If you want to get stronger at squats, doing squats makes you way stronger than doing leg extensions.

Pro

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2025 Dec 12

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises.

Score: 48

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005338

Similar Assertions

If you want to get stronger at squats, doing squats is way better than doing leg extensions—but if you want to get stronger at leg extensions, both exercises work about the same.

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If you want to get stronger at leg extensions, doing squats works just as well as doing leg extensions.

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Even if you only do squats, you still get almost as strong at leg extensions as someone who only does leg extensions—so squats aren’t useless for that movement.

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If you want to get stronger at squats, doing squats is way better than doing leg extensions — but if you want to get stronger at leg extensions, both exercises work about the same.

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Squats make the outer part of the thigh muscle near the knee bigger than leg extensions do.

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