Let’s talk leg press. Did you know that with just a slight change in foot position, you can target specific leg muscles you want to work on? You can bias your leg presses to focus on your glutes, adductors, hamstrings….and your quads. Today, our focus will be on the quad focused leg press.
Quads are a great muscle to work because they help promote overall leg strength, activating any time you straighten your legs or bring your thighs up to your chest. Plus, they also add a lot to your overall aesthetic. Lots of people like to aim for those “teardrop” quads, which can give your legs a strong appearance.
Most people use leg extensions or squats to work on their quads. We’ve got plenty of great squat articles if that’s more your jam:
Lower Back Pain After Squats | What To Do Next For Relief
Learn About the V Squat AKA the Sumo Squat
ATG Split Squat: How To, Pro Tips, Benefits & Muscles Worked
But if you're tired of squats and looking for a new way to hit your quads, let me suggest the quad focused leg press.
Personally, I always feel my quads way more when doing a quad leg press, so this is one of my go-tos when I want to strengthen my quads.
Today, we’ll talk all things quads:
- Quad Focused Leg Press: Foot Positioning
- Quad Focused Leg Press: How to
- Quad Focused Leg Press Form: 6 Pro Tips
- The Quad Muscle
- Our Best Leg Day Resources
- Quad Focused Leg Press FAQs
We’re Back Muscle Solutions. Through all of our content, we focus on how to exercise and build muscle without compromising your back. And believe it or not, leg presses can be tough on the back without proper form. So, we’ll share the best tips for how to perform a quad focused leg press with great form that protects your back.
Quad Focused Leg Press: Foot Positioning
All right, let’s talk about how to make your leg press quad focused. Starting with foot placement.
Quad Focused Leg Press foot placement = feet LOW and stance NARROW
This is the most basic cue for you to start lighting up those quads during your leg presses.
But, of course, as with all things in the exercise world, there’s some nuance.
Low Feet
Your first cue for how to make your leg press quad focused is to bring your feet lower on the platform.
As soon as you do this you allow your quads to have a greater range of motion during the leg press. With feet higher up on the pad, you’ll reduce the range of motion, and your quads will get less action.
Narrow Feet
The next cue for quad focused leg press foot placement is to bring your feet in to a narrow stance.
Going narrow on the platform does help you target those quads, but there is some wiggle room based on personal preference. Your feet can be anywhere from just a few inches apart to shoulder-width. For a quad focused leg press, you should never set your stance wider than shoulder-width.
We’ll get into this later, but your quads are actually divided into four parts–hence the name quads. It’s important to note that the quad focused leg press won’t actually hit all 4 of those muscles.
The rectus femoris, responsible for hip flexion, won’t get a ton of action with the quad focused leg press because your hips are bent throughout the motion of the exercise. Different from a squat, for example.
However, when you bring your feet in closer on the platform, you’ll get a ton of action for your outer quad muscles, specifically the vastus lateralis–the quad muscle responsible for forming that teardrop shape.
Your feet together in a closer stance will also help you shift the attention away from your other leg muscles to really isolate your quads.
Toes Pointed Out Slightly
You can also point your toes out toward the outside of the platform just slightly to help you bias your quads on a quad leg press.
But when I say slightly, I mean it. Your toes shouldn’t flare out too far.
All of these cues for how to make the leg press quad focused will help you maximize your leg presses for quad activation!
If you want to learn the best foot positioning for GLUTE leg presses, check out our article below:
“Leg Press For Glutes | How To Master The Glute Focused Leg Press”
Quad Focused Leg Press: How to
Now that we’ve discussed the nuances of foot positioning for a quad focused leg press, let’s take a step back and cover the how-tos.
Most gyms have leg press machines–whether horizontal or 45-degree. You can decide which leg press machine works best for you, but the cues are the same for both.
1) Set the weight to your desired amount on the leg press machine.
2) Sit on the leg press machine with your hands on the handles.
3) Place your feet on the platform–low and narrow with your toes slightly pointed out.
4) Unlock the machine (typically you can do this using the handles).
5) Then, driving through your heels and thighs, press the weight up.
6) Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position, bringing your knees towards your chest.
7) Pause at the bottom of the motion.
8) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Quad Focused Leg Press Form: 6 Pro Tips
By now, hopefully, you feel confident in foot placement for the quad focused leg press as well as how to perform this exercise step by step.
In this section, I want to focus on the finer details of quad focused leg press form. Here are 6 pro tips that will elevate your performance and ignite those quads.
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #1: Avoid Rounding Your Back
Getting a good range of motion during the quad focused leg press is pivotal to quad activation…but how close should you bring those knees to your chest?
Just before your back starts rounding.
Rounding your back is one of the most common mistakes for quad focused leg press form. Especially if you’re trying to lift a heavy amount of weight, it’s pretty easy to let your form slip and start rounding your back just before you press the weight up each time.
Think about it: if you round your back JUST before pushing up all that weight, what’s gonna take a ton of pressure here? Your lower back. Not ideal. And you might be feeling it in your lower back instead of your quads the next day.
Instead, keep your back flat throughout the exercise.
The best way to do that is to:
- Grip those handles like you mean it!
- Push your butt down and back into the seat.
- Press your back firmly against the back pad.
Follow those cues for a back-safe, quad focused leg press!
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #2: Keep Your Head Against the Pad
You can really load up the weight during a quad focused leg press. And while obviously we’re working your quads, you’ll feel tension in your whole body during the lift because you’re lifting so much weight.
One way to help protect your body during the motion is to keep your head against the pad the whole time.
If you start craning your neck forward, as some people tend to do, you’ll feel it in your neck right after the lift–and probably the next day too.
Keeping your neck in a neutral position against the pad is ideal.
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #3: Lower the Weight Slowly
Look, I get it. Leg presses are tough. In fact, they’re one of my most dreaded exercises on leg day.
Yet, I still do them. Because I think they work my legs better than just about any other exercise.
If I’m feeling lazy or just not into it on a particular day, I’ll catch myself rushing on the eccentric (lowering the weight down). This is a common mistake for the quad focused leg press form, but it can be the difference between wasting your time or getting super built quads.
When you take it slow on the eccentric, you allow your quads to really activate and take the brunt of the weight.
As far as how long to go, it really depends. Typically, I recommend counting to 3 on the eccentric, but my personal trainer has even had me count up to 4 for an extra good lift.
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #4: Pause at the Bottom
This goes hand-in-hand with the last pro tip. One easy way to cheat during the quad focused leg press is to not pause at the bottom.
This allows you to just use the momentum of the motion to help you lift that weight.
Your quads will thank you in that moment because they’ll be able to take a nap, which is the opposite of what we want during the quad leg press.
Instead, pause at the bottom for at least 2 seconds.
This ensures full quad engagement when you press the weight up.
It won't feel good, but it will be worth it.
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #5: Keep Your Heels on the Platform
Some people like to bring their feet so low, that their heels extend beyond the platform, and this is actually not the most ideal position for quad engagement.
Instead, bring your heels just to the edge of the platform while still remaining fully on it.
Quad Focused Leg Press Pro Tip #6: Squeeze Those Quads
Part of perfecting form during an exercise is visualization.
When it comes to the quad focused leg press form, I like to picture literally all the weight pressing right through those quads.
And I swear I feel a difference when I do this.
If I’m just pressing the weight without focusing on intentionally working my quads, I actually feel less sore in my quads.
So, squeeze those quads, and picture them pressing the weight right up!
The Quad Muscles
As I already mentioned, your quads–more formally referred to as your quadriceps–are actually four different muscles. Let’s break down the major muscles that power your thighs.
Rectus Femoris: This muscle runs from your hip all the way to your kneecap, like a bridge between your upper and lower leg.
Vastus Intermedius: Tucked underneath the rectus femoris, this guy quietly does the heavy lifting without getting much attention!
Vastus Medialis: This muscle sits along the inner side of your thigh, balancing the whole operation.
Vastus Lateralis: Picture this one hugging the outer side of your thigh, keeping things steady and strong.
Each one plays a key role in helping you walk, run, and power through life. When it comes to quad focused leg presses, you’ll see most activation in your vastus lateralis.
Quads are used to straighten our legs, which is why the squat, the leg extension, and the quad focus leg press are all great exercises for this muscle. They all build your quads by bending and then straightening your legs.
Quads also help with bringing your thighs up closer to your chest–like running, walking, etc.
Our Best Leg Day Resources
Looking for more great quad exercises? Check out our article on the heel elevated goblet squat below:
“Heel Elevated Goblet Squat: How To Get Teardrop Quads”
Or if you need some other great resources for leg day, check out the articles and videos below:
“Lying Leg Curl: How to, Alternatives, vs. Seated”
“6 Best Hamstring Exercises to Bulk Up Those Legs”
“Elephant Walk Exercise - The BEST Low Back & Hamstring Stretch”
“Low Back Strengthening - RDLs With The Lower Back In Mind”
Quad Focused Leg Press FAQs
How to quad focused leg press?
For a quad focused leg press, place your feet lower on the platform in a narrow stance.
Which leg press is best for quads?
The best leg press for quads is lower foot positioning with a narrow stance.
Is leg press glute or quad focused?
The leg press can be glute focused OR quad focused.
Quad Focused = lower feet and narrow stance
Glute Focused = high feet and narrow stance
How to do a quad focused leg day?
For a quad focused leg day, you’ll want to focus on squats, leg extensions, and the quad focused leg press.
Can you do quad focused leg day without squats?
Yes, try the quad focused leg press for the best way to do quad focused leg day without squats!
Sources:
[2] https://www.treinamentoesportivo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ARTIGO-AGACHAMENTO-01.pdf