Legs · Machine
Leg Press
How to do the leg press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit in leg press machine, feet shoulder-width on platform. Unlock safety bars and lower platform by bending knees. Push through heels to extend legs, then slowly return to starting position.
- 1Feel your quads, glutes, and hamstrings pushing the platform away
- 2Keep your lower back pressed into the seat and knees tracking over toes
- 3Press through your whole foot and control the return
Common mistakes
- Avoid locking out your knees or letting them collapse inward
- Don't let your hips lift off the seat
- Avoid using too much weight at the expense of range of motion
Muscles worked
The leg press mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Leg Press strength standards
See how your leg press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM217.5 lb
Silvere1RM360 lb
Golde1RM545 lb
Platinume1RM740 lb
Diamonde1RM855 lb
Champione1RM952.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the leg press 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 April 2026.