Don’t bother trying this at home: Mini leg presses of 1,648 pounds
Roald Bradstock, the javelin Olympian who competed in the British Olympic Trials at age 50, is known for throwing crazy objects. This time, at 52, he amazes with his legwork. He writes: “Two-time Olympian, former World Javelin Record Holder and current World Masters (M50) Record Holder Roald Bradstock does 1648 lbs for 15 reps on the leg press machine — his best in 2 1/2 years!” Anyone go heavier?
20 Responses
Just came from the gym, I can leg-press the same, with ONE leg, just no weights-….. smile
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Speaking of himself in the third person? I thought only the queen did that.
The leg press of my gym has 195 kg as maximum… 20 fast reps with a bit more bending of the knee.
Is this like crossfit? Exercising to exercise? рџ™‚
Tell him to try ending his knees !! I’m not impressed. I can just see my football coaches cringing !
Is he just wearing sneakers?
Well, what can you say, he strives to entertain. Personally, I’d call it a day after fetching and then returning every plate in the gym for his sled. (As in the famous The Grinch Who Stole Our Weights!)
Really? This is a joke… No range of movement and it’s just really stupid to think this means anything. Try bringing it down more than 3 inches and I would have respect. My brother did over 1000 pound in 6th grade doing this stupid 3 inch lock out. You only look like an ass putting this video online.
Patrick Toland
Patrick Toland I wouldnt be so critical.I dont know but I guess Roald Is trying to prepare his lower body for the enormous sudden pressure on the left leg,side when he hits down the left foot in the finish of a javelin throw.Having been,and still is,a world top thrower Im sure Roald knows how to prepare!
Wow! In so many ways!
Hope this guy has a knee surgeon on speed dial.
his knees – and spine, and hips, and ankles – a disaster waiting to happen.
I am a Personal Trainer and I can tell you that this is the most useless thing in the gym you can do. Horrible for your back and knees. Little or no benefit to you what so ever. Please don’t do this people!
Sure, it’s insane for us, but I wouldn’t dismiss the exercise out of hand. Roald throws differently, at an elite level for ages, and injury-free -which is unheard of. The conventional approach calls for running like a lunatic into your plant leg. IIRC, it’s what did Breaux in. This exercise may be an insight into the Bradstock plant technique.
When he throws Roald does plant with a slightly bent leg and then immediately straightens it, so this exercise mimics that action. And since it’s a leg press and not a squat, there is no pressure on the spine. The guy destroys every age group record he is in, and he threw over 72 meters with the 800g implement at age 50, so he’s doing something right.
My goodness if I (me,we,Roald) had known that the video of my leg press was going to create such response I would have posted on here before Ken did.
This are some of the main reasons why I do, and have always done “mini”leg presses:
1. I can do heavy weight without putting strain on my back.
2. I can gain very specific strength that transfers directly over to my throwing.
3. I can get strong without gaining mass. When I go deeper my legs and butt get massive and I can’t run.
4. Working in this very limited range I can get strong without losing my flexibility in my adductors, hamstrings, quads and lower back. There is no point in getting big and strong if I ( we, me, us, Roald )get slow and tight. The benefit in gaining strength is cancelled out by the loss in range in motion.
5. Believe it or not working in a limited range of motion, even with heavy weight, is much safer and more beneficial especially for an athlete and even more so for a older athlete. At least that is my belief. The mini leg presses are working muscles and joints in two planes in a small range and in relatively slow motion.
FYI: The benefit of this exercise is only really maximized when done as part of a well rounded training program that includes full range of motion exercises done a various speeds from stationary to all out maximal effort.
I (we, me ) have been told for the last 40 years I am going get hurt, injured, need surgery etc etc… because of the way I throw and the way I train: from my golf ball throwing would blow my elbow out and rip my shoulder apart, to the way I wrap when I throw a javelin would destroy my back, to the heavy weights I lift would cripple my knees and the millions of medicine ball throws I did (do) would wear out my joints.
And yet I competed for 40 years without a single surgery and with spina-bifida. And at only 5ft 10” I (we) broke numerous National Records including a World Record in 1986 and then continued on to age 50 breaking more national and World Age Records culminating in coming second place in my (our) 8th Olympic Trials with a World Age Record (800g) that surpassed the World Age Record (M50) listed at the time done with a 700g!
As an artist I learned a long time ago, people see what they want to see and have a point of view – a perspective – that is very difficult to change.
The way I throw and train has, for the most part, been dismissed and ignored by many in the javelin world. It flies in the face of the accepted way to throw and train and yet here I am or rather there I was.
рџ™‚
Hah! Nice responses but Roald’s wins!!
I love reading all the power lifting, bodybuilding and fitness 101 level, close minded viewpoints. This is a world class athlete sharing functional training techniques. Depending on what one’s particular discipline is there might be something useful here to absorb or at least investigate.
Sorry Roald, I’m not gonna defend your “as an artist” comment.
Kudos to Roald !!! I have seen him throw on a number of occasions—-simply awesome !!! The ignorant ones who post criticisms on this website should try to get better informed and should THINK before they open their mouths .Each person is different and a champion like Roald usually finds out for themselves whatever it is that works best for him or her. Any champion deserves better than negativism by ill-informed “know-it-alls”.
Does the U.S have any other 50 year old track & field athletes that can exceed the US Olympic trials “B’ standards for their events? Bradstock did it EASILY in 2012 with a full weight (800 not 700 gram)Javelin. Any 7’2 1/2” high jumpers? 29:00 minute 10,000 runners? Any 50 year old 800 runners at 1:48?
As a strength & conditioning coach, I would not recommend doing this. There are much more effective ways to train the legs, using a full range of motion, and not using machines. That being said, Ronald’s resume and results speak for themselves, and this is obviously a very specialized exercise that he feels is beneficial to him and his event. In terms of overall physical benefits though, he probably gained more from loading up the machine and stripping it down than from doing the actual lift.
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