Best Leg Press Workouts & Exercises

The leg press allows you to overload the legs with more weight than you can squat simply because you do not have to stabilize your spine or balance the load. This makes it an excellent tool for hypertrophy because you can take the quads to absolute failure safely without risking a lower back injury.

Sit with your lower back and glutes firmly pressed against the pad so they never lift off. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower the platform until your legs form a 90-degree angle, but stop before your hips start to curl under, known as butt wink, which endangers the lumbar discs. Drive up through the mid-foot, not the toes.

Yes. For pure quad hypertrophy, it rivals the squat. By adjusting your foot placement, you can shift the bias. Feet low on the platform targets the quads while feet high on the platform biases the glutes and hamstrings. This versatility makes it a staple in bodybuilding routines.

Generally yes, but you must be careful. The leg press reduces spinal compression compared to a squat, but it creates shear force if your lower back rounds at the bottom of the movement. If you have back pain, limit the range of motion and be mindful to not allow the hips and low back to round out.

Since the leg press allows for extremely heavy loading, it creates significant local muscle fatigue. Including it one to two times per week as a secondary movement after Squats or Deadlifts is ideal. Doing it more often than that typically impedes recovery, especially if you are training close to failure.