Leg Press
Trains the Quads.
- Equipment
- A machine
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Sit in the machine with your back and hips flat against the pad.
- Place your feet on the platform about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly. A lower foot position emphasises the quadriceps; a higher one brings in more glute and hamstring.
- Press the platform up to release the safety catches and set them aside.
- Lower the platform under control by bending your knees, letting them travel out over your toes.
- Descend until your knees are near your chest, stopping just before your lower back starts to lift off the pad.
- Press back up through your whole foot, stopping just short of locking your knees at the top.
Common mistakes
- Letting the lower back round off the pad at the bottom. Once the pelvis tucks under, the load transfers to the lumbar spine. Wherever that begins is the bottom of your range.
- Locking the knees hard at the top. Stopping just short keeps tension on the quadriceps and avoids slamming the joint at the end of each repetition.
- Placing the hands on the knees to help push. Hold the handles at the sides.
- Loading it enormously and cutting the range in half. The leg press allows more weight than a squat because the torso is supported — which is useful only if the knees still travel through a full range.