Leg Press
QuadricepsMachineBeginner
Load the legs hard without loading the spine. The squat's injury-friendly cousin.
Muscle worked
Quadriceps, Glutes
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Time per set
30-60s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Get in the machine
Sit with your back flat against the pad. Lower back stays pressed throughout the set.
02
Foot position
Feet shoulder width, placed in the middle of the platform. Too low equals more knee stress, too high equals more glute but less range.
03
Release the safeties
Press the platform up slightly to release the safety catches. Lower into your start position.
04
Lower with control
Bring the platform down until your knees are at about 90 degrees. Don't let the lower back lift off the pad.
05
Press up
Push through the whole foot. Drive the legs straight but don't lock out hard. Short pause, next rep.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Lower back lifting off the pad
Lumbar spine under load is a disc injury waiting to happen. Fix: Shorter range. Stop the descent the moment your tailbone starts to tilt up. Add range as mobility improves.
✕
Locking the knees out hard at the top
Puts all the load on the joint, not the muscle. Fix: Stop a few degrees shy of full lockout. Keep the legs working.
✕
Partial reps because the weight is too heavy
Ego press. Legs barely work. Fix: Full range with a weight you control beats half range with a stack.
✕
Knees caving in
Hard on the knees, kills leg drive. Fix: Drive knees out in line with your toes. Conscious on every rep.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Seated leg press with shorter range of motion
- Machine squat: similar pattern, less intimidating
- Bodyweight squat for beginners
Make it harder
- Single leg press
- 1.5 rep leg press: full rep, half rep, repeat
- Pause leg press: 3 seconds at the bottom
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 3-4 | 6-8 | 2 min | Heavy. Strict range. |
| Build Muscle | 3-4 | 10-15 | 75-90s | Moderate to heavy. |
| Build Endurance | 2-3 | 15-25 | 60s | Lighter. Slow tempo. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
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