Why can I move so much more than on a squat?

On a 45-degree sled you only push the part of the load acting along the rails, about 71% (the sine of 45 degrees). Before counting the sled and friction, 200 kg of plates comes to around 141 kg. You are not carrying your torso either, so the numbers do not compare with your squat.

Where should my feet go?

High up means more hip and glute; low down means more knee and quad, as long as your heels stay on.

Leg press: how to do it, muscles worked and variations

Seated with your back supported, you push a platform away with your feet. The leg press mainly trains the quadriceps, helped by the gluteus maximus, and lets you load your legs when your trunk or balance would hold you back in a squat.

Main muscles: Quadriceps, Adductors, Gluteus maximus
Secondary muscles: Hamstrings
Equipment: Plate-loaded machine, Leg press machine
Variations: 4

Image: start and end of the movement.

How to do it

Adjust the backrest so your hips and whole back stay in contact.
Put your feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform, with the whole foot down.
Release the safeties and lower with your knees following your feet. Your pelvis sets the limit: once it starts to lift and your lower back rounds, you are there.
Push through the whole foot and stop just short of fully straight. Lots of plates and a quarter of the range is the classic mistake on this machine.

Which muscles it works

The quadriceps carry the load in the standard, close-stance and single-leg versions. With a wide stance, the adductors and gluteus maximus join the main muscles. The hamstrings contribute little, because they lengthen at the knee while they shorten at the hip.

Which variation to choose

The Standard leg press does nearly everything. The Wide-stance leg press suits you if you want more adductors and glutes. The Close-stance leg press targets the quads, as long as your heels stay down. The Single-leg leg press stops one leg helping the other.

All 4 variations

Standard leg press

Knee-dominant pattern on a machine.

Form. Control the depth without lifting your pelvis.

Common mistake. Locking the knees violently.

Quadriceps · Plate-loaded machine

Single-leg leg press

Single-leg leg press.

Form. Keep the pelvis stable and push with the whole foot.

Common mistake. Rotating the hip or locking the knee abruptly.

Quadriceps · Plate-loaded machine, Leg press machine

Wide-stance leg press

Leg press with feet wider than the hips and slightly turned out, which increases adductor and glute involvement.

Form. Place your feet wide on the platform with your toes slightly out, release the safeties, lower with your knees tracking in the direction of your feet and push without locking the knees at the end.

Common mistake. Letting the knees cave in, lifting the lower back off the backrest at the bottom, locking the knees, or going so wide that you lose control.

Adductors, Quadriceps, Gluteus maximus · Plate-loaded machine, Leg press machine

Close-stance leg press

Leg press with a narrower stance.

Form. Keep your knees aligned and the range comfortable.

Common mistake. Going so narrow that knee stability is lost.

Quadriceps · Plate-loaded machine, Leg press machine

The muscles listed are an editorial reference, not a measurement. Adjust the range and the load to what feels comfortable.

In the app every exercise has its full animation: over 600 exercises and over 700 demonstration videos.

Frequently asked questions

Why can I move so much more than on a squat?: On a 45-degree sled you only push the part of the load acting along the rails, about 71% (the sine of 45 degrees). Before counting the sled and friction, 200 kg of plates comes to around 141 kg. You are not carrying your torso either, so the numbers do not compare with your squat.
Where should my feet go?: High up means more hip and glute; low down means more knee and quad, as long as your heels stay on.