Leg Press
Lower the sled until the knees reach the chest without rounding the lower back, then press through the mid-foot.
See your setup in four steps
Demo video from YouTube, played in its own player.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Movement
- Legs
How to do the Leg Press
The leg press has you sit in a machine and push a weighted sled away with your legs. It trains the quads and glutes with heavy loads while the seat supports your back, so balance and bar position are no longer the limiting factors.
Set up
- 1Sit with your back and hips flat against the pad.
- 2Place your feet about shoulder width in the middle of the platform.
- 3Press the sled up slightly and release the safety handles.
The movement
- 1Lower the sled by bending your knees toward your chest.
- 2Stop before your hips start to roll off the seat.
- 3Press through the middle of your feet, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
- 4Stop a little short of locking your knees, then start the next rep.
- 5Re-engage the safeties at the end of the set.
Cues
- Hips glued to the seat
- Knees track your toes
- Press through the whole foot
- Soft knees at the top
Common mistakes
- Lowering so deep that your pelvis tucks and lower back rounds.
- Find the depth where your hips stay down and stop there.
- Snapping the knees into lockout.
- Finish each rep with a slight bend so the muscles stay loaded.
- Heels lifting off the platform.
- Move your feet a little higher and keep pressure through your heels.
Also works: Adductors, Hamstrings, Calves
Make it easier
Start lighter with a range you can control, or learn the squat pattern with the Bodyweight Squat.
Make it harder
Work one leg at a time with the Leg Press Single-Leg.
Keep the safety stops engaged until you are set, and never lock your knees under a heavy sled.
Sets and reps
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9).
- Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
General ranges, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts.
In our free programs
- Beginner Full-Body · Full Body C3×12 @ RPE 7
- Glutes & Posterior Chain · Glute Volume3×15 @ RPE 8
- Powerbuilding Hybrid · Squat + Legs3×12 @ RPE 8
- Push / Pull / Legs · Legs (volume)4×12 @ RPE 8
- Return to Training · Full Body (light)3×15 @ RPE 5
- Upper / Lower Strength · Lower (volume)4×12 @ RPE 8
Variations
The same movement with other equipment or a different angle.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the quads, for when the machine is taken or you want a change.
Questions
- What muscles does the Leg Press work?
- The Leg Press mainly works the quads and glutes.
- What equipment do you need for the Leg Press?
- A machine.
- How many sets and reps of the Leg Press?
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9). Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
- What can I do instead of the Leg Press?
- ATG Split Squat, Backward Sled Drag, Band Squat and Barbell Anderson Squat work the same main muscle.
Program it for your clients
Coaches add the Leg Press to any workout in CoachVana, set the sets, reps, load and rest, and clients see this demo as they train.
See your setup in four steps
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