Exercises

Seated leg press

Press through both feet with your back supported. Quads and glutes share the movement.

Person seated in a horizontal leg press, back supported, both feet flat on the footplate and knees bent.

Machine · Seated leg press

Source: ACE · Seated Leg Press

Step by step

  1. Adjust the seat for roughly 90-degree bent knees. Keep your back and pelvis against the pads.
  2. Plant both feet shoulder width apart on the plate and hold the handles.
  3. Push smoothly, keeping heels planted. Straighten your legs without forcing the knees backward.
  4. Return slowly, stopping before your pelvis lifts or your back rounds.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the heels or pelvis from their supports.
  • Bouncing at the bottom or forcefully locking the knees.

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.