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One of the most common mistakes I see people making in the gym is their leg press foot placement. It’s a simple thing but has a big influence on where the resistance will be going and how effective your leg pressing workout will be.
There are 3 basic methods of placing feet on the leg press, which all have their benefits and detriments.
When I’m training clients, I like to allow them to choose which method they prefer and allow that small amount of individualization in their program.
The First is Bodybuilding-Style
In this method, the lifter will take a shoulder-width stance with their feet and keep them there all throughout the entire set.
This has been popular for years in bodybuilding circles, so it’s no surprise that many people do it when they leg press.
One potential benefit is that because the feet are kept in the same position for the whole set, the body learns to recruit a certain amount of muscle fibers throughout the course of the exercise.
In theory, if someone is training for hypertrophy and needs to train a large portion of their total leg musculature, this method would have its merits.
The Second is Olympic-Style
This method is a little bit more complicated and takes a few seconds to explain, so bear with me. In this variation of the lift, the lifter will take a narrow stance for the first half of the movement and then open up at the bottom before reversing direction and pressing back up.
This forces you to balance on one leg and involves a lot of your balancing musculature. I see this most often in my powerlifters that want to get more out of their leg press workout than just strength and size development.
I’ve seen guys hit over 700 lbs with this method before, so it’s definitely worth trying if you’re looking for something different.
The Third is a Hybrid of the First Two
I really can’t remember where I learned this method from, but it has been extremely helpful for me and my clients.
In this variation, one leg will be kept in a shoulder-width stance while the other leg rests behind you with the foot flat on the ground.
This allows for a nice mix of all-out leg development from a bodybuilding standpoint and also the increased stability afforded by an olympic-style leg press. We’ve been using this method for quite some time now with great success.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Glutes
Although not as beneficial for leg press foot placement, I’ve also seen people use the split stance with one leg on top of the platform and the other folded behind. This is a great option if you need to hit your glutes and quads at the same time after an injury or simply want to increase training variety.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Teardrop Shaping
This is a little different than the other methods I’ve discussed and should only be used if you’re familiar with what you’re doing.
In this method, one leg will be much closer to the edge of the foot platform while the other is in a shoulder-width stance position.
This forces your outside leg to do more work and helps you achieve that coveted teardrop look when shaping your legs.
The downside to this method is the potential for injury in the hip, especially if you’re not careful with your foot placement on the platform.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Hamstrings
This method is strictly for hamstring development and not much else. In this variation, the lifter will take a very wide stance with one foot on the platform and the other flat on the ground behind them. This provides a nice stretch in your hamstrings while really isolating them during leg press.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Quads
This variation is mainly used to target your quads. The foot placement is similar to hitting your hamstrings.
When using this method, the lifters’ feet are shoulder-width apart with one on top of the platform and one flat on the ground behind.
This creates a nice stretch in the front of your leg while allowing you to focus more on your quads for growth and development.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Inner Thighs
A very popular method for inner thigh development. Often used by women when they are trying to shape their legs.
This is done by gripping the platform with your feet in a hip-width stance while having one leg flat on the ground behind you and the other just off of the platform.
The nice thing about this method is that it allows you to focus on one leg at a time, making it really beneficial if you’re looking to build shape in your legs.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Calves
Many lifters like to use the leg press in order to target their calves and I personally think it’s a great movement when done correctly.
In this variation, you’ll place your toes on the platform with your heels hanging off of it, creating a nice stretch throughout the entire movement.
This causes your calves to take over and do most of the work creating a huge pump in them.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Pumps
There’s nothing like finishing up an intense leg press workout with this method and not only will it give you some great full-range pumps, but also help you stretch out your fascia and release some of those built up metabolites. In this method, you’ll put your heels on the platform with the balls of your feet hanging off it as you press back up to lockout.
Leg Press Foot Placement for High Reps
This is a great way to hit some high rep leg presses for both endurance and mass purposes. For this method, you’ll place your feet as close as possible with a very wide stance and press back up from there. This is a great way to get those quads burning fast and really tire out those muscles.
Seated Leg Press Foot Placement
Last, but certainly not least, we have the seated leg press. When using this method, I recommend a shoulder-width stance keeping your feet flat on the platform.
This allows for increased range of motion when compared to the standing variation and also gives you that nice stretch in your legs when trying to grow them.