Leg Press: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The leg press works your quadriceps as the main mover, straightening your knees as you push the platform away. Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips, and your calves assist through your feet, giving you a supported, seated way to train the same muscles as a squat.
- Primary muscle:
- Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings
Muscles worked
Your quadriceps are the primary mover in the leg press, straightening your knees as you press the platform away from you.
Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips alongside the quads, and your calves help transfer force through your feet. Because the machine supports your back, you can focus fully on your legs.
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How to do it
- Using a leg press machine, sit down on the machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at a medium (shoulder width) foot stance. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances described in the foot positioning section).
- Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you. Tip: Make sure that you do not lock your knees. Your torso and the legs should make a perfect 90-degree angle. This will be your starting position.
- As you inhale, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs make a 90-degree angle.
- Pushing mainly with the heels of your feet and using the quadriceps go back to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and ensure to lock the safety pins properly once you are done. You do not want that platform falling on you fully loaded.
Form tips
- Set your feet at shoulder width in the middle of the platform.
- Lower the platform until your knees reach about a 90-degree angle, without letting your lower back round off the pad.
- Push through your whole foot, not just your toes, as you press back up.
- Avoid locking your knees out hard at the top of each rep.
- Keep your lower back flat against the pad throughout the set.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Machine |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the leg press as good as squats?
It trains the same main muscles as the squat, your quads, glutes and hamstrings, but the machine supports your torso, removing the balance and lower-back bracing demands of a standing squat. Many lifters use both.
Where should I place my feet on the leg press?
A shoulder-width, mid-platform stance targets your quads, glutes and hamstrings evenly. Placing your feet higher shifts more work to your glutes and hamstrings, while a lower foot position emphasizes your quads more.
More quadriceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
