Exercise Tutorial: Leg Press
Table of Contents
What Is a Leg Press
The Leg Press is an exercise that will increase lower body strength and size. The Leg Press involves pressing a load away from the body by using the legs. This is an effective exercise to build strength and can be used as an evaluation method.
How to Use Leg Press Machine
Learning how to do a Leg Press is very simple. First, you will need to locate a Leg Press Machine at your gym. Next, select your desired load. If this is your first time performing the Leg Press, we suggest using a lighter load.
Follow these easy steps to learn how to do a Leg Press:
Have a seat in the machine. Place your feet in the middle of the pad, approximately hip-width apart. In this starting position, you need to make sure that the legs have a bend at the knee. If the legs are too straight, you will need to move the seat closer to the pad.
Place your hands on the handles and take a deep breath. On your exhale, engage the Glutes and drive through your heels to press the pad away from the body. Only press the pad far enough so that there is still a slight bend in the knees. We do NOT want to lock the knees out in a Leg Press.
Slowly lower your feet back towards the body to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement for the required amount of reps and sets.
You have now learned how to perform the Leg Press!
How to Adjust a Leg Press Machine
The adjustment of a leg press machine varies depending on the model. Typically, you’ll find a handle to pull or push located either to the side of the seat or at the front. When adjusting, make sure there is no weight loaded. Often, adjustments are made to the seat or the board where you place your legs.
Leg Press Form
When performing the Leg Press, there are not too many points to remember. The most important thing is that you do not lock your knees out at the top of the Leg Press. Locking out your knees can lead to injury! As well, make sure that your back is flat against the seat, and you are driving through your heels (not the toes) to press the load away from the body.
Leg Press Muscles Worked
The Leg Press will primarily target the Quadriceps muscle group. As well, the Leg Press will engage the Hamstrings, Glutes, and even the Calves to a lesser extent.
Leg Press Benefits
The Leg Press features many benefits including,
Increased strength in the Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glutes.
Many variations .
Build well-rounded legs .
Increases balance.
Helps to build stronger bones.
Strong legs translate to other movements.
Why Is the Leg Press Useful
The Leg Press is a useful exercise because it allows you to build well-rounded strength in the legs using a simple and effective movement. Our legs take us everywhere and allow our bodies to perform many different activities. As a result, it is important for us to maintain and improve the strength in our legs throughout our lifetime in order to reduce our risk of injury and disease. Strong legs are more likely to produce strong bones because of the load that we place on them.
Leg Press Variations
The Leg Press has many different variations, and they all have to do with the position of your feet on the pad. Placing your feet in a different position will place the majority of the load on a different area of your legs. For instance, having a wide stance will engage the inner muscles of the thigh to a greater extent, and having a narrow stance will engage the outer muscles of the thigh to a greater extent.
Leg Press Alternative
Some alternatives to the Leg Press include Step-ups, Smith Machine Squats, Barbell Hip Thrust, Bulgarian Split Squat, Broad Jumps, or a Leg Press with Resistance Band.
FAQ About the Leg Press Machine
What Is the Leg Press Machine
The Leg Press Machine comes in two main styles. One style features the addition of plates to increase or decrease the load. The remaining style uses a weight stack that you can remove and insert a pin in to change the load. In both styles, you will place your feet on a pad to push the load away from the body.
What Is the Vertical Leg Press
A Vertical Leg Press is an uncommon style of Leg Press that is not usually found in your local gym. The Vertical Leg Press quite literally has you pressing a load vertically above the body. This type of Leg Press allows the user to engage the Glutes more and can take the weight off the back and shoulders as compared to the more common Leg Press machines.
Difference Between Leg Press vs Squat
The Leg Press and the Squat are both very effective ways to increase strength in the lower legs. The main difference between the Leg Press and the Squat is that the Leg Press solely involves the movement of the legs. The Squat involves the movement of the entire body, which means that the core and hips are more engaged. The Squat also has many more variations than the Leg Press, so it comes down to personal preference on which you should include in your exercise routine. It definitely does not hurt to include both!
How to Do the Leg Press Calf Raise
You can perform a Calf Raise on a Leg Press machine by only placing your toes on the platform. This is done at the bottom of the platform. You will use the toes to press the platform away from the body, and then return to the starting position.
What Does the Seated Leg Press Mean?
The Seated Leg Press is just another term for the Leg Press. The Leg Press does occur in a seated position.
How to Do a Single Leg Press
A Single Leg Press can be done on the Leg Press machine by only using one leg. Some users have found it helpful to turn on their side and perform the Single Leg Press on the top leg, however, you do not need to do so.
What Is the Leg Press World Record
According to recordsetter.com, an individual named Joseph Holt used a 2465 pound load during his Leg Press. He was able to press 10 times in a row!
Leg Press Foot Placement
Depending on where you place your feet on the platform, you can target different areas of your leg. If you place your feet high on the platform, you will engage the Glutes more. If your feet are lower on the platform, you will engage the Quadriceps more. Narrow feet will target the outer thigh and a wide stance will target the inner thigh.
What Is the Powertec Leg Press
The Powertec Leg Press is a brand of Leg Press machine that you can purchase for your home or gym.
What’s the Difference Between Squats vs Leg Press
Bothh the Squat and the Leg Press are great ways to increase strength in the lower body. The Squat will provide you will more of a full-body workout because the entire body is moving. The Leg Press will only engage the legs as the rest of the body is fixed.
What Is the Cybex Leg Press
The Cybex Leg Press is another brand of Leg Press machine that you can purchase for your home. The Cybex Leg Press is common in most gyms.
How to Use the Smith Machine Leg Press
You can perform the Leg Press on a Smith Machine by laying on your back underneath the machine and using the soles of your feet to press the barbell up and down. You can also slide a bench into the machine and lay on the bench to perform the Smith Machine Leg Press.
What Is a Horizontal Leg Press
The Horizontal Leg Press is a more technical term for the Leg Press machines that have a weight stack. In these machines, you are pressing the weight horizontally as compared to the decline position the body is in most Leg Press machines that require the use of plates.
What Is the Leg Press Hack Squat Machine
The Leg Press hack Squat Machine is a piece of equipment that will allow you to easily transition from performing a Squat, to performing a Leg Press with a few adjustments to the machine. These types of multi-purpose machines can save space and money if you are just starting your home gym.
How to Do a Leg Press at Home
There is a way to perform the Leg Press at home! All you need is a resistance band. Simply lie down on your back and wrap a resistance band around the soles of your feet. Press your feet away from the body to combat the resistance from the band. Continue to perform the movement for the required amount of reps and sets.
What Does Leg Press Fail Mean?
A Leg Press Fail is in reference to someone performing a Leg Press incorrectly or in a really funny way. This can lead to serious injury so always maintain proper form when doing a Leg Press.
Muscles Targeted for the Wide Stance Leg Press
The Wide Stance Leg Press will target the muscles in the inner thigh more than the normal stance Leg Press would! This is beneficial if you are trying to increase strength in your adductors.
