- Make sure to press the weight up using your heels rather than your toes, as this will minimize the stress on your knee joints.
- Lower the weight as far down as you comfortably can while still maintaining full tension on your quads at all times, but no lower. If you go past this point then your lower back will begin to take over which minimizes the effectiveness of the lift and can also put you at risk for injury.
- Your lower back should always remain firmly planted against the seat and should never raise upward. You can consciously pull on the handles throughout the exercise in order to keep your butt and lower back properly in place.
- Do not allow your knees to collapse inward throughout the exercise. If they do tend to naturally collapse, consciously think about spreading them outward as you press the weight up.
- Experiment with different foot positionings until you find the one that best suits your individual body structure and allows you to maximize the stress on your quads while still pressing through your heels.
- Stop each rep just short of locking out your knees, as this will allow you to maintain maximum tension on the quads without any rest.
- Never place your hands on your knees. They should be firmly grasping the handles at all times.
