Leg Extension (Machine)
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Sit on the leg extension machine. Pad sits just above the ankles. Grip the handles for stability. Back flat against the pad. Extend both legs smoothly to full lockout — quads fully contracted. Pause 1-2 seconds at full extension — this is where VMO fires hardest. Lower slowly — 3 seconds — back to the start position. Do not swing the torso to help the lift.',.
Why It Works
The leg extension isolates the quadriceps in open-chain knee extension — building the VMO (inner quad) strength that stabilises the patella tracking and prevents 'runner's knee', which is common in hockey players from heavy skating volume. While not a sport-specific movement, it is an important accessory exercise for correcting quad development gaps and supporting knee joint health.
Hockey Transfer
Isolates quads — builds terminal knee extension strength for skating. Don't do leg extensions on heavy squat day. Pick one heavy quad stimulus per session — they don't add, they redundancy.
Coaching Cues
- "Full range of motion"
- "Squeeze at top"
- "Slow lowering"
Common Mistakes
Partial range — full extension is required for VMO activation. Fast lowering — the slow eccentric builds the patella-stabilising strength. Too heavy — should be able to do full range with smooth control.',. Using this as a substitute for squats — it supplements, never replaces, compound work.',.
Progression / Regression
Single-leg extension — identifies and corrects left-right quad imbalances.
Terminal knee extension (TKE) with band — lighter, safer, great VMO activation.',
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
← Back to Exercise Library