Leg Presses

Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes & Calfs

Spotter Required: No

Minimum Equipment required: Leg extension machine, some machines use cable weight whilst others use Olympic weight plates. 

The Best Equipment to Use: Same as above

Warming up: To warm up, perform 1 set of 15 - 20 repetitions with a light to moderate weight.

How often should I perform this exercise: The leg press is a great exercise and because you are pushing from an angle you should be able to push more weight compared to squatting. Remember leg press is a compound movement so avoid doing heavy squats on the same leg day.

When should I perform this exercise: As mentioned above because the leg press is a compound movement it should be performed at or near the beginning of your leg workout because you will need a lot of energy to perform this movement

How to do the exercise: This exercise needs to be performed on a stable base, so basically your back needs to be straight (most good quality leg press machines will provide a straight comfortable seat).

Adjust your feet so they are comfortable on the foot pads, your knees should be about a 90 degree angle, anything greater than this will cause a limited range of motion (ROM) and not all the desired muscle will be worked. If your knees are too close to your body than this is also bad because it put unnecessary strain onto your joints.

Keep your hands firmly gripped onto the handles attached to the leg press and push until your legs are fully extended, on returning do not let the weight rest completely on the as this will help keep strain on the muscles and work them harder.

The great thing about using a leg press is you can typically lift heavier weights compared with full or half squats, primarily because the weight is not pushing down through your back.

Mentality: Because you can lift heavier weights with a leg press machine it is important to keep good posture. Concentration is also needed because this compound movement will use a lot of energy.

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