Leg Press and Lower Body

The leg press builds heavy lower body strength with less spinal load than a barbell squat, which is why it shows up in almost every gym we equip. This section covers how to use one correctly, how it stacks up against squats, hack squats, lunges and leg extensions, and how to fix the knee pain that sends most people looking for alternatives. There are also maintenance and buying notes drawn from 16 years of selling these machines.

Leg Press & Lower Body

10 Types of Leg Press Machines: Which Type Is Best? hero image
Split image: On the left, a digital illustration of a knee joint highlighted in red to indicate pain or injury. On the right, a woman exercises on a leg press machine in a gym, pushing the weight platform with her feet.
Close-up of a person’s muscular legs in shorts standing in a gym, with exercise equipment and weights visible in the blurred background.
A woman wearing black athletic wear is using a leg press machine in a gym, pressing up a weighted platform with her feet while lying on a padded bench. There are dumbbells and gym equipment in the background.
6 Leg Press Alternatives for Effective Lower Body Exercise hero image
Body-Solid SGLP500 leg press compared with an athlete performing a dumbbell lunge
Leg Press Maintenance: Daily to Annual Service Checklist
Body-Solid SGLP500 commercial leg press compared with the GLPH1100 hack-squat configuration
Body-Solid SGLP500 commercial leg press compared with the S2LECX leg curl and extension machine
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