leg press

The Leg Press machine is one of those life savers at the end of a pretty intense Leg Workout. It affords you the opportunity to squeeze out some more reps when your legs are fatigued, but still have some fight left in them. Because this is an assisted exercise, you can safely test your boundaries with the weight loaded.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to use the Leg Press, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Using the Leg Press

The Leg Press primarily targets the following muscle groups:

Quads: This exercise places particular emphasis on the quads, especially if you adopt a more narrow foot position.

Hamstrings: While the emphasis is on the quads, the hamstrings are also engaged as you Leg Press.

Glutes: Your glutes are your largest muscle group and they play a key role in the Leg Press exercise. You can place more emphasis on them with a wider foot position.

Calves: Coming along for the ride, the calf muscles are engaged from a secondary perspective with this exercise.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

How to Use the Leg Press

Plate Loaded Leg Press

Seated Leg Press

There are two main types of Leg Press machine, there is the horizontal (pin) Leg Press machine, or there is the plate loaded 45-degree angle machine. You may also find a ‘vertical’ machine, but this is less common.

1. Machine Selection: Choose between the horizontal (pin) leg press machine or the 'plate loaded' 45-degree angle machine, depending on what's available in your gym. If your gym has both, we recommend the plate loaded machine.

2. Weight Selection: Select the appropriate weight by either setting the pin on the weight stack (horizontal machine) or loading the plates (plate loaded machine).

3. Seating and Foot Placement: Take your seat and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. Ensure your feet are flat and centered on the platform, your knees should be at a 45 degree angle to start.

4. Perform the Exercise: Take a deep breath and brace your core, then press the platform away from you by extending your legs. Keep your back firmly against the backrest throughout the movement. Extend your legs as far out as possible, but do not lock your knees out on this machine.

5. Back to Start: Release your legs slowly back to the start position through the same smooth and controlled movement.

6. Go For Reps: Perform as many reps/sets required to complete your workout.

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Benefits of the Leg Press

Assisted Resistance: This machine provides assistance, allowing you to lift heavier weights and challenge your muscles safely.

Lower Back Support: The Leg Press reduces stress on the lower back compared to squats, making it a safer option for some individuals who have lower back, or other issues that hinder squat potential.

Develop Squat Power: You can use this as an accessory exercise to help you develop your squat power.

Injury Rehab: Because this is a low impact exercise, it is perfect for rehabbing injuries, just be careful to keep it light and always speak to a physiotherapist about your specific circumstances.

Leg Press: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Locking Knees: Avoid locking your knees during leg press exercises, as this can place unnecessary strain on the joint.

Pressing Through Toes: Ensure you press through your heels, not your toes, to engage your quads and protect your knees.

Limited Range of Motion: Work through the full range of motion, push out as far as possible and allow your knees to come all the way back into your chest. Half reps have their place, but only perform them if you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, 3 reps is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of the Leg Press you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Leg Press More Challenging

To make this exercise more challenging you can add more weight, or you can play around with your foot position and experience how a wider or narrower foot position shifts the load. Alternatively you can slow down the range of motion so that you are performing your Leg Press with more time under tension.

How to Incorporate the Leg Press into Your Workouts

The Leg Press will fit nicely into your lower body, leg or full-body strength workouts. This exercise is a compound movement, meaning it will target multiple muscle groups, but it is still an assisted exercise. Therefore we recommend that you perform this exercise towards the end of your workout.

Always start with the biggest moves that move the most weight, and work your way down from there. If your plan includes a squat or a deadlift, do that first, but always perform your Leg Press after your barbell & dumbbell exercises, but before any bodyweight or isolation exercises. You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to the Leg Press

Exercises like Squats, Lunges and Bulgarian Split Squats are great compound moves to help further strengthen your legs. Compound exercises are crucial for muscle growth since they allow you to move more overall weight than isolation exercises, helping you build the muscle faster.

You can also pair this exercise with other squat variations, such as the Goblet Squat, Hack Squat or Sumo Squat; if you’re looking for more glute isolation exercises, you can perform Cable Kickbacks, or Hip Thrusts. A combination of compound and isolation exercises is recommended for well rounded results.

There are more Leg Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

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