Legs · Cable
Cable Seated Leg Extension
How to do the cable seated leg extension, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit facing away from a low cable with an ankle strap attached to your working leg, knee bent. Brace yourself and extend your knee to straighten the leg against the cable resistance, then lower under control. Finish all reps, then switch legs.
- 1Feel your quad contracting strongly as you straighten the knee
- 2Pause and squeeze at full extension, then lower slowly for a stretch
- 3Keep your thigh still and move only at the knee joint
Common mistakes
- Do not lock the knee out abruptly; keep the motion controlled
- Avoid leaning back or arching your lower back to help the lift
- Do not swing the leg up with momentum; let the quad do the work
Muscles worked
The cable seated leg extension mainly works the quads.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the cable seated leg extension for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.