try to make everything as cycling specific as possible, so everything transfers over to cycling with the greatest amount of ease. When I put my feet up on the leg press I make sure they are the same distance apart as they are when pedaling, and I also use a rudimentary goiniometer to make sure the bend I come down to replicates the bend I get while pedaling on my track bike.
Just remember to use proper technique, vary your workouts, and do some kind of periodized system. Don't just jump into efforts where you are doing 90 percent of your 1 rep max. Start off with some type of adaptation phase doing low weights and high reps, then transition into a hypertrophy phase (75% of 1rm, 3 sets of 8-10), then follow that by some kind of strength phase that uses lower reps and higher weights.
In regards to the original question, the best bet is to get some kind of coach that can mix everything together for you. Everybody is different and what works for me might end up killing you, or what works for me might be too easy for you. My body reacts pretty well to weights, but I know some people who just get killed by it. I remember 4 years ago or so when I was racing mountain bikes at a high level, I was training over 20 hours a week and lifting 5 hours a week (this was back when weight training was all the rage, and I currently wouldn’t recommend it for endurance cycling). My body was okay with it, but I knew guys who would burn out if they did a similar workout. Just like a friend of mine who would train over 30 hours a week, whereas I could never train that many hours, even when my sole focus in life was road racing. All I am trying to say is that everyone is different and you need a coach who can tailor a program to your needs and abilities.
