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DIVA'S DERRIERE
PT shares secrets of Mariah Carey’s peachy bum and strong pins – after that viral video
For a toned bum, inner thighs or quads, personal trainer Jenny Francis-Townson reveals how to get the most of the leg press
ALWAYS envied Mariah Carey’s shapley figure?
Well there’s a piece of gym equipment you can use to achieve the 54-year-old’s peachy behind and strong legs.
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Singer Mariah posted a funny clip of herself on her Instagram and TikTok page taking part in some Sunday rituals, including a clip that featured her home gym.
The superstar took part in the ‘Of Course’ video trend currently making its way around social media on Sunday.
Despite her hilarious video mocking her diva lifestyle, fans were quick to spot the piece of equipment she used in her home gym.
And with a perky bum like hers age 54, it’s not surprising.
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The leg press machine is a firm favourite among gym goers who use resistance training in their workouts to build muscle and create a shapely tone to their bodies.
I’m a personal trainer and I’ve seen weight training has become incredibly popular for women over the last few years.
Women have embraced using weights as a way to lose weight and create shape to their bodies while also helping them become stronger and avoid injury.
They aren’t so scared of “becoming bulky” like they used to be, because there is finally more information out reassuring them this won't happen.
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I use weights to train all my clients and they get incredible results so it’s not surprising that someone like Mariah embraces them as part of her exercise regime.
So what is a leg press machine and how does it work?
What is a leg press?
A leg press machine requires you to sit in a seat with your feet pressed up against a raised platform with your knees bent.
There are a few different types of leg press machines, but the most common are the standard seated horizontal leg press that Mariah has, and the 45-degree incline leg press, where the seat is reclined, lower to the floor, and the legs are above you in a 45 degree incline.
Both machines work the same muscles in the lower body - the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the thigh and the glutes (bum).
Depending on your level of strength, you can add weights to make it more challenging.
You would use a leg press machine for two main reasons:
Firstly, if you are new to weights, lifting them for the first time can be scary.
Freeweights like dumbbells or a barbell, are an amazing way to exercise BUT it can be very hard for a beginner to use as they require a lot of balance.
Or, it can feel unstable for a beginner to use a squat rack with a barbell of heavy weights on their shoulders to do a lower body move.
Using a machine like the leg press removes a lot of the “risk” that comes with weights - allowing people to workout without worrying about falling, losing balance or having to pick the weights up.
Secondly, the leg machine is useful if you want to lift heavier.
If you want to seriously gain bum muscles then you need to lift heavy weights.
For lots of women, especially those of Mariah’s age, lifting free weights can be difficult, especially to you want to lift them up onto your shoulders to perform a squat.
Some people have personal trainers who “spot” them at the gym, to help them load and unload themselves with weights.
But if Mariah wants to workout herself at home, then having a less press means she can go as heavy as she likes with a lot less worry.
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Benefits of leg press
- Great for those who want to use weights but struggle with injury or back and knee pain as it reduces the stress of loading your back with weights.
- Being forced to extend your knees against resistance works your thigh muscles.
- Extending your hips against heavy weights helps strengthen and build the muscle in your bum.
- Load-bearing your legs helps strengthens your muscles and bones.
- Performing safe weighted exercises strengthens your knee and hip joints, helping prevent pain and injury.
The only downside of using weight machines rather than free weights like dumbbells is that you are only using one specific muscle group to perform the action.
Your upper body here is not doing anything at all - whereas using free weights encourages you to work way more muscles because you are forced to balance and use your hold body to stabilise yourself.
How to use the leg press
On Mariah’s machine, known as a seated leg press, you use a pin to select the weights you want.
Once you are ready, sit down and bring the chair forward so you are as close to the plate as possible without it being uncomfortable. The feet should be hip to shoulder width apart.
Engage your muscles and push against the plate with your feet. This releases the weights. Straighten your legs, pushing the weighted platform away from you.
This forces your leg muscles to work incredibly hard to move the weight before returning to the start position and repeating it again.
On a 45-degree incline leg press, you add weight plates to the contraception, usually on either side of the machine.
Sitting with your feet shoulder-width apart on the foot plate, toes slightly turned out, you push the plate upwards to unlock it from the safety hooks before lowering the plate until your knees are between 45 and 90 degrees.
Press the plate up by extending the legs, but don’t lock the knees at the top. Repeat for desired reps.
Leg press workout
Seen the leg press machine at the gym but don’t know how to use it?
Here are five leg press moves to incorporate into your workout
The leg press doesn’t allow for lots of different, fancy moves, but just swapping the placement of your feet is what will change up the exercise and help you use different muscles.
1. Standard foot placement
Your regular stance sees you place your feet shoulder-width apart on the plate and perform a regular push.
Placing your feet like this replicates a weighted squat, using your glutes, hamstrings, thighs and quads to perform the movement.
2. High feet leg press
Moving your feet so they are higher up on the foot pad encourages your hamstrings and glutes to activate more, and your quads to take less of the load.
This makes it more like performing a deadlift.
3. Low feet leg press
Moving your feet so they are low on the foot pad shifts the load more onto your quads.
This really forces those front-of-leg muscles to work hard, but if you struggle with knee pain, this is one to avoid.
4. Wide stance leg press
Moving your further apart, but in the centre of the platform will move the load on to your thigh muscles.
This move is a similar one to a standard sumo squat and helps to tone the inner legs and also strengthen the pelvis.
5. Narrow stance leg press
Moving your feet closer does the opposite of the wide stage press, and instead works the outer thigh muscles.
You will also notice this can use your quads a lot more too so again be careful of you struggle with knee pain.
If you want to see results, choose of or two of these variations and do three sets on each one, two to three times a week. This will build muscle and help you gain strength in your lower body.
Alternatives to leg press
Not everyone can get to a gym, but you can get the same results with home-workout moves. Try the following...
- Goblet squats
Take a dumbbell or large bottle of water and hold it in both hands at chest height.
Take legs wider than hips and squat down by bending your knees. Then push back up to the start, standing position.
2. Deadlifts
Take two dumbbells or a barbell and hold with straight arms.
Sit your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and slowely lean your body forward, keeping a flat back.
Push your feet into the floor and stand up, pulling the weight with you, keeping your arms straight.
3. Sumo squats
Start standing with your feet much wider than hip width holding a dumbbell at your chest.
Angle your toes out about 45 degrees.
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Bend your knees into a squat position, as low as you can comfortably go with your thighs parallel to the floor.
Pause in the squat position for a couple of counts, then press up to standing.
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