Dépense estimée selon votre poids
Mouvement polyarticulaire · 4 s par répétition
| Répétitions | Dépense estimée |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0,53 kcal |
| 10 | 5,3 kcal |
| 20 | 10,5 kcal |
| 50 | 26,3 kcal |
| 100 | 52,5 kcal |
Estimation à partir des équivalents métaboliques (MET) du Compendium of Physical Activities. La charge, le tempo et la durée des repos font varier le résultat du simple au double : à lire comme un ordre de grandeur, pas comme une mesure.
What is the leg press: the machine in one minute
The leg press is a machine-guided strength exercise. You push a load with your legs, back against a pad, feet on a footplate. The machine sets the path of the movement, so you don't have to manage your balance.
It's also called the leg press machine or thigh press (both names describe the same piece of kit). Every gym has at least one. It's a pushing exercise: the lower body produces the force while the upper body stays put against the seat.
It's often the first heavy movement handed to beginners, before the barbell squat. You'll find it and its variations in our training programs by goal.
Which muscles does the leg press machine work?
The leg press trains the leg and glute muscles in a single movement. The main load clearly falls on the quads, which extend the knees.
- Quads: prime mover, through the whole range of motion.
- Glutes and hamstrings: mostly active in the bottom position.
- Calves and tibialis: stabilisers, never prime movers.
- Core: keeps your lower back flat against the pad.
The deeper you go, the more the glutes and hamstrings contribute. A short range of motion keeps the work on the thighs.
How to use the leg press properly
Set the seat before your first set
Adjust the backrest so your knees sit at roughly 90 degrees in the start position, without your hips lifting. If your butt rolls up at the bottom of the rep, move the seat back one notch.
Perform the movement
Lower in 2 seconds, push back up in 1. Never lock your knees out hard at the top: keep a slight bend. Your heels stay glued to the footplate from start to finish.
In the gym, the most common mistake isn't going too heavy: it's letting the hips lift at the bottom and rounding the lower back.
Foot placement: what it actually changes
Foot placement shifts the emphasis without turning it into a different exercise. Two settings cover most goals.
- Feet high and wide: more glutes and hamstrings.
- Feet low and close: quads and outer thigh.
- Feet mid-plate, shoulder width: the default setting, and the safest one for your knees.
So a glute-focused leg press does exist, but it won't replace a hip thrust. It adds to that work rather than carrying it.
How much weight to use for your level
The numbers below are ballpark figures seen in the gym, expressed as multiples of bodyweight, on a 45-degree machine.
| Level | Load | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.7 to 1x bodyweight | 3 x 12 |
| Intermediate | 1.5 to 2x bodyweight | 4 x 10 |
| Advanced | 2.5 to 3x bodyweight | 4 x 8 |
| Coming back from injury | 0.5x bodyweight | 3 x 15 |
Add 5 kg per week as long as your technique holds. Tracking the load set by set is exactly what the app handles during your session.
Try progress tracking on your legs for two full weeks, no strings attached.
Leg press, squat or hack squat: which one to pick
The squat vs leg press debate comes up in every gym conversation, and in every squats vs leg press Reddit thread. Which one wins? Neither: they aren't competing.
Squat vs leg press
The free squat demands balance, bracing and ankle mobility. It builds strength that carries over to sport. The leg press removes those constraints and lets you go heavy with less technical risk.
Hack squat vs leg press
The hack squat has you standing, back against an angled sled. It hits the quads harder in the bottom position and asks for more mobility. If your back is touchy, the leg press is the more forgiving option.
In practice, keep the squat as your main movement and use the leg press as a second exercise, to add volume without taxing your back.
Choosing a machine: horizontal, angled, single-leg
Horizontal models, common in chains like Basic Fit or Fitness Park, are easier on blood pressure and more approachable. The 45-degree angled models, Technogym or Matrix style, let you handle far heavier loads.
- Horizontal leg press: ideal for beginners and lighter sessions.
- 45-degree angled: the standard format for building maximal strength.
- Single-leg: fixes an imbalance between your two legs.
The type of machine mainly changes the numbers on the plates, not the muscle you're training. Never compare your loads across two different models!
Safety: looking after your knees and lower back
The leg press isn't dangerous in itself. Injuries almost always come from three mistakes: slamming the knees into lockout, letting the hips lift, and picking a load for your ego rather than for the exercise.
Two leg sessions a week is plenty. Leave 48 hours between them, and include proper hamstring work to balance out the thigh. Frequency and rest settings are covered in the planning features.