Leg Press Vs Squats: Pros & Cons

Leg Press vs squatsa battle for the ages! Both exercises are common lower body optionsbut what are the main pros and consand which one is the best choice for you? 

Leg press vs squats

Both leg presses and squats are lower body exercises that primarily work your quadricepswith support and assistance from your gluteshamstrings and adductors.  

Howeverthe two movements also have differences which include the specific joint ranges of motion workedthe level of stabilisation offered and the difficulty of learning.

Joints worked and ranges of motion

Joint	Squat ROM	Leg Press ROM
Hip	Large	Small (Your hips are essentially always in flexion)
Knee	Large	Large
Ankle	Large	Moderate to Large

Muscles worked during leg press

The main muscles worked in the leg press are the quadricepssupported to a small extent by the hamstrings and glutes.

• Quadriceps: Prime Movers during both eccentric (lowering) and concentric (driving up) portion of the leg press

• Hamstrings: Assist with the movement to a small extent

• Glutes: Assist with the movement to a small extent

*With that saidyou can adjust foot position in the leg press to activate slightly more glutes and hamstrings.  Howeverif growing those muscles is your goalthere are likely far better exercise choices.

Muscles worked during squats

The primary muscles worked in the squat are the quadricepssupported to a moderate extent by the hamstringsglutesadductors and calves.

• Quadriceps: Prime Movers during both eccentric (lowering) and concentric (driving up) portion of the squat

• Hamstrings: Assist with the movement to a small extent

• Glutes: Assist with the movement to a moderate extent

• Adductors: Stabilise the movementespecially at the bottom

• Calves: Stabilise throughout the movement

*As with the leg pressyou can adjust foot position in the squat to activate slightly more glutes and hamstrings (a ‘sumo squat’ stance’) which is a great choice for glute and hamstring focused leg development.

Are leg presses as effective as squats?

Squats are better than leg presses for most goalsas they recruit more leg muscleshave better transfer to sport performanceand tend to place less compressive force on the lower back.  Squats also improve balanceand create a greater hormonal response.

How much easier is leg press than squats?

Most people find the leg press significantly easier than the squat.  It is easier to learn as it is less complexplus you can usually lift more weight as you are fully supported with no need for balance or extra stabilisation.

Can leg press replace squats?

In most casesno the leg press is not a substitute for squats.  It cannot replicate the balance or core demandsnor does it create the same hormonal or metabolic response.  With that saidit really depends on your goals.  If you’re main goal is purely to build huge quads as a bodybuilderthen the leg press may be a great exercise for you to really target them.

The pros and cons of leg press

Leg Press Pros:

• Easy to learn and use
• Allows really targeted loading of quads
• Not limited by balance or stability demands
• Taller and long-limbed people may find it a useful option

Leg Press Cons

• Doesn’t create as big a response per set as squats
• Doesn’t work supporting muscles such as adductors or glutes to the same extent as squats
• Lower transfer to sporting movement
• Potentially higher compressive forces on lower back

The pros and cons of squats

Squat Pros:

• Large stimulus and hormonal response per set
• Hits more lower body muscles for more well-rounded development
• Better transfer to sporting movements

Squat Cons:

• Stability and balance may limit execution more than the muscles themselves
• Takes more time to learn and perform properly
• Taller and long limbed people may struggle with the exercise

Should I do squats or leg press first?

Most people would put squats first in their workout.  This is because you’ll be strongerfresher and more coordinated at the start of your workout.

Howeverthere’s no rule saying that you need to use both exercises in the same workoutor even in the same training block.  In my coaching opiniona better option for most goals would be to do two lower body workouts per weekseparated by 2-3 days.

• Workout 1: Squats: Sets of 5-10 reps
• Workout 2: Leg Press: Sets of 10-20 reps

That way you can get two different types of leg stimulus throughout the week.  Essentially the best of both worlds.

How much should I leg press compared to squats?

Many people find that they can leg press 2-3 times what they can squat.  In the leg pressyou’re in a seated positionand far more stableso you can lift far more weight.

There are two key things that you should know though:

1. Most people leg press with way too small a range of motionessentially just performing half or quarter reps.  You’ll find that if you use deepfull range of motion leg presses the amount you can lift is reduced dramatically.

2. Try to get the idea of how much you SHOULD lift out of your head.  Everyone is built differentlyas is every leg press machine!  Just aim to do the best you can with good form and improve over time.

Should I do leg press or squats?

If I had to choose squats or leg presshere’s my coaching opinion based on your goal:

• For sports performance: Choose squats
• For strength: Use mainly squats with leg press as an occasional assistance exercise
• For hypertrophy: Use both with different rep schemes

Summary

Leg presses and squats work similar musclesbut have different joint ranges of motionespecially at the hip.

Leg presses offer more supportallowing you to lift more weight and specifically target your quadsmaking them a good choice for hypertrophy.

Squats offer a more well-rounded leg development that also develops balance and stabilitymaking them a good choice for strengthhypertrophy and sports performance.

You may want to check out our article on leg press vs deadlifts.

Related Squat articles

• Sumo Squat Vs Regular Squat
• Goblet Squat Vs Back Squat – Your Questions Answered
• Goblet Squat Vs Sumo Squat