Legs · Machine
Single Leg Press
How to do the single leg press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a leg press machine with one foot centered on the platform. Press the weight up with one leg, then lower it back down under control. Complete reps, then switch legs.
- 1Place one foot in the center of the platform and press the weight up; you should feel your quads and glutes of the working leg doing the job
- 2Control the descent and keep tension in your leg throughout
- 3Press through the whole foot and keep your hips and lower back pressed into the seat
Common mistakes
- Don't lock out your knee hard at the top of the movement
- Avoid rotating your hip or letting your knee drift to one side
- Don't use your non-working leg or your hands to assist the press
Muscles worked
The single leg press mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Single Leg Press strength standards
See how your single 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 single 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.