Legs · Machine
Machine Leg Press
How to do the machine 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
See it in motion
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 machine leg press mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the machine leg press for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the split squat
- How to do the step-up
- How to do the lunge
- How to do the squat
- How to do the bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed April 2026.