The leg press is a great piece of kit for beginners and advanced lifters alike. Whether you want to build strength or size, you can benefit from adding the leg press into your workout routine.

How to use the leg press

Sit with your feet hip-width apart on the foot plate with a 90 degree angle at the knees. Push out and straighten your legs, leaving a slight bend at the knees. Slowly return to the start position being careful not to allow the weights in the stack to touch to maintain the resistance on your muscles.

Taking it to the next level

Every time you use the machine you should look to increase the amount of reps and sets, and the intensity. You could also raise your feet higher up the platform to focus on your glutes, and perform reps one leg at a time which is especially useful following injury to prevent over-working your stronger leg.

Alternative exercises which can get you similar results include Squats and Lunges.

What are the benefits of using the leg press?

The leg press is a great piece of kit for anyone looking to strengthen their legs. While it primarily focuses on your quadriceps, it also works the hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Compared to the squat, the leg press doesn't rely on upper body strength which means you are able to train with upper body injuries or issues. It's also much easier to do unilateral exercises on the leg press, which can help iron out muscle imbalances. 

Ready to give it a go?

No matter what your goal or fitness level may be, there's a leg press training method for you. In fact, we've put together our recommendations below:

Beginner: 3 sets of 12 - 8 reps (increasing weight per set and then load every week)
Intermediate: 4 sets of 8 reps with maximum weight per set. Make sure you complete all 8 reps
Advanced: 5 sets of 6 - 8 reps with alternating lunges (same reps as leg press) superset after each set

For a step-by-step guide on how to perform different exercises on different muscle groups, check out our Exercises section. 

Looking for more resistant training ideas? Check out our video below.