Legs
Leg press
The leg press lets you load the quads and glutes heavily from a fixed seat, with no balance or bar position to manage.
- Primary
- Quads
- Secondary
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Machine
- Type
- compound
Why it earns a spot
Because the machine holds you steady, you can push close to failure on high-volume sets with less fatigue elsewhere.
How to do it
- Set the seat so your knees bend to about 90 degrees or a little deeper at the bottom.
- Place your feet shoulder width on the platform, mid height, toes slightly out.
- Release the safeties, lower the platform under control until your knees are near your chest without your hips curling off the pad.
- Press the platform away through your whole foot without locking your knees hard at the top.
- Re-rack the safeties before you leave the machine.
Common mistakes
- Lowering so far that your lower back peels off the pad; stop where your hips stay flat.
- Slamming the knees straight at the top; stop just short of full lockout.
- Bouncing the platform off your chest; own the bottom of every rep.
How to program it
| Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 8-15 | 2-3 min |
Climb to the top of the rep range on all sets before adding plates. Keep the same seat setting and foot position so loads stay comparable.
Swaps and alternatives
Fortis · free while in beta
Log every leg press set.
Fortis keeps your sets, reps and weights in one place and shows the trend over time, so progress is a number instead of a feeling.
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