Working out on a weight bench allows you to target your upper body and core muscles effectively. But did you know that with the addition of leg rollers, you can take your training to the next level and achieve killer legs too?
Leg rollers are padded attachments that affix to weight benches, providing multi-functional equipment for comprehensive strength training. They allow you to perform exercises that were previously difficult without a partner or spotter.
Let’s discuss everything you need to know to incorporate leg rollers into your workout regime safely and optimally.
What Are Leg Rollers and How Do They Work?
Leg rollers, also called leg developer attachments, are padded cylinders that attach to weight benches. They come in single, double, or triple roller configurations.
The rollers act as fulcrums that your legs push against to provide resistance for exercises. This engages your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves to build lower body power.
Types of Leg Rollers
There are a few common leg roller setups:
Single Roller
A single roller attachment has one padded cylinder placed at the end of the bench. You can use it predominantly for quad and knee extensions by placing your ankles behind the roller.
Double Roller
Double roller attachments have two padded cylinders placed one after the other. The first roller, closer to the edge of the bench, targets your quads. The second roller further from the edge lets you work your hamstrings.
Triple Roller
As the name suggests, triple roller attachments have three padded cylinders in a row. The rollers work the same muscles as the double but allow for a greater range of motion and variety of exercise.
Key Features of Leg Rollers
Quality leg rollers for weight benches have certain important features:
Adjustable Positions
Look for leg rollers with adjustable height settings so you can customize positioning as needed per exercise. These tend to lock securely into place once set.
Padding
Thick, durable padding enhances comfort and safety. Prioritize rollers with padding that won’t compress, bunch up, or shift during use.
Sturdy Frame
The leg roller unit should have a sturdy, stable frame that can support the substantial weight without wobbling or tipping. Check weight tolerances before purchasing.
Weight Capacity
Select leg rollers designed for your needs. Average units handle 100-200 lbs but heavy-duty rollers for hardcore training may tolerate over 800 lbs.
Now that you know how leg rollers work and what to look for, let’s get into the exercises you can do!
Exercises You Can Do With Leg Rollers
Adding leg rollers to your adjustable weight bench opens up an entirely new world of exercise possibilities. These accessories make previously challenging movements more accessible for the average gym-goer. Leg rollers also allow you to safely manipulate the range of motion and load to continually progress over time.
There are endless exercise options, but let’s explore some of the best in detail below.
Quads and Knees: Quad Extensions
Quad extensions specifically target the quadriceps femoris muscles, which straighten and stabilize the knee joint. This makes them key for athletic activities involving running, jumping, kicking, and changing direction. Quad extensions also sculpt an enviably defined set of quads!
The quadriceps femoris muscles make up the bulk of the anterior thigh and consist of four portions:
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Rectus femoris - runs down the middle
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Vastus lateralis - runs down the outer thigh
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Vastus medialis - runs down the inner thigh
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Vastus intermedius - runs between the other three muscles
During quad extensions, all four components contract concentrically to extend the lower leg against resistance. But the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis often bear the brunt of the work.
To perform quad extensions properly on the leg rollers:
First, adjust the bench to an upright 90 degree incline position. Sit facing the end of the bench with good posture, your head and shoulders back. Bend your knees at a 90 degree angle so your lower legs form an L shape.
Next, place your ankles behind the first roller, resting your mid to lower shins against the padding. Be careful not to rest the cylinder directly on your ankle joint. This hurts and limits range of motion.
Keeping your ankles behind the roller and your thigh stationary, engage your quads to slowly extend your knees. Fully straighten your legs, pressing your shins into the roller. Squeeze your quads at the top position.
Hold the lockout for 1-2 seconds, then eccentrically lower your legs back to the start under control. This completes one rep.
Overloading the quads via quad extensions as described trains them to overcome greater resistance through increased contractile strength. Over time, this builds more powerful, clearly defined quadriceps.
Hamstrings: Lying Hamstring Curls
The hamstring muscles run down the back of the thigh. They play key roles extending the hip and flexing the knee. Sculpting strong flexible hamstrings helps athletic performance involving sprinting or jumping.
The hamstrings consist of three muscles:
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Biceps femoris - located on the outside of the thigh
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Semitendinosus - middle hamstring
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Semimembranosus - inner hamstring
To optimally train the hamstrings, leg rollers facilitate lying hamstring curls:
Start by lying face down on a flat bench, hooking your heels over the furthest roller. For some benches with a declined seated position, you may need to lie perpendicular or reversed. Scoot down so your calves sit under the roller while keeping your thighs on the bench.
Initiate the movement by further bending your knees, drawing your heels toward your glutes. Dig in with your upper calves and press the roller up by forcefully contracting your hamstrings.
After fully flexing your knees, reverse the motion by slowly lowering back to the start position. Progressively fight the load all the way down for optimal time under tension.
The lying hamstring curl emphasizes theeccentric or lengthening componentof the lift. Lifting explosively then eccentrically resisting maximizes hamstring fatigue and growth.
Over time, lying hamstring curls build prominent hamstrings that pop at the bottom of your lifts!
Core: Sit Ups On Bench
Crunches and sit ups reign supreme for abdominal training - and for good reason! Spinal flexion directly works the rectus abdominis and obliques to build coveted six pack abs.
The abdominal wall consists of four paired muscles:
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Rectus abdominis - long central muscle
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External obliques - outer layers on sides
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Internal obliques - run perpendicular under externals
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Transverse abdominis - deepest muscle layer
Traditional ground-based sit ups allow dangerous lumbar spinal flexion during the concentric portion of the lift. But the leg rollers prevent this!
To correctly perform sit ups on a bench:
First, shift the roller positions to the highest, steepest decline settings and lock them in place. This prevents the rollers sliding during the exercise.
Next, lie supine on the bench with your low thighs beneath the second roller and upper shins behind the first. You can place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
Initiate the movement by engaging your core to lift your torso up toward your knees. Lead with your sternum keeping your chin tucked. Do not pull with your hands!
Reach the fully flexed position at the apex then reverse the motion with control. Keep tension on the abs throughout the descent.
The leg rollers provide a solid base of support, allowing you to focus on the abdominal contraction. No more straining your neck or back to the max!
Safety First: Tips for Using Leg Rollers Properly
While leg rollers open up new possibilities, they also introduce risks like any strength training equipment if misused. Follow these tips to exercise injury-free:
Choose Appropriate Weight
Select conservative weights to start, focusing on proper form. Lifting too heavy too soon overworks muscles, straining them. Build progressively by adding small amounts of weight as your fitness level improves.
Maintain Proper Form
Always maintain proper alignment, engage your core, move through the full range of motion, and avoid “cheating” with momentum. Poor form stresses joints and connective tissue instead of muscles.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Warm-up prepares muscles, increasing blood flow and range of motion. Cooldowns gradually bring the heart rate down. Both decrease injury risk and post-workout soreness. Make time for at least 5-10 minutes of each!
Sample Leg Rollers Workouts to Try
Now for the fun part - here are leg roller workout ideas for beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels!
Beginner Leg Workout
If you’re starting out using leg rollers, it’s best to keep your workouts simple to begin with. Learning proper form and developing core strength should be the main goals rather than lifting heavy right away.
A great beginner workout would focus on quad extensions, hamstring curls, and resisted sit-ups on the bench. Aim for higher rep ranges to build muscle endurance. For quad extensions, complete 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Focus on slowly and completely extending your legs on each rep to work the quads through their full range of motion.
For hamstring curls, lie face down on the bench and perform 4 sets of 12-15 reps by bending your knees and bringing your heels towards your glutes. Control the weight eccentrically on the way down to maximize time under tension for the hamstrings.
Finally, lock the leg rollers in place for supported sit-ups. Complete 3 sets of 12-15 reps, curling up using your abdominal muscles to lift your torso. Keep good form without straining your neck or back. This builds core strength essential for overall fitness.
Start conservatively as a beginner focusing on proper technique. Progress load and volume gradually over time once you have built a base level of strength and muscle endurance.
Intermediate Leg Workout
Once you have built a solid foundation as a beginner, it’s time to up the intensity with an intermediate program using the leg rollers. The focus should be on more challenging exercises that build balanced leg strength.
Single-leg extensions are a great unilateral move to even out muscle imbalances. Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg, fully extending one knee at a time against resistance to blast the quads. This requires stabilization and helps prevent strong side dominance.
Incorporate lying hamstring curls for 3 sets of 10-12 controlled reps to hit the back of the thighs. Focus on feeling an intense stretch at the bottom and flexing the knees to bring the roller up towards your glutes. Work the eccentric part of the lift.
Also program in steeper decline weighted sit ups for core strength. Anchor your legs securely with the rollers and complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps while holding a weight plate across your chest. Sit up fully for each rep, initiating the motion with your abs.
This intermediate program provides a greater training stimulus for muscle and strength gains compared to beginner workouts. Up the load and volume over time as your fitness level continues increasing.
Advanced Leg Workout
Advanced lifters need to up the ante to shock their muscles into new growth through progressive overload. Using leg rollers, you can add load and volume to take training intensity to the next level.
Weighted quad extensions allow you to directly increase resistance levels. Perform 5 intense sets of just 6-8 reps pressing the shins hard into the roller on each extension. Lift explosively and resist gravity on each eccentric. This builds serious quad strength.
Isolate the hamstrings further with single-leg curls. Shift your working foot to hit the muscles from varied angles. Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps per leg focusing on peak contraction and TUT. Use advanced techniques like drop sets, partials, and supersets too.
Finally, medicine balls add a stability challenge to resisted sit-ups. With 4 sets of 12 reps, the explosive yet controlled motion provides a metabolic conditioning effect. Get creative exploring advanced sitting-up variations as well!
Achieve Killer Legs Safely With Flybird Fitness Gear
As we discussed, leg rollers open up a world of lower body exercises previously difficult to perform safely alone. Luckily, Flybird Fitness offers precisely the type of stable, durable, and cost-effective weight benches and accessories needed to take full advantage.
Specifically, the Flybird FB149 Flat/Incline/Decline Weight Bench provides versatile functionality for both upper and lower body training. Its commercial-grade steel frame, thick stabilizing cross braces, and anti-slip foot caps ensure a wobble-free foundation for leg roller work.
The bench supports up to 800 lbs - plenty for most users - and transitions smoothly across 6 varied backrest angles. This allows lying hamstring curls, decline sit-ups, and more. Durable tear-proof PU leather provides comfort without maintenance.
Pair the FB149 bench with Flybird’s Olympic spring clip leg developer for securing leg extensions, hamstring curls, and abdominal exercises. It fits standard-weight benches and stands up to daily use with dense foam rollers, a powder-coated finish, and a steel interior framework.
