If you've ever used the leg press, you’ve probably wondered: “Where do I put my feet?” And there are lots of resources out there addressing leg press foot placement variations.
But here’s my issue with most of them: They organize their content by foot placement. Which is fine. However…
…I don't know about you, but when I use the leg press, I’m thinking LESS about what FOOT PLACEMENT I want to do that day and MORE about what MUSCLE I want to work that day.
For example–do I want to work my quads today? Or maybe it’s a glutes kind of workout. Or maybe adductors are the focus.
So, here’s an article about leg press foot placement variations–organized by muscle–for everybody whose brain works like mine. You can use this article to learn about all the differing leg press foot placement variations, or you can just scroll to whatever muscle you want to work today and get to the info you need.
Today, we’ll cover:
Why Leg Press Foot Placement Makes a Difference
Leg Press Foot Placement for Quads
Leg Press Foot Placement for Glutes
Leg Press Foot Placement for Adductors
Leg Press Foot Placement: Slight Hamstring Emphasis
Leg Press Foot Placement: Regular Leg Press
Single Leg Press Foot Placement
Leg Press Foot Placement: Calf Raise
Leg Press Machines
Leg Press Resources & Exercises
Leg Press Foot Placement FAQs
By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll know exactly where to put your feet on the leg press platform for whatever leg muscle you want to work!
Why Leg Press Foot Placement Makes a Difference
So, let’s start with why leg press foot placement actually makes a difference in your leg press.
My first time using the leg press, I’m pretty sure I just threw my feet up on the platform somewhere in the middle and huffed it out.
But as I continued to learn more about working out my legs and got tips from my personal trainer, I’ve learned how important it is to pay attention to leg press machine foot placement.
Depending on your leg press foot placement, you will emphasize hip flexion or knee flexion with the movement. First, let’s explain what each one means.
Hip Flexion: when you raise your thighs towards your abdomen
Knee Flexion: when you bend your knees
Now, you might be saying, “Wait a minute. Don’t both of those things happen during a leg press?”
And the answer is: Yes. Both of these movements are happening no matter where your leg press foot placement is. But the higher or lower you place your feet, the more you emphasize one movement over the other. For example…
HIGHER feet = more HIP flexion
This means more movement of your THIGHS and less of your knees.
LOWER feet = more KNEE flexion
This means more movement of your KNEES and less of your thighs.
Cool.
But why does this matter? Depending on whether you emphasize hip flexion or knee flexion, you can:
- Bias specific muscles throughout your leg
- Increase or decrease range of motion (ROM)
Ultimately, when you master leg press machine foot placement and understand the mechanics behind each variation, you put yourself in the driver’s seat when it comes to your leg presses.
Leg Press Foot Placement for Quads
Looking to work your quads? Here’s the most ideal leg press foot placement for quads.
Leg Press Foot Placement for QUADS = LOW feet, NARROW stance
Now, here’s the why behind this.
Lower Foot Position
To engage your quads more during a leg press, lower your feet on the platform. This increases knee flexion, which will also increase the range of motion for your quads.
In contrast, when your feet are placed higher, your quads do less work.
That said, I recommend not bringing your heels off the platform–just to the very bottom, as you can see in the pictures. [1]
Narrow Stance
A narrow stance targets your quads effectively. You can adjust this a bit based on personal preference. But definitely do not bring your feet out any further than shoulder-width apart.
I prefer keeping my feet pretty close together because I feel it more in my quads that way.
This closer stance ensures a strong focus on your outer quad muscles, especially the vastus lateralis—the one that gives that teardrop shape. Wider stances pull other muscles into play.
Point Toes Out Slightly
Point your toes slightly outward to help engage your quads more, but don’t overdo it—just a small outward angle will do.
By using these cues, you’ll really feel your quads fire up during your leg press! To learn more details about how to perform a quad focused leg press–complete with pro tips–check out our article below!
“Quad Focused Leg Press: How to Bias Your Quads”
Leg Press Foot Placement for Glutes
The leg press can equally provide amazing glute activation with a slight shift in your foot placement.
Leg Press Foot Placement for GLUTES = HIGH feet, NARROW stance
You may see differing opinions about this online, so let me explain.
Higher Foot Position
This is the non-controversial part. Everyone agrees that higher feet on the platform is the ideal leg press foot placement for glutes. Here’s why:
As we know, higher leg press foot placement puts emphasis on hip flexion. So, if you think about your thighs moving up and down MORE than your knees, it’s easy to picture your glutes having to activate here a bit more than your quads.
It’s important to remember that your quads will activate here even with a higher foot stance. Just like your glutes will ALSO activate when you're in the lower quad, focused stance.
Both of these leg press foot placement variations just provide a bit more focus on those specific muscles.
Narrow Stance
This is where it gets controversial. Lots of people say you need a wide stance when it comes to leg press foot placement for glutes.
I noticed my personal trainer prescribed the narrow stance instead for the glute focused leg presses in my workout routine, so I asked him to explain.
Taking a wider stance during a glute focused leg press would actually put the glutes in a more contracted and shortened position at the bottom of the motion–which just means a little less leverage. The wider stance will actually fire up your adductors (more about this later).
Going narrow here is ideal leg press machine foot placement for glutes because the glutes are more lengthened and stretched at the bottom position.
Shout out to my personal trainer for that helpful explanation! For more details on the glute focused leg press, check out our article below:
“Leg Press For Glutes | How To Master The Glute Focused Leg Press”
Leg Press Foot Placement for Adductors
You can also use a leg press machine to target your adductors–those inner thigh muscles. If you’re tired of using an adductor machine, adjusting your leg press foot placement for adductors is a great option.
Leg Press Foot Placement for ADDUCTORS = HIGH-MID feet, WIDE stance, TOES out
High-Mid Feet
You can adjust based on where your foot placement feels like it hits your adductors the most. I like going higher for adductor-focused leg presses.
Wide Stance
Finally, we can use a wide stance.
With our legs in a wider stance, your adductors are lengthened at the bottom, which is exactly what we want to bulk up and strengthen those inner thighs.
Toes Pointed Out
External rotation of the foot will allow your adductors to fire up during this leg press variation.
You’ll find that when you point your toes out, your knees will naturally flare out slightly during the adductor leg press, which is totally fine. A slight knee flare will actually help target those adductors as well.
Leg Press Foot Placement: Slight Hamstring Emphasis
Lots of people ask how to target hamstrings on the leg press, and I hate to burst your bubble, but the leg press is NOT a hamstring machine.
For a better hamstring exercise, let me recommend the lying leg curl. Check out an article on this topic below:
“Lying Leg Curl: How to, Alternatives, vs. Seated”
So, while the hamstring will never be the star of the show when it comes to leg presses, you can use specific leg press foot placement cues to place greater emphasis on the hamstring.
Leg Press Foot Placement for More HAMSTRING Emphasis = HIGH-MID feet, WIDE stance, partial rep
Keep it high and wide for more of that hamstring focus. And no need to bring your knees all the way to your chest. Minimal ROM is ideal for a hamstring-focused leg press. Work so you really feel it in your hamstrings.
Leg Press Foot Placement: Regular Leg Press
Hopefully, from this guide, you can easily pinpoint which leg press machine foot placement is appropriate for the muscle you’re working on that particular day.
That said, it’s worth mentioning what muscles fire up with a regular leg press foot placement.
If you place your feet on the leg press platform:
- Shoulder-width apart
- Smack-dab in the middle of the platform
…and leg press…here are the muscles you’ll work:
- Quads
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
Primarily, the regular leg press is a quad-focused exercise, so that will always be the focus with a regular leg press, but you can focus on your quads even more when you go low and narrow.
Single Leg Press Foot Placement
There are benefits to switching up your leg press routine from time to time.
For example, if you go from working both legs to just one at a time–you can work out any muscular imbalances in your legs. In fact, you may even notice differences from one leg to the other when you do this.
Here are the best cues for single leg press foot placement:
SINGLE Leg Press Foot Placement = in line with hip, mid-low
Shifting your foot too far to the right or left here could potentially cause injury because you’re just working one leg. So don’t overthink this one.
Just keep your foot in line with the hip.
I recommend keeping your foot anywhere from the middle to the lower end of the platform for a single leg press.
Leg Press Foot Placement: Calf Raise
Last variation here. You can actually use the leg press as a calf exercise pretty easily.
Leg Press Foot Placement for CALVES = hip-width apart, top of feet ONLY on platform
Keep your feet shoulder-width apart here.
The balls of your feet and your toes should be on the platform for a leg press machine calf raise. Let your heels hang off.
Then, just press up with your calves, go nice and slow on the way down, and pause for at least 3 seconds at the bottom of the motion.
Leg Press Machines
Now that you know about several leg press foot placement variations you can use, let’s talk briefly about leg press machines. When it comes to leg press machines, there are many different types to choose from. And most likely, your gym has a variety.
Two of the most common leg press machines are:
The 45-degree Leg Press Machine: Pros & Cons
This leg press machine places your body in a lower position with the platform for your feet above you at a 45-degree angle.
Because of this angle, you’ll find that gravity is shifted against you as you use this machine. This makes this machine harder. Also, especially if you round your back as you use this machine, there is more risk of lower back injury.
But you’ll see more muscle development and overall probably feel it more after using the 45-degree leg press machine.
The Horizontal Leg Press Machine: Pros & Cons
This leg press machine is easier because you’re in a seated position pushing the weight on a platform directly out in front of you–instead of above you.
This machine is typically a bit easier to use because gravity won’t be working against you. You may also find it’s a bit lighter on your lower back.
On the flip side, this leg press machine naturally places your body in a position to use less leg muscles. It allows some of your other muscles to help out.
Leg Press Resources & Exercises
For more specific articles on leg press foot placement variations, check out the 2 below:
“Quad Focused Leg Press: How to Bias Your Quads”
“Leg Press For Glutes | How To Master The Glute Focused Leg Press”
Or for some great leg exercises and stretches, check out these videos:
Elephant Walk Exercise - The BEST Low Back & Hamstring Stretch
Glute And Hamstring Stretches For Back Pressure Release [FOLLOW ALONG]
Leg Press Foot Placement FAQs
What is the best foot position for leg press?
The best foot placement for leg press depends on which muscle you want to target. Quads = low and narrow, Glutes = high and narrow, Adductors = high and wide. Or you can use a regular leg press to work multiple muscles.
Why don't I feel leg press in my glutes?
If you’re not feeling a leg press in your glutes, consider changing your leg press foot placement to a high and narrow stance. This will ensure glute activation, and you can really work them till exhaustion.
What leg press is best for glutes?
A high and narrow foot placement for leg press is best for glutes.
What are the benefits of the wide stance leg press?
A wide stance leg press places more emphasis on your adductor muscles.
Is it better to do leg press narrow or wide?
It’s better to do leg press narrow for quads or glutes–and wide for adductors.
[2] https://www.treinamentoesportivo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ARTIGO-AGACHAMENTO-01.pdf
[3] https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/13/4626