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Legs · Machine
Machine Leg Press
How to do the Machine Leg Press with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (quads and glutes), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings, Adductors
How to do it
- Sit completely inside the leg press machine, pressing your lower back, upper back, and head firmly against the backrest pad.
- Place your feet roughly shoulder-width apart in the middle of the sled platform, pointing your toes slightly outward.
- Take a deep breath into your belly and unlatch the safety handles to bear the weight of the sled.
- Slowly bend your knees, bringing them down toward your chest and pointing them slightly outward toward your armpits.
- Lower the sled as deeply as you possibly can without letting your tailbone curl or lift off the backrest.
- Push forcefully through your entire foot—especially the heels—to drive the sled back up.
- Stop just short of completely locking out your knees at the top to maintain tension on your leg muscles.
Coaching cues
- Keep the lower back glued to the pad
- Knees track outward toward the armpits
- Drive through the entire foot
Common mistakes
- Lowering the sled too far, causing the lower back to round off the pad and risk spinal injury
- Placing the hands on the knees to push the weight up
- Violently locking out the knees at the top of the movement
Equipment and setup
45-degree leg press machine
Seated inside a 45-degree angle leg press sled.
Also known as: 45-Degree Leg Press, Seated Leg Press
Track your Machine Leg Press in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
