A leg press is a rehabilitation exercise to strengthen the quadriceps muscle.
Page updated March 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Using a leg press in the gym
In the gym, the patient has a choice of a leg press where the body is fixed and the foot plate moves, or where the foot plate is fixed and the body moves. The latter is preferable.
Leg press exercises are mainly used to build up the quadriceps muscles, but they also exercise the glutes in the buttocks.
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Quote:
"...The vastus medialis and vastus lateralis elicited the greatest muscle activation during the leg press exercise, followed closely by the rectus femoris."
Citation: Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Evaluation of the Lower Limb Muscles' Electromyographic Activity during the Leg Press Exercise and Its Variants: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 27;17(13):4626. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134626. PMID: 32605065; PMCID: PMC7369968.
Using a resistance band at home
The exercise can easily be done at home with an elastic resistance band available from any sports shop.
Sit in a dining chair with a firm back, place the fold of the band under the sole with the two free ends in the hands. Lift the foot to the level of the chair seat, adjust the grip on the elastic, and then straighten out the leg, still keeping it at the level of the chair seat. Repeat.