<\/p>\n
When I first started out as a certified trainer, experienced trainers would oftentimes warn me against incorporating leg extensions.<\/p>\n
They would say: \u201cBad for your knees,\u201d or \u201cIt puts your knee joint at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being inexperienced, I followed their advice and dared not question them. Since then, until now, leg extensions have been public enemy No. 1 for my knees. But you may have heard:<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do it\u2014they\u2019ll shred your patella.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat machine\u2019s dangerous, just squat instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The belief that leg extensions are dangerous has become a stubborn gym myth that won\u2019t go away. For those who believe it means avoiding an effective tool for quad development, strength, and even post-rehab recovery. After Nick Tumminello<\/a>, a strength coach with 27 years in the trenches, tackled this issue in a recent social media post, here\u2019s the real question that should be asked: Are leg extensions a knee-saver or a knee-destroyer?<\/p>\n Here, we\u2019ll provide the answers to this legday dilemma by breaking down the origins of the myth, biomechanics, and how to use leg extensions to build teardrop quads without issues.<\/p>\n