Leg Press Tips

Use the leg press tips on this page to maximize your results and exploit the leg press benefits to your advantage.

Leg Press Tips. The leg press exercise is one of the easiest of all weight lifting exercises to learn. However, some people still manage to screw it up royally. So I'll give you some quick tips to ensure godly technique.

• Hand Position. Do not cheat by putting your hands on your knees or thighs, so as to help push the weight. It doesn't really matter if you hold onto the handles, cross your arms or even pick your nose, just as long as you do everything else right. If I'm lifting very heavy, I find that a death grip on the handles works best; otherwise, I sometimes feel it's more effective if I reach my arms behind my head and hold onto the backrest (I use a 45 ° incline machine).
• Head Back & Look Straight. Keep your head against the back rest. Don't lift it up to look at the weight or turn it to the sides; doing so can strain the neck.
• Lower Back Safety. Follow this leg press exercise tip religiously so you don't allow your lower back to become vulnerable to injury... Keep your abs contracted throughout the entire set. Do not allow your lower back to round or raise off the backrest. And your butt should remain seated at all times.
• Tense Your Entire Body. When you're using heavy weight, every muscle in your body should be tensed up; choke the handles with your grip. This increases your power output ability.
• Push Through Your Heels. Drive the pushing force through your heels into the platform of the weight sled for the most efficient transfer of force. Don't push through the balls of your feet.
• Maintain Straight Legs. Do not allow your knees to bow inward. This is usually caused by using too much weight, but it may also be a product of using a foot position that is too wide. So use a shoulder width stance if this remains a problem even after decreasing the weight.
• Use Full Range of Motion. A rep doesn't count if you only go half way. Your knees should come as close to touching your chest as possible without rounding your lower back. So while some trainees can go very deep due to superior flexibility, almost everybody should be able to go to at least 90 ° (the angle at your knee joint). Don't cheat yourself by not going as far down as you can. Decrease the weight if necessary.

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