The Ultimate Leg Press Foot Placement - Graduate Fitness (2024)

The leg press is a fantastic exercise at all stages of your development in the gym. But what is the best leg press foot placement?

This lower body exercise will allow you to effectively train the glutes, quads, and adductor muscles at the same time. It is one of the larger more intimidating machines on the gym floor but is well worth conquering your fears, especially when you know where exactly to plant your feet.

Unlike the barbell back squat, the leg press is done in a fully seated position. This seated position will allow you to have additional support on the lower back while still being able to push massive amounts of weight.

Typically, members of the gym will apply a wide range of different foot positions when using the leg press machine. Using slightly different foot placements is believed to “emphasize” certain areas of the legs, or perhaps place more emphasis on the glutes.

Although altering your foot placement may place more stress on a target muscle, I would still recommended you only try advanced techniques after mastering the fundamentals of this exercise first.

That is, choose a foot position that will allow you to lift as heavy as possible through a full range of motion. This will ensure all muscles in the given movement pattern (glutes, quads, and adductors) will be forced to work in unison. Remember, all boats float in a rising tide.

The same movement cues from the goblet squat will easily transfer over to the leg press. I strongly suggest you go back and read this post now if you haven’t already.

Normally there is a safety mechanism holding the footplate in place. It will be somewhere on your right or left-hand side. You will need to undo the safety catch so the plate can travel through a full range of motion.

BUT NOT YET!!!

Before we release the safety bar we should establish a firm foot position and wedge our lower back firmly into the seat pad. This is an important point. I will reference it again later so make sure to remember! Lower back pressed against the seat.

As I mentioned already. You should find a foot position that allows you to perform a full range of motion while keeping your feet fully planted on the platform. Typically I will start with my own feet high and wide on the platform as this works well for my personal hip anatomy.

Now, if you can imagine in your mind that the platform is actually the face of a clock, you will want to point your left foot to 11 o’clock and your right foot to 1 o’clock. So both feet pointed slightly out.

Now! To start the rep you will want to gradually apply tension to the footplate and press forward with your legs. What you are doing here is slowly testing the weight. You should be able to easily press the weight forward while keeping the safety catch on.

In this position (the start position) the weight plate will be relatively easy to move. Trust me, it gets harder the lower you go.

If you can bearly lift the platform in this position you have no hope of actually performing a complete set with a full range of motion. Now is the time to go and reduce that weight.

When you find that goldilocks weight zone, and can easily lift the platform from its start position, you may finally release the safety bar.

But make sure your legs are fully supporting the weight of the platform before releasing the handle.

Return your hands back to their resting position. Most leg presses are designed to include handles down by your sides. This is so you can hold on for dear life as you complete your workout.

Next, You can begin to lower the weight plate, and your feet, towards your body. As you slowly lower the weight you will need to keep your knees pressed out. Exactly like we described earlier in the goblet squat tutorial. Told you should read it.

Now here are the 4 Golden Rules for a long healthy relationship with your leg press.

1. Only go as low as you can keep your foot position fully planted on the platform. If your heels start to lift up. You need to reassess your foot position or work on your ankle mobility.

2. Only go as low as you can while maintaining lower back contact with the seat (told you to remember). When your lower back comes away from the seat, that is your spine flexing to facilitate a greater range of motion. Essentially, your hips have gone to their end range and now your spine is curling to do the rest. You do not want your spine to curl while doing a leg press.

However, You should not go so straight with your knees/legs that all the tension of the weight is just sitting down through the joints and connective tissue.

!!!SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING!!!

If you have followed this is step by step guide for the leg press above and still find the exercise uncomfortable, I would recommend you try a different type of leg press machine.

In my time spent as a gym manager, I have learned that it’s always good to have a few different types of leg press on the gym floor. Like every good exercise, there is no such thing as one size fits all.

If you still can’t figure this exercise out, or there is no leg press available in your gym, you could always substitute a different exercise for the time being.

Any lower body exercise that trains both glutes and quads at the same time will be a suitable alternative to the leg press as long as it stimulates growth.

All our training programs are now free to download. We have plenty of programs designed using a leg press and suitable leg press alternatives.