Leg Press or Squat?

I've been doing leg presses ever since I started working out in september last year but I've been thinking of changing it to squats lately, I'm seeing lots of people on forums all over saying it's a must-do exercise. Still, I can do about 240lbs on leg presses and half that on squats, and as far as I've learned the higher the weights the better. So, stick to leg presses or change to squats?

i'd switch it up every time u do legs

hey you can even do both
i do squats and do leg presses
i do the squats for strength and mass
the leg press is for a better pump
thats me i like it and it works

If weightlifting was easy, everyone would do it

You gotta lift BIG, to get BIG

Doesn't matter how much you lift but how you lift it

i agree, BOTH!

I never go without either of these exercises. I change things up but I always get squats and presses in.

ORIGINAL: DaddyDanDan
hey you can even do both
i do squats and do leg presses
i do the squats for strength and mass
the leg press is for a better pump
thats me i like it and it works

 
^^^^^^^^^^Bump to that.

But doing both would add considerable time to the workout. My leg routine already consists of presses, extensions curls and calf raises, 4 sets each, and that takes quite a bit of time. I mean, most of you seem to adhere to the idea of not working out longer than 45 minutes, but I don't get how you can fit in a routine into that.

You don't have to do both in the same workout. Like ebbearsfb1 said: alternate each leg workout.

Personally, I don't have access to a leg press sled, so I stick with squats and deads. The big point is that most people love this exercise for the vanity reasons (i.e. the nice, tasty pump, and the ego-boost of being able to load up every 45 Lb plate in the gym). Nothing wrong with a little variety, but squats also drag your traps, delts, and your entire midsection into the game as well as your hams, glutes, and quads.

My home away from DBB

I'd say do both...or if u had to chosse between them both...i'd always say squat, best overall workout in my opinion.

I only have access to a machine and I recently started using it for both squats and leg presses instead of just leg presses and I noticed a huge difference.  Sure, you're able to do less weight with the squats, but after a couple of sets you'll probably really feel the difference.
 
Just try the squats for a couple of workouts instead of the leg presses and see what you think.  I'm no expert, but couldn't you always just do two sets of each instead of four sets of one, or is that bad?
 
I typically do three sets of squats, two sets of leg presses and then three sets of leg curls and calf presses.  That's about all I can take. 

I do squats on squat day and leg press on deadlift day, try to do both squat and leg press if you can.  If you must do one exercise though, Id go with squat.  

Bench Max- 270
Squat Max- 440
Dead Lift Max- 475
Total- 1175

Ditch the leg extensions and do presses instead.  Presses will work the quads just as well of not better and they are easier on the knees.

Well the difference is that the squat also works your "balance muscle" but the leg press is more of an isolated leg workout, I would do both.

If i were you i would concentrate fully on range of motion during whichever exercise you choose. I see scrawny bell ends down my gym leg pressing 500 lbs with a **** range of motion because they know its going to crush them and they can't handle it. Fact.
 
 As the old saying goes ''Leave your ego at the door when you get to the gym.'' Anyone who knows anything about bodybuilding knows that the motion is more important then the weight. Though obviously you still need both. 
 
Again the same for the squat - you will get bigger quadriceps repping 130 lbs by ten reps with great form and full range of motion rather then 270 lbs and squeezing out two repetitions. If youre doing it purely to see how strong you are that's fine, but it won't build your quadriceps.
 
I'm a firm believer that to get the best results out of bodybuilding it is always best to use 'shock' techniques. Alternate the leg press and the squat - maybe even take a month off every now then so the exercises you normally do can shock your body again, but like i say concentrate on pain from form not pain from weight.

''If one is after quick results one never learns an art.''

Erich Fromm

boths the only way to go man
 

Bench:300
Squat:350
Deadlift:425
Total:1075

vary them, just like you would vary training, do them for a few weeks to get some weight increased or reps up or whatever then do the other.

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Truthfully i'd do both rotate them if u must but there both important!

Hey Westgrove;
 
I w/o alone at home and fortunately have a leg press that's included in my home gym set. The capacity is not that high (288lbs.) but, before I do my normal squats I always do 3-4 sets of warmups on the leg press. This way I get the best of both worlds.
 
Peace

Well it also depends on how hard it is to get your self to squat, but they are both important.  Make sure that you do some hamstring activies when you do leg press because it isolates your quads more that a squat

Squat and do stiff legged deadlifts in EVERY leg workout.
To those who say they can't squat because of their knees... I ask how to you take a poop then?
 
 
Dustin Says: Leg pressing is fine... but it is more quad intensive. Squating is a better compound move and impoves lower back strength.

I do both. Sometimes I do all legs on 1 day which will include both squats and leg press. And sometimes I just do legpress and I'll do squats another night of the week maybe when i'm doing shoulders or something. Squats are great to do anytime.

Age: 24
Height: 6'0"
Started at: 120lbs, 10%bf
Current: 180lbs, 10%bf
Next Goal: 185lbs, 8-10%bf

Mirrors don't measure progress, they just show how much more there is left to do.

Kinda suxs that on leg press when  u use alotta weight it hurts my back/knees. I'd rather squat any day.

Squatting for me everytime.  It's a more complete work out.

Squatting for me everytime.  It's a more complete work out.

 
Definetly true.....it i such a great workout.