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

Get in the machine

Sit with your back flat against the pad. Lower back stays pressed throughout the set.

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.

Release the safeties

Press the platform up slightly to release the safety catches. Lower into your start position.

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.

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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