Meaning & use
leg extension
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a gym exercise in which you sit and straighten your knees against resistance to strengthen the front of the thighs
Grammar: Countable: 'a leg extension,' 'two sets of leg extensions.'
Patterns
- do leg extensions
- use the leg extension machine
He does three sets of leg extensions at the gym.
The leg extension machine targets your quadriceps.
My trainer added leg extensions to my routine.
Word forms
| plural | leg extensions |
|---|
Common combinations
- leg extension machine
- The leg extension machine is next to the squat rack.
- do leg extensions
- I usually do leg extensions after squats.
- set of leg extensions
- She finished her last set of leg extensions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- knee extension
- A more technical term for the same movement; in everyday gym talk, 'leg extension' is far more common.
Opposites
Commonly confused: leg extension or leg curl?
leg extension vs leg curl
A leg curl works the back of the thigh (hamstrings) by bending the knee; a leg extension works the front by straightening it.
Practice
What does a leg extension exercise mainly strengthen?
Choose one answer.
A leg extension involves straightening the knee, which works the quadriceps at the front of the thigh. The back of the thigh is trained by a leg curl.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “leg extension”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.