Leg Press
Also known as: 45 degree leg press, 45-degree leg press
- Primary muscleGlutes
- EquipmentSled Machine
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Knee-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Seated
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Nearly every other press in this family gets measured against the 45-degree sled: big loads, a fixed carriage path, and a back pad that strips away the balance demands of squatting. Foot placement steers the emphasis, higher on the plate for more glute and hamstring, lower for more quad, so pick a spot and keep it consistent between sessions.
How to do the Leg Press
- Adjust the seat and footplate of the sled machine to a comfortable position.
- Sit on the sled machine with your back against the backrest and your feet shoulder-width apart on the footplate.
- Grip the handles on the sides of the seat for stability.
- Push the footplate away from your body by extending your legs, keeping your heels on the footplate.
- Continue pushing until your legs are almost fully extended, but without locking your knees.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the footplate back towards your body by bending your knees.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Push through the whole foot and keep your knees tracking in line with your toes rather than caving inward.
Muscles worked
Primary
Glutes · Legs
The glutes get more involved the higher and wider your feet are on the platform and the deeper you go.
Secondary
- Quads — The quads extend the knee and do most of the work, and they should feel it hardest in the bottom half of each rep.
- Hamstrings
- Calves — On a leg press calf raise, the calves push the platform away with the ball of the foot; go for a full stretch at the bottom and a slow lowering.
Common mistakes
- Lower back peeling off — if your hips lift at the bottom, the range is too deep for your hip mobility; stop just before the pelvis tucks.
- Slamming into lockout — slamming to full extension under a heavy sled loads the joint, not the muscle; stop just short of lockout and keep tension.
- Feet too low — a low foot position pushes the knees far forward and shifts everything onto the quads and knees; move the feet up to bring in the glutes.
- Half reps, too much weight — the leg press invites ego loading, so pick a weight you can take to at least 90 degrees of knee bend with control.
Where it fits in a workout
Use the leg press after squats as a way to get more quad volume without the bracing demand, or as the main lower body lift on a lighter day. Follow each set with calf raises on the same sled to save time.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without sled machine
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.