When you think of leg workoutswhat moves come to mind? Let me guess: Exercises like squats and leg presses. And rightly so!
Squats are perhaps the quintessential lower-body exercisechallenging both your strength and balance—and easy to do at the gym or at home with anything from a kettlebell to a barbellor no equipment at all.
Leg presses meanwhileare a fast-track to feeling strong AF (just ask J.Lo)making them a gym-goer's dream. All you have to do is load up the plates and pushpushpush to feel like your workout was a success.
Though squats and leg presses certainly have their differencesthey both help you build lower-body strengthwhich is a must for everything from lugging heavy groceries up the stairs to keeping up with your running habit injury-free.
That saidthere's plenty of leg press vs. squat debate out there. Can you swap your squats for leg presses and reap the same benefits? Is the machine move safer than squatting?
We've done theahemheavy lifting for youand reached out to trainers in order to answer some common FAQs (and clear up any confusion) about these two moves.
The Differences Between Squats And Leg Presses
Squats and leg presses might both be leg-day staplesbut they're far from identical exercises. "Squats are a full-body compound movement," says Lauren KanskiCPTRYTWH advisor and founder of The K Method. That means thatin addition to your legsthey involve your corehipsand upper bodytooin order to stabilize your bod while you move up and down.
Meanwhile"leg presses isolate the legs (quads and hamstrings) a lot moresince you are in a seated position," she explains.
How To Squat—And Which Muscles Squats Work
There's a reason the squat is a major part of most workout programs: "It's probably our most-used movement pattern throughout the day," says Kanski.
To perform a squat: Start standing with feet hip-width distance apartor just wider. Inhale and bend at knees and hips to lower seat towards floorwhile keeping chest as upright as possible. When thighs are about parallel to floor (or you reach the end of the range of motion that feels comfortable for you)exhale and push through feet to stand back up.
This classic movement primarily lights up your quadricepsgluteshamstringsand core stabilizer musclesKanski explains. Holding weights also increases the involvement of your upper body.
How To Leg Press—And Which Muscles Leg Presses Work
Since leg presses require some serious machinerythey're only really a staple of gym workouts. Andin contrast to squatsyou begin with your knees bent and drive your legs outKanski says.
To perform a leg press: Start seated in an appropriately loaded leg press machine with feet flat on the sled platform about hip-width distance apartor just wider. The sled should be at the bottom of the trackso knees are bent. Gripping the machine handlesbrace core and push through feet to extend legs until straightbut not locked outwithout lifting back or butt up out of the seat. Thenslowly and with controlbend at knees to lower sled back to starting position.
Since leg presses are performed in a seated positionyour core and hips don't work in the same way they do in a squatexplains Kanski. As a resultyour legs alone fire up.
The Pros Of Leg Presses
If you really want to target your quadsyou can usually handle more weight on the leg press machine than you could in a squatKanski says. Plusthanks to the safety bars that prevent an out-of-control leg press sled from crashing down on youyou can use the machine without a squatterwhich is a plus if you want to do leg day sans a gym buddy to spot you.
The leg press machine is also pretty beginner-friendlymaking it great for leg day newbiesadds trainer Tatiana FirpoCPT. Plusit's a great option for anyone with an injury that might affect their ability to squatlike a tweaky back.
The Cons Of Leg Presses
While leg presses have their perksthey're not exactly a functional exercisemeaning they don't mimic the types of movements you make in everyday life. "When in nature are we in a seated positiondriving a large weight up with our legs?" Kanski posits.
Plusif you want as much strength-buildingcalorie-burning bang for your bucka leg press can't offer the same benefits ofsaya full-body squat-to-pressFirpo adds.
Of courseyou also need a well-equipped gym in order to do leg pressesso they're not exactly home workout-friendly.
How To Switch Up Your Leg Presses
With these pros and cons in mindthere are a few leg press variations you can try to bank more benefits from the machine.
"One way you can mix up the leg press is with tempo," says Firpo. "You can move quicker on the extensionthen slow it down on the way back." Try extending your legs to the count of two and lowering the sled back down to the count of four.
Another way to spice things up: adjusting your foot position. For example"you can turn your toes outward a bit to target your inner thighs," Firpo suggests.
How To Use The Leg Press Machine Safely
Though the leg press may be easier to nail than the squatthat doesn't mean it's foolproof.
First things first: "Don’t lock your knees out at the end of your press," says Kanski. "This can be hard on your joints."
And"even though you can generally lift more weight with a pressbe careful to not overload your muscles," Firpo adds. If you can't do a few solid reps with your butt and back firmly planted in the seatease off.
The Pros Of Squats
The biggest benefit of the squat is one that bears repeating: "It’s a movement pattern that we use multiple times throughout the day—as we get out of bedget up from dinner the tableand get in and out of our cars," says Kanski.
A strong core is a MUST for quality squats. Check out this bodyweight abs workout:
Unlike leg pressessquats "require more than one muscle group to activateburning more caloriesand proving more effective in building overall strength," Firpo adds.
And since you perform squats standing upthey also improve your coordinationbalanceand overall physical performanceshe says.
The Cons Of Squats
Though squats offer more potential payoffthey also come with some challenges. "Squats require a certain amount of mobility in your hipsanklesand knees," Firpo says. "If you're tight in certain areas or have muscle imbalancesor some muscles compensating for othersit can be hard to perform a squat correctly."
Basicallythey're a lot easier to do improperly than leg presses. "Form is crucial and there’s a lot of room for error," Kanski says. For this reasonit's important to nail bodyweight squats before adding—and to progress your load slowly.
How To Switch Up Your Squats
If you can do basic squats in your sleepa few tweaks can offer slightly different perks.
"I really like sumo squats and jump squats," says Firpo. Sumo squatswhich you perform with a wide stance and toes turned slightly outwardfire up your inner-thigh musclesa.k.a. adductors. Jump squatsin which you explode up off the floor from your squat positionmeanwhileburn major calories and develop your power.
How To Squat Safely
Kanski recommends incorporating movements like glute bridges and forearm planks into your dynamic warmup to prep your body to perform squats safely with proper form. Thenwhen you squatFirpo recommends keeping the following cues in mind:
- straight spine
- active core
- weight split evenly between feetand back in heels
Finallykeep in mind that loading your squats in different ways may affect you differently. "A back squat may feel very different than a front or goblet squat," Kanski says. "Figure out what feels best for you and start there."
When To Opt For Leg Presses vs. Squats
Now that you're a leg press vs. squat expertknow this: both exercises have a proper time and place in your workout routine.
"If you want more of a full body movementknow your form is corrector have no limitationsgo for a squat," says Firpo. "If you want to isolate your quad muscle or keep pressure off your spinethoughgo for a leg press."
You can even incorporate both moves into the same workout. "I view the leg press as an accessory lift to the squat," Kanski says. "They go really well together." To truly blast your quadshit the leg press machine after squatting.
The bottom line: Both leg presses and squats have a place in your lower-body workouts. While squats involve more muscles and test your balanceleg presses isolate your legs and allow you to lift heavier loads.
