- Gluteus maximus
- Machine
- Beginner
Seated leg press
The seated leg press works your quads and glutes, with your inner thighs helping. Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, stopping with about 3 reps in reserve. To build muscle, do 2 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps.
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- Tip 1Lower back on the pad
- Tip 2Push with your whole foot
- Tip 3Don't lock your knees
Where you should feel it
In the front of your thighs and your glutes. Feet higher on the platform shift the work toward your glutes and hamstrings; lower, toward the front of your thighs.
- Main muscles
- Vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and gluteus maximus
- Also working
- Rectus femoris, adductor magnus, and adductors
How to do it
Set the seat so your knees start bent to about 90 degrees and sit with your back and hips pressed into the pad.
Place your feet in the middle of the platform, hip-width apart, and hold the side handles.
Press the platform away with your whole foot until your knees are almost straight, without locking them.
Come back slowly, knees tracking over your toes, to the starting point without letting the stack touch down.
Common mistakes
Mistake
Your hips lift off the seat and your lower back rounds at the end of the return.
How to fix it
Only come back as far as your hips stay on the seat. If needed, move the seat back a notch.
Mistake
Snapping your knees straight at the end of the press.
How to fix it
Stop just short of fully straight, knees slightly bent, and come back under control.
Mistake
Heels lifting off the platform, pushing only with the balls of your feet.
How to fix it
Move your feet a little higher on the platform and push through your whole foot, heels firmly down.
Sets and reps for your goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Reps in reserve | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | 2 to 3 | 8 to 12 | 3 | 60 to 120 s |
| Muscle and definition | 2 to 4 | 6 to 12 | 1 to 3 | 1.5 to 3 min |
| Max strength | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 2 to 3 | 2.5 to 4 min |
Max strength (3 to 6 reps) only once your form is solid, always with 2 to 3 reps in reserve.
Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.
Variations
Same movement, other equipment
45-degree leg press
The platform slides on an angled track and usually takes more load.
Single-leg leg press
One leg at a time, so each side works on its own.
Hack squat
Standing with your back supported, your body moves down and up the track.
At home or with more support
At home: chair sit-to-stand
Sit down and stand up from a sturdy chair against a wall, holding a dumbbell or a weighted backpack at your chest. It's the same leg drive.
Prefer more stability? Seated leg press, shorter range
Prefer a shorter return? The leg press is already fully supported; move the seat back so your knees start less bent. Same exercise, smaller range.
Taken? Swap it for one of these
They work the same main muscle.
45-degree leg press
Gluteus maximus · Machine
BeginnerHack squat
Quads · Machine
BeginnerSmith machine squat
Gluteus maximus · Smith machine
Beginner
Keep exploring
Gluteus maximus
56 exercises
Glute exercises on machines
9 exercises
How to grow glutes
What the science says about sets, exercises and how long it takes.
Sources
Sets and reps
Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.
Technique
Da Silva EM, Brentano MA, et al. Analysis of muscle activation during different leg press exercises at submaximum effort levels. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(4):1059-1065.
Technique
Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, et al. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(9):1933-1942.
Muscles worked
Neto WK, Soares EG, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203.
Variations
Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, et al. Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023;15(1):103.
Review
Draft. This guide is waiting for review by a certified strength and conditioning professional.
Updated October 31, 2026