- Keep your lower back and hips flat against the pad on every rep.
- Lower only as deep as you can without your hips curling off the seat.
- Press through your whole foot and stop just short of locking your knees.
- Higher feet shift work towards glutes and hamstrings; lower feet towards quads.
- Level
- Beginner
- Trains
- Quadriceps, Glutes, Adductors, Hamstrings
- Kit
- Leg press machine
What the leg press trains and why it is worth doing
The leg press works your quads hardest, with your glutes and adductors doing plenty too, especially at deeper ranges. Because the machine supports your back and controls the path, you can train your legs close to failure without the balance and bracing demands of a back squat.
That makes it valuable for building muscle, for adding extra leg work after squats, and for people whose back, balance or confidence rules out heavy barbell work for now. It is not a replacement for free weights, but it is a very good companion to them.
How to use the leg press
- Sit in the machine with your back and hips flat against the pad. Adjust the seat so you can reach a comfortable depth.
- Place your feet about shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform, toes turned slightly out.
- Push the platform up and release the safety catches. Hold the side handles lightly.
- Lower the platform under control by bending your knees, letting them track in line with your toes.
- Stop when your knees reach roughly 90 degrees, or just before your hips start to curl off the seat, whichever comes first.
- Press back up through your whole foot until your legs are nearly straight, without snapping your knees into lockout. Re-engage the safety catches at the end of the set.
Common mistakes
- Hips lifting off the seat. Going too deep lets your pelvis tuck under and your lower back round under load. End the rep before that happens.
- Locking the knees hard. Slamming into lockout with a heavy weight puts unnecessary stress on the knee joint.
- Knees caving in. Keep your knees in line with your toes throughout.
- Ego loading. Piling on plates and moving the platform a few centimetres builds very little muscle.
- Heels lifting. If your heels come off the platform, your feet are too low.
Easier and harder versions
To make it easier, use a lighter load, shorten the range to one you can control, or start with a goblet squat or bodyweight box squat to build basic leg strength.
To make it harder:
- Do single-leg presses, which also show up side-to-side differences.
- Add a 2 second pause at the bottom.
- Slow the lowering phase to 3 or 4 seconds.
- Move your feet higher and wider to bias your glutes and adductors, or lower and narrower to bias your quads.
How to programme the leg press
For muscle growth, do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, finishing each set with one to three reps left in reserve. It works well after your main squat or deadlift, or as the main lower-body lift on a day when your back needs a break. Once or twice a week is plenty.
If knee pain is limiting your squatting, the leg press can let you load your legs through a comfortable range while you work on the cause, though persistent knee pain is worth getting assessed. For the bigger picture, read the guide on how to build muscle.
If you want coached lower-body strength work, the Lower classes at Lycan Strength are listed on the class timetable, and every class is scalable.
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Questions
Is the leg press as good as squats?
They do different jobs. Squats train balance, bracing and more muscles at once, while the leg press lets you load the legs heavily with less skill and less back stress. Most people benefit from both.
How deep should I go on the leg press?
As deep as you can while keeping your hips and lower back flat on the pad. For many people that is around 90 degrees at the knee.
Is the leg press bad for your back?
Not when your hips stay on the seat. Problems usually come from going too deep with a heavy weight so the pelvis curls under.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, injury or are pregnant, check with a health professional before changing your training or diet.
