Leg Press

oec:leg-press

A machine-based compound exercise where the lifter presses a weighted sled or footplate away using the lower body.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: leg press machine, sled leg press, 45-degree leg press, incline leg press

How to do it

Sit back firmly into the machine seat with your entire back and hips flush against the pads.
Place your feet flat on the platform roughly shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
Disengage the safety release handles while extending your legs to take the weight, keeping a slight bend in your knees.

Lower the sled smoothly by flexing your hips and knees until your thighs approach roughly ninety degrees relative to your torso.
Pause briefly at the bottom without allowing your pelvis to lift off the back pad.
Press through your whole foot to extend your knees and hips, returning the sled to the top without slamming or hyperextending your knees.

Inhale steadily as you lower the weight, and exhale forcefully as you press the sled upward.

Pelvis curling off the pad (butt wink) at the bottom of the movement, placing excessive stress on the lumbar spine.: Limit the depth to where your lower back and glutes can stay firmly pinned against the seat back.
Forcefully locking out the knees into hyperextension under heavy load.: Halt each repetition just short of mechanical lockout to keep continuous tension on the quads and protect the joints.
Knees caving inward (valgus collapse) during the upward drive.: Actively track your knees in line with your second and third toes throughout the entire range.

Always set the mechanical safety stops at an appropriate height before loading heavy weight to prevent entrapment.

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.