Equipment
The leg press lets you load your legs heavily while your back is supported, making it a popular alternative or addition to squats. It also doubles as a calf-raise station.
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
01
You sit or lie on a padded seat and push a weighted sled away with your feet. The seat supports your back and the sled runs on a fixed track, so you don't have to balance the load, and most machines have safety catches.
02
Place your feet flat, about shoulder-width apart, in the middle of the platform; higher placement shifts more work to the glutes and hamstrings, lower placement to the quads. Lower the sled until your knees are well bent but your lower back stays against the pad, and don't lock your knees hard at the top. For calf presses, put the balls of your feet on the bottom edge and move only at the ankle.
03
Use the leg press as a main quad exercise if squats don't suit you, or after squats to add volume. Add the calf press at the end of the session.
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