Leg Press

Part 1: Reasons for Caution

Mark Brown

April 7, 2022

I would be remiss if I didn’t point towards some of the dangers of the lift and the machine. In my opinion, most plate loaded leg presses are safe unless something is broken on it. The leg press machine that I am familiar with (at the Merle Hay Genesis) has enough space between the foot platform and the seat in the case of a failed lift. Might get a bit uncomfortable but that’s what a lifter gets when they fail a lift. All of that said, I wouldn’t want to be in the seat for a total failure from the top of the lift. I know how many plates I normally on the machine, and I don’t feel like ever testing the safety of nearly 1,000 pounds falling fast on the machine.

There are a few dangers involving the lift. The first is a hyperextension of the knee at the top of the lift when the legs are fully extended. The knees flex backwards rather than flex upward in the direction knees are supposed to go. On a leg press, that usually happens when a lifter fully locks out and straightens their legs completely after the completion of the concentric phase but doesn’t move their knees out of the way before beginning the eccentric phase back down to the bottom of the lift. A lifter will know what is happening immediately because a knee buckling produces a very specific pain signal to the brain. I’ve felt it a few times and panicked for half a second every time it has happened. The best way to avoid hyperextending the knee on a leg press is to never fully lock out. The results of hyperextending on a leg press can get downright horrific. I’m not going to hyperlink to a video of it happening on this entry. If you want to do it, that’s all you.

A second one is more minor than that. As stated above the seat is designed to take the load of the weight of the platform structure to be pushed, but that is compromised if the lifter isn’t seated with their back pressed flat right up against the seat. A lifter should never feel a leg press in their lower back. That means an existing back injury could become exacerbated by improperly sitting in the leg press seat. I’m fairly confident in saying that it would not cause a back injury though. A third danger is more human error than anything else. Using too much weight than can be handled well will put undue stress on the knee joint. Using a lot of weight also makes it imperative that a lifter never locks out at the top because heavier the weight is at the top the faster it wants to fall, and sometimes the knee doesn’t move out of the way fast enough. Every time I have felt my knees buckling on a leg press lift, it has been at 800-900 pounds.

One more thing to keep in mind when leg pressing is the stress level one’s feet are feeling. The feet are the body part in direct contact with the pressing platform. The health of the feet is therefore paramount to this lift in the same way hands are to a deadlift. Pressing a lot of weight and squatting can have quite a negative impact on how feet feel and react. My feet are never in perfect health. I feel it most when I start to move from a seated position, especially when wearing my heeled lifting shoes. I don’t think I need to state how important foot health is because it’s fairly obvious. If a lifter’s feet or knees aren’t feeling great or in a good deal of pain, then leg press should probably not be on the menu until they don’t hurt.

Leg Pressing is a safe way to get leg strength and development for those serious about both moving weight and/or just looking better naked. It’s been a major part of my leg days for years now and why I lift at the gym that I do. There isn’t much of a skill barrier, unlike with squat. It isn’t necessary for strength and muscular development but if it’s there I recommend using it. Just remember to never fully lock out at the top of the lift, make sure to relax the knees before beginning the eccentric phase, keep the back pressed into the seat, be wary of foot/knee condition, and understand what weight/rep ranges are necessary to get the progress desired.