How to Do Seated Leg Presses (2024)

A leg press machine has a standing machine base, a platform, and free weights with a platform and locking mechanisms. A seated leg press is a good targeted exercise and good for physical rehabilitation.

It promotes isolated lower body development.

How to Do a Seated Leg Press

The starting position is sitting at the machine with your tailbone and back against the backrest of the machine. You then put your feet on the resistance plate. Your toes should point forward, and your seat should be adjusted along with the foot position in a way that bends the knees at about 90 degrees. Your heels should be flat. Grab the handles and stabilize your upper body. Brace your abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine. During the exercise, avoid movement in your lower back.

Next, exhale and push the resistance plate away from the body. Do this while contracting the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. Make sure the heels are flat against the resistance plate. Again, do not allow any movement in the upper body.

Continue exercising by extending the hips and knees until the knees are in a relaxed position with the heels against the plate pressed tightly. Do not hyperextend the knees, and at the same time, avoid lifting your butt off of the seat. Also, do not round out your lower back.

Take a pause, and slowly return your body to the starting position. This is done by flexing the knees and hips while the resistance plate moves toward you slowly in a controlled manner. Make sure you don’t allow the upper thighs to press against your ribcage. Do the movement again for reps.

Seated Leg Press Form

When you are performing a leg press, you should stop just short of a full knee extension while pushing on the platform. When returning to the start position, do not let your thigh lower to below the 90-degree level at the knee. If the thighs dip too low, you could hurt the knees. It is vital to allow your kneecaps to go through the path of the feet during your exercise. If you bring the knees too close together it can also injure the knee.

Usually, one set of 12 to 15 reps is good for most people. It is important for best results to stop just before locking the knees while platform pressing. Don’t let the thigh drop, and keep the movements controlled and smooth. Improper technique can cause an injury. To control the extension phase, keep your heels on the plate to help avoid knee locking.

Seated Leg Press Muscles Worked

The leg press is a workout that can be done with a weight machine to work numerous muscles in your lower body. The leg press specifically targets the front of the thigh and the quadriceps, the gluteal muscles in the buttocks, the calves, and (in the back of the thighs) the hamstring muscles. Since the leg press can work several muscles simultaneously, it is very efficient for lower body strengthening.

Seated Leg Press Benefits

The seated leg press is a good exercise for beginners or physical rehab patients. The leg press machine helps beginners to gain more strength and lower body endurance to perform advanced leg exercises. This includes squats, deadlifts, and powerlifting exercises. It is also a good machine for those with weak knees or back problems because the pressure of the weights is mostly on the hamstrings and glutes during the exercise.

The leg press is good for lower body development. It promotes leg development because it isolates muscles within the leg. The machine mainly activates the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. The calves are utilized as stabilizing and supporting muscles through the movements. It can also utilize the adductor magnus and gastrocnemius muscles.

This exercise promotes strong bones and mental sharpness. The leg press machine promotes bone development and muscle development. It engages in weight-bearing exercises. These exercises increase stress and pressure on the bones, which is vital in the production of osteoblasts. Osteoblasts produce bone mass for increased bone density. Ideal bone density is needed to prevent musculoskeletal degenerative diseases that are common with age, like osteoporosis.

There are fewer injuries with the leg press machine. The injury risk is much less when one is doing leg presses, as compared to using free weights like deadlifts and squats. The leg press machine gets rid of the need for barbells and other free weights with leg training. Simultaneously, it can be incorporated into a warm-up exercise for barbell exercises to pre-stretch muscles and joints to avoid injury.

Leg presses can improve performance in other sports and exercises. The machine can enhance endurance and strength for lower body stability. Using the leg press machine persistently can increase balance and retention of stability through changes in positions.

Seated Leg Press Exercises

There are other ways the seated leg press can be utilized. One variation is the single leg press. You would repeat the same exercise, but use each leg one at a time. Lower the platform closer toward the body to ensure the knees are aligned with the middle toes and the weight across the foot is distributed evenly. Move maximally through a range of motion without modifying your technique or pressing your thighs into your rib cage.

Incorporate leg press variations by changing your foot position on the platform. Adjust the distance between your feet or use specific parts of the foot to push against the platform during the leg press exercises. Using the balls of the feet and the toes to push the weighted platform can increase the utilization of the calf and quad muscles. While you are pressing using your heels, you can increase the utilization of your glute muscles.

There are many benefits of a leg press. Just make sure your technique is correct. When beginning any new vigorous exercise regimen, always consult your medical provider.

How to Do Seated Leg Presses (2024)

FAQs

How to Do Seated Leg Presses? ›

Place your feet on the platform about shoulder-width apart, and grasp the handles with your hands. Slowly push the platform away with your legs. Keep your feet firmly planted on the platform and stop just short of full knee extension. Then slowly return to the starting position.

Is the seated leg press effective? ›

Seated Leg Press Benefits

The seated leg press is a good exercise for beginners or physical rehab patients. The leg press machine helps beginners to gain more strength and lower body endurance to perform advanced leg exercises. This includes squats, deadlifts, and powerlifting exercises.

Is leg press better than squats? ›

The leg press machine works mostly with the quads and hamstrings, as well as the glutes. Depending on how you do them, you may also work the calves. However, the squat forces you to balance, and this engages your back and core. The squat works more muscles and therefore has additional benefits on this front.

Does leg press grow glutes? ›

A leg press will work all of the muscles in your upper legs, including your glutes. However, there are things you can do with a leg press to really get glutes gains. First, make sure you have a narrow stance when you use the leg press. Typically you use a wider stance when using this machine.

What should a beginner do on leg press? ›

As a rule of thumb, novices should start out using half their body weight. People with more experience can start at three quarters of their body weight. Wherever you start, getting the full range of motion out of your reps on the machine should be your goal. Don't just focus on pressing the most weight you can!

How much should a woman leg press? ›

The average Horizontal Leg Press weight for a female lifter is 258 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Horizontal Leg Press? Female beginners should aim to lift 82 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

What is the best position for leg press? ›

In the standard leg press, set your feet shoulder-width apart, dead center on the footplate, toes slightly pointed outward. This position is our starting point, the default for leg presses. Many people use it to engage all leg muscles effectively.

How to properly seated leg press? ›

Place your feet on the platform about shoulder-width apart, and grasp the handles with your hands. Slowly push the platform away with your legs. Keep your feet firmly planted on the platform and stop just short of full knee extension. Then slowly return to the starting position.

Is there a difference between seated leg press and leg press? ›

The horizontal leg press differs from the seated leg press, although you are also seated when using this machine. The difference is that with this one, the footplate moves, but the weight is pushed horizontally. The seated leg press is also considered a type of horizontal leg press.

Why is leg press so easy? ›

It Doesn't Require Balance

Part of the reason the leg press gets so much hate (presumably) is the simplicity of the exercise. It's almost seen as a lazy persons' squat since you're either sitting or supine during your reps. However, it's the ease of use that, in part, makes the leg press such an effective movement.

What angle should a seated leg press be? ›

The standard posture set-up for the seated leg press machine consists of your legs being shoulder-width apart, with your body at a 90-degree angle to your legs. In this position, the leg press places most of the load on your quadriceps.

What is the best seat position for leg press? ›

STARTING POSITION: Sit in the machine, positioning your back and sacrum (tailbone) flat against the machine's backrest. Place your feet on the resistance plate, toes pointing forward and adjust your seat and foot position so that the bend in your knees is at approximately 90 degrees with your heels flat.

How much should I be able to do on seated leg press? ›

As a rule of thumb, novices should start out using half their body weight. People with more experience can start at three quarters of their body weight. Wherever you start, getting the full range of motion out of your reps on the machine should be your goal. Don't just focus on pressing the most weight you can!

Should leg press be straight or angled? ›

Greater range of motion: The angled design allows for a more natural and extensive range of motion compared to the horizontal leg press. Direct resistance: The weight is more directly applied to the legs, potentially increasing the effectiveness of the exercise.

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