Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Quads
Leg Press
Beginner
Machine
Compound
Quads
How to do it
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Sit in the machine with your back and hips flat against the pad.
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Place your feet shoulder-width in the middle of the platform, toes slightly out.
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Release the safety, then lower the platform slowly until the knees bend to about 90 degrees.
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Stop before your hips start peeling off the backrest.
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Press the platform back up without slamming the knees into lockout.
Common mistakes
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Going so deep the lower back rounds off the pad.
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Snapping the knees into a hard lockout at the top.
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Pushing on the knees with your hands to help.
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Loading a mountain of plates and using a two-inch range.
Tips
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Feet higher on the platform shifts work to glutes and hamstrings.
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Feet lower puts more on the quads.
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Always re-engage the safety catches before getting out.
Secondary muscles
Alternatives
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