The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (2025)

The Squat is unquestionably the best leg strengthening exercise. But, squatting comes with significant risk, especially for people who have spine-related issues. That's where leg press comes in.

It is the second-most important weight-training exercise for the legs and the whole lower body. Leg press is much safer than squats because it doesn’t require you to balance yourself with heavy weights on your shoulder. Plus, it keeps your spine in a neutral position, which means this exercise puts minimum possible strain on your back.

Leg press is also highly recommended for beginners who do not have enough strength and stamina to squat with weights. Plus, it is a great exercise for people who do not have enough ankle flexibility to squat on their own without any help.

If this exercise sounds like a promising option for you, make sure you read this article to learn about all the five different less press foot placements so you can target various muscle groups in the legs.

Standard leg press foot placement is suitable for overall leg development

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (1)

This is the most common leg foot placement position in which you keep your legs shoulder-width/hip-width apart on the leg press machine. If you are a beginner, this is the first and only position that you should start with. You can try the other variations when you have mastered this one.

A regular stance on the leg press machine helps you target the quadricep but your glutes and hamstrings too get a decent amount of exercise. These are the major muscles of your legs and strengthening them is the best way to start building your leg muscles. As mentioned above, the regular stance doesn’t help you isolate any specific muscle group, which is why it is highly recommended for beginners who do not have enough strength to do more compound exercises and variations.

Safety tips for practicing standard leg press foot placement

  • Make sure your toes are flared out as much as it feels comfortable to you. By not restricting your toes, you will let them work hard and help you train with more weights without any discomfort or chances of straining yourself.
  • Keep your feet directly in the middle of the platform of the leg press machine. If you place them higher or lower than this, you will be engaging different sets of muscles (read below to learn more).
  • This is the safest and most comfortable leg press foot placement position, so do not hesitate to go as deep as possible, even if it means reducing the weight. The deeper you go, the harder your muscles have to work.
  • Do not lift your ankles. If they start lifting, stop your training immediately. It means you are not ready and that you need to improve your ankle flexibility. Our guide on ‘How to Regain Your Deep Squat Mobility’ should help you.

Try wide stance leg press foot placement for targeting inner thigh muscles

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (2)

Image Source: Muscle and Fitness

Inner thigh muscles basically consist of abductors, inner quads, and inner hamstrings.

When you place your feet about 1.5 times wider than your shoulder-width and you point your toes to about 45-degree angles, you engage these muscles of your legs to push the weight away from your body. Using a wide stance on the leg press machine feels much like doing sumo squats and utilizes almost the same muscles except the balancing muscles.

Now, this isn’t as easy and comfortable as the regular leg press foot placement. So, go slow and train with a lesser amount of weight. Also, do fewer reps or else you could end up with severely strained inner thigh muscles.

How to do wide stance leg press safely

  • Your toes should point out at an angle. Keeping your toes inwards or even straight will put unnecessary strain on your inner thighs. Ideally, your toes should be at a 45 degree angle just like you do in sumo squat. But you can adjust it as per your comfort.
  • Do not go too deep while doing wide stance leg press unless you have extremely strong and flexible abductors and other inner thigh muscles. The max you should go is until your thighs are parallel to the ground. If you are a beginner, you shouldn’t even go that deep because moving the weights away from you could become extremely challenging.
  • Do not let your lower back lift up even if you have to reduce the weight or compromise with the depth. The neck and spine should always remain well-rested and relaxed.

Narrow leg press foot placement helps target outer thigh muscles

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (3)

Image source: Sytlinggo

The outer thigh muscles are basically abductors and outer quads.

Here, you need to place your legs closer than your shoulder width. You can keep them as close as you want but, to begin with, we suggest you reduce the stance by just one inch from each side. Your toes should be pointed straight forward or you may tilt them outwards slightly but having them straight is better.

This is a challenging leg press foot position, so you may have to hold the handles tightly but, whatever you do, make sure you do not lift your back or lock your knees.

Things to keep in mind while trying wide stance leg press foot placement

  • This is the safest leg press foot placement to try. So, do not hesitate to go deep and try more weights because chances of unnecessarily straining your leg muscles are quite low.
  • Also, please note that you won’t be able to go too deep because your thighs will come in contact with your stomach.

High stance leg press foot placement can help you target glutes and hamstrings

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (4)

Image source: The Optimal You

To do this, you need to keep your feet higher on the platform of the less press machine. This will require you to do more hip extension. There is no fixed rule on how higher you should place your feet. So, go slow and experiment with your position.

Things to keep in mind while trying high leg press foot position

  • Your feet should be higher on the platform but they should be shoulder-width apart.
  • Make sure your toes are spread out as much as possible.
  • Do not hesitate to go deep but please note that the deeper you go the more work your glutes have to do. And, if your glutes and hamstrings are too tight, you could end up feeling sore. So, start with fewer reps.
  • Your lower back might get raised a bit but make sure you don’t get it off the seat too much.

Low stance leg press foot placement helps you build quad muscles

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (5)

Image Source: BodyBuilding

Please note: If you have a problem with your knees, do not try this variation because when you place your feet too low on the leg press machine, the muscles around your knees have to do a lot of hard work because they will be traveling way beyond your toes.

Just like regular stance leg press foot placement, the low position too helps you target your quads but the intensity will be too high. So, if you want well-defined quads like bodybuilders, this should be your preferred choice. Also, make sure you start doing sissy squats, which is another important exercise for exclusively targeting the quadricep muscles. Our article on ‘ Everything you want to know about sissy squats’ should help you.

Things to keep in mind while placing your feet low on the leg press machine

  • Do not hesitate to go as deep as you can but make sure your feet are flat on the platform.
  • As we have mentioned above, do not attempt this variation if you have a pre-existing problem in your knees. Plus, if at any time, you feel pain or moderate discomfort, stop practicing. Also, go only as deep as you comfortably can.
  • Low stance leg press foot placement requires you to have excellent ankle flexibility. If you don’t have that, ‘Our Tips On How to Squat’ should help you. If you have really stiff ankles, you can wear squat shoes or weightlifting shoes that have raised heels for people with limited ankle mobility.

Wrap up

Other than these leg press foot placements, you can try single leg presses in wide stance, narrow stance, high stance, and low stance. You can mix these variations and create your own. But, they could be very very challenging and we do not recommend them for beginners.

Leg press is an excellent exercise for people who want to build stronger legs but, as we stated at the beginning of the article, squats should be your first choice. That’s because squats require you to utilize your balancing and stabilizing muscles and these muscles help you prevent injuries. So, you have to focus on them too.

If you want to start squatting but do not have enough ankle flexibility or have lower back pain, you can use Marcy Smith Cage Machine or other similar products. These machines basically have a barbell attached to their frame, so the risk of accidentally dropping the weights on you or losing your balance and ending up with weights on your chest is very rare. Plus, smith machines help you keep your spine in a neutral position thereby preventing back injuries. Read our article on ‘What Is the Best Smith Machine for a Home Gym’ to learn more about them.

We hope this blog helps you understand the leg press foot placements in detail. If you still have any query, please get in touch with us.

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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

Leg Press Foot Placements: A Comprehensive Guide

As an enthusiast with in-depth knowledge and first-hand expertise in fitness and weight training, I am here to provide you with information related to leg press foot placements. Leg press is the second-most important weight-training exercise for the legs and lower body, and it offers a safer alternative to squats for individuals with spine-related issues. In this article, we will explore the different foot placements in leg press and how they target various muscle groups in the legs.

Standard Leg Press Foot Placement

The standard foot placement is the most common position for leg press exercises. In this position, you keep your legs shoulder-width or hip-width apart on the leg press machine. This foot placement targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. It is a great starting point for beginners who are building strength and stamina. The regular stance does not isolate any specific muscle group, making it a suitable choice for beginners.

Safety Tips for Standard Leg Press Foot Placement:

  1. Flare out your toes to allow them to work hard and support the weight.
  2. Keep your feet directly in the middle of the platform to engage the intended muscles.
  3. Go as deep as possible while maintaining proper form and without lifting your ankles.
  4. If your ankles start to lift, stop immediately and work on improving ankle flexibility.

Wide Stance Leg Press Foot Placement

Wide stance leg press foot placement targets the inner thigh muscles, including the abductors, inner quads, and inner hamstrings. To perform this variation, place your feet about 1.5 times wider than your shoulder-width and point your toes at a 45-degree angle. This foot placement is similar to sumo squats and engages the same muscles, excluding the balancing muscles. It is important to start with lighter weights and do fewer reps to avoid straining the inner thigh muscles.

Safety Tips for Wide Stance Leg Press Foot Placement:

  1. Point your toes outwards at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Avoid going too deep unless you have strong and flexible abductors and inner thigh muscles.
  3. Maintain proper form and avoid lifting your lower back or locking your knees.

Narrow Leg Press Foot Placement

Narrow leg press foot placement targets the outer thigh muscles, including the abductors and outer quads. To perform this variation, place your legs closer together than your shoulder width. Your toes should be pointed straight forward or slightly tilted outwards. This foot placement is challenging and requires a tight grip on the handles. Avoid lifting your back or locking your knees while performing this exercise.

Things to Keep in Mind for Narrow Leg Press Foot Placement:

  1. Keep your legs closer together than your shoulder width.
  2. Point your toes straight forward or slightly tilt them outwards.
  3. Maintain proper form and avoid lifting your back or locking your knees.

High Stance Leg Press Foot Placement

High stance leg press foot placement targets the glutes and hamstrings. To perform this variation, place your feet higher on the platform of the leg press machine and focus on hip extension. There is no fixed rule for the height of your feet, so experiment with different positions to find what works best for you.

Things to Keep in Mind for High Leg Press Foot Placement:

  1. Keep your feet higher on the platform, shoulder-width apart.
  2. Spread your toes as much as possible.
  3. Start with fewer reps and adjust the depth according to your comfort level.
  4. Be mindful of your lower back position and avoid lifting it off the seat too much.

Low Stance Leg Press Foot Placement

Low stance leg press foot placement targets the quadriceps. However, this variation should be avoided if you have knee problems, as it places additional strain on the muscles around the knees. Keep your feet low on the leg press machine platform to engage the quads. If you aim to have well-defined quadricep muscles, this foot placement is recommended. It is important to have excellent ankle flexibility for this variation, and if needed, you can use squat shoes or weightlifting shoes with raised heels.

Things to Keep in Mind for Low Leg Press Foot Placement:

  1. Go as deep as you comfortably can while keeping your feet flat on the platform.
  2. Avoid this variation if you have pre-existing knee problems.
  3. Listen to your body and stop if you experience pain or discomfort.
  4. Work on ankle flexibility if necessary.

Additional Tips and Wrap Up

  • Other than the mentioned leg press foot placements, you can also try single leg presses with different stances, such as wide, narrow, high, and low. However, these variations are more challenging and not recommended for beginners.
  • While leg press is an excellent exercise for leg strengthening, squats should be your first choice as they engage balancing and stabilizing muscles, helping to prevent injuries.
  • If you have ankle flexibility or lower back pain issues, you can consider using a Marcy Smith Cage Machine or similar products that provide support and maintain a neutral spine position.
  • Remember to prioritize your safety and proper form during any exercise.

I hope this information provides you with a comprehensive understanding of leg press foot placements. If you have any further questions or queries, feel free to reach out to us.

The 5 Different Leg Press Foot Placements and Their Benefits (2025)

FAQs

What do different foot positions on leg press do? ›

Each of these different foot positions can help you target leg development in the specific area of your choosing.
  1. Traditional Foot Placement.
  2. High Foot Placement - Leg Press for Glutes and Hamstrings.
  3. Low Foot Placement - Leg Press for Quads.
  4. Narrow Foot Placement - Leg Press for Outer Thighs.
Jan 2, 2022

What is the difference stance for leg press? ›

To target your quads, use a regular or low foot placement position. To target your glutes, use a high foot placement position. To target the hamstrings, use a wide, high food placement position. To target the calves, use a low foot position with just your toes and balls of your feet on the platform.

What is the best foot placement for leg press? ›

If you're looking for an overall balanced movement that targets the lower body muscles equally, start with a standard placement. In the center of your footplate, place the feet shoulder-width apart. Keep equal distance between the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the plate.

Does foot placement on leg press matter? ›

A high foot position increases the amount of hip movement achieved with a leg press and reduced the range of movement demands on our knee joints. As such you will feel greater stretch, and a higher load being placed through the glutes and hamstrings. This is important for the quadriceps dominant athlete!

What is the best stance on leg press for glutes? ›

Wide Stance Leg Press For Glutes

A wider stance leg press can focus more attention on your inner thigh muscles. Start by spreading your feet wide on the outside of the platform. Then perform the normal leg press motions by pushing through with your heels.

What are the benefits of staggered leg press? ›

The “working” leg is the lead leg while the opposite foot helps with balance. The staggered stance introduces single leg training while maintaining stability. The benefit of the slight split in the stance is that the hips are allowed more freedom to move.

What is the most effective leg press? ›

45-degree leg press machines are suitable for individuals looking for a more extensive range of motion and greater muscle engagement. They may require more space and have a higher cost, but they offer a more effective workout due to the direct resistance applied to the legs.

What are the benefits of ISO lateral leg press? ›

Iso-Lateral Leg Press

This allows each leg to work independently, which can be beneficial for people who have strength imbalances or injuries. Additionally, the iso-lateral design can mimic natural movement patterns better than other types of leg press machines making also a great movement for advanced lifters too!

Is single or double leg press better? ›

Is It Better To Do One Leg Or Two Leg Press? The single and double leg press are both good exercises to include in your training programme. Single leg press can be better for strengthening the stabilising muscles, while the bilateral leg press exposes the muscles to greater load.

What is the difference between vertical and horizontal leg press? ›

When doing horizontal leg presses, a neutral position should have your knees bent and your legs flat on the footplate. The vertical leg press is similar to this machine but has your back against the floor with your legs up in the air.

What is the difference between a vertical leg press and a regular leg press? ›

Unlike the usual leg press where you push diagonally at 45 degrees, a vertical leg press is designed to get the user to push the weights straight up. Because you lay flat on your back, it may not be as comfortable for those who are having back issues. However, it does a good job for targeting both the quads and glutes.

What is the difference between standing leg press and seated leg press? ›

Standing leg press machines allow you to use a more natural stance, which can be more comfortable for some people. They also allow you to engage your core muscles and stabilize your body during the exercise. Seated leg press machines may be easier on the lower back, as you are supported in a seated position.

What is the difference between single leg press and both leg press? ›

Single leg press can be better for strengthening the stabilising muscles, while the bilateral leg press exposes the muscles to greater load. Including both will allow you to build strength and stability while reducing the risk of injury.

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