Muscles worked
The quads and glutes of the working leg do the main work, with help from the inner thigh. Unlike the regular leg press, one leg carries the whole load, so the muscles on the outside of your hip work to keep your knee on track. Your back is supported throughout, so the leg sets the limit, not your balance. Foot height on the platform shifts the emphasis just as it does with both legs.
Common mistakes
- The free foot quietly helps. As the set gets hard, it is easy to borrow a little from the other leg. Wherever that foot rests, it should not push.
- Your pelvis tucks under at the bottom. With one leg, your knee can come a long way towards your chest, and your lower back tends to peel off the pad. Lower the platform only as far as your lower back stays down, and keep that depth every session.
- The strong leg sets the pace. Start with your stronger leg and do all it can manage, and the weaker side falls behind. Do the weaker leg first, then match its reps with the other.
Variations and alternatives
- The leg press with both legs moves more weight and suits you when your sides are roughly equal.
- The Bulgarian split squat also trains one leg at a time, but without a backrest, so balance and your trunk join in.
- The step-up needs only a bench and dumbbells and is much like climbing stairs.
- The single leg extension isolates the quads on one leg and works well as a finisher after pressing.
Sets and reps
To build muscle, 8 to 12 reps per leg over 2 to 4 sets works well, and 15 to 20 reps suits endurance. Heavy sets of 4 to 6 reps are possible, but for pure strength most people save their heaviest sets for two-legged lifts. The guide to sets and reps explains how to pick a range for your goal.
Start light for the first few sessions, as you cannot work out the weight from your two-legged leg press. Then add reps before adding weight, following the idea of progressive overload, and note what each leg managed to see whether the gap is closing.