Top 5 Leg Press Machines

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If you’re looking to strengthen your glutes and legs, a leg press machine is a great piece of fitness equipment to add to your home gym.

Squats and leg presses are the best exercises to strengthen your legs, and some of these leg presses offer the option for hack squats in addition to the leg press function.

There are several leg presses that could work well in your home gym. There are leg presses that also include a hack squat function, full leg presses, a smaller leg press, and a vertical leg press.

Below you’ll learn about each leg press so that you can decide which one is best for you.

1) Body-Solid Leg Press & Hack Squat

Key Features

• Quad track roller system ensures a smooth movement and equal weight distribution.
• Heavy Duty Diamond Plate foot platforms for Leg Press and Hack Squat positions.
• 4 inch thick contoured back and shoulder pads for your comfort.
• Three lockout positions for your safety and convenience.
• 1000 lbs maximum capacity for weights.
• Note: Weights not included.

The Body-Solid Leg Press & Hack Squat is a durable leg press and hack squat machine for the home gym.

It is sturdy and has a quad track roller system for smooth movement and equal weight distribution. There are 3 lockout positions for your safety.

The contoured back and shoulder pads offer you a comfortable experience.

This leg press has a 1000 lb maximum capacity for weights, making it a great option for beginners on up to more experienced and stronger lifters.

If you’re looking for a leg press that’s durable and versatile, this could be the perfect one for you.

2) Powerline PVLP156X Vertical Leg Press

Key Features

• Vertical leg press that effectively isolates your lower body muscles
• 3 starting and stopping positions for comfort and safety.
• Extra-thick back pad and contoured head and neck pad for your comfort.
• Durable alloy steel frame with powder-coated finish.
• 400 lb. Capacity for weights
• Nylon bushings for smooth, consistent motion
• Extra wide foot plate with no slip design
• 10 Year POWERLINE Warranty on Frame and 1 year on all other parts
• Note: Does not come with weights, adapter sleeves, or collars

The Powerline PVLP156X Vertical Leg Press is a vertical leg press, meaning your positioning is different than most leg press machines.

While performing a vertical leg press, you will be lying on your back rather than sitting, and you’ll be pushing the weight straight up rather than at an angle.

This positioning is right for everyone, but it does allow you to isolate your leg muscles more easily than if you were in a sitting position on a regular leg press.

Not only is it easier to isolate your muscles with a vertical leg press, but vertical leg presses are normally cheaper and take up less space.

3) BodyCraft F660 Leg Press

Key Features

• Adjustable shoulder pads allow for a wide range of user heights.
• Fully adjustable foot plate for any desired angle for more comfortable lifts.
• Foot plate folds out of the way for Hack Squats.
• Industrial grade linear bearings for durability.
• Lifetime warranty
• Exercises that can be done are leg presses, hack squats, donkey squats (in which the weight sits on the lumbar), and calf raises.
• Weight capacity of 1000 lbs
• Note: Weights not included.

The BodyCraft F660 Leg Press is another leg press that also allows you to use it for hack squats.

This leg press has adjustable shoulder pads, so a wide range of users can comfortably and safely use this leg press.

This leg press also has a fully adjustable foot plate for a variety of angles, and it can easily be folded out of the way for hack squats.

This durable leg press has a lifetime warranty and a weight capacity of 1000 lbs. This is a great option for beginners and more experienced lifters.

4) Mini Leg Press

Key Features

• Large diamond foot plate
• 3 position safety stop
• 3 position carriage stop
• Removable 3 position incline bench
• 500 lb weight capacity
• Free Lifetime Warranty on All Frame parts

The Mini Leg Press is unique. It is a small piece of equipment with a removable three position bench that can be used with other fitness equipment.

This leg press has a large foot plate, a 3 position safety stop, and a 3 position carriage stop. The only drawback for this leg press, is that it only has a 500 lb weight capacity.

This is a great leg press for beginner lifters, but not for experienced lifters or people who need to lift more than 500 lbs.

This leg press comes with a lifetime warranty on all frame parts.

5) York ST 35 Degree Leg Press

Key Features

• Extra wide footplate to accommodate different size users.
• Heavy-duty linear bearings for smooth, low-friction movement.
• Wide range of seat back adjustments to maximize range of motion.
• Built-in weight storage.
• 1200 lb. weight capacity
• Adjustable safety stops
• Built in weight storage
• Note: weights not included.

TheYork ST 35 Degree Leg Press has a higher weight capacity than any of the others on the list, so if you need more than 1000 lb weight capacity, this is the leg press you should choose.

It also has built in weight storage. There are adjustable safety stops and a wide range of back adjustments to maximize your range of motion, making this excellent for taller users.

Some users mentioned that this leg press is difficult to put together and some users did not seem to have a problem with it.

So, Which Leg Press Should You Choose?

The answer to that question will depend on your needs, but there are a few things to consider.

If you want a vertical leg press, the Powerline PVLP156X Vertical Leg Press is a great choice and the only vertical leg press featured here.

If you want a smaller leg press and you don’t need over 500 lbs weight capacity, than the Mini Leg Press is a great option.

If you want a leg press that also has the hack squat functionality, you could choose the Body-Solid Leg Press & Hack Squat or the BodyCraft F660 Leg Press because both have each function.

If you need to use over 1000 lbs of weight for your leg press, you should choose the York ST 35 Degree Leg Press.

Each of these leg presses are high quality, durable, and competitively priced, so you should be happy with your purchase as long as you pay attention to the features of each.

Pros and Cons of the Leg Press Machine

It’s not difficult to find the leg press machine in your gym, and you shouldn’t be surprised if somebody is already using it, since it’s a very popular piece of workout equipment.

While many people like to concentrate on curls and lifts involving the arms and back, it’s good to know that there are machines which can effectively tone your legs too.

However, like many types of exercises and machines, there are pros and cons to the leg press.

It’s good for people recovering

People recovering from operations or injuries can safely use the leg press machine without having to worry about damaging themselves.

Like many weight machines, you can put a pin to choose how heavy you want the weights to be, so if your doctor has told you that you can’t lift or work with a certain level of weight, you can make sure that you’re below this level in order to work out safely.

You might be in a period of recovery where you need a low-key leg workout for now before moving on to something more challenging over the next few months.

It helps you target specific muscles

Using the leg press machine, you’ll be able to effectively target the areas of your legs that you’re trying to tone, such as the glutes, hamstrings and quads.

Because you’re sitting down and pushing away from the weight, you can increase the weight and find that it’s still manageable.

It’s also very easy to adjust the level of weight, so you can increase the decrease the intensity of the workout as you choose.

It’s not a good idea to use it all the time

Machines like the leg press machine don’t require the body to use any of the stabilising muscles, which is why it can often feel easier than using free weights, even if the weight you’re using is much heavier on the leg press machine.

As a result of this, your body might start to become reliant on certain muscles, leading to imbalances within your body.

It doesn’t engage all your leg muscles

While some exercises are great at engaging many small muscles which you might not have thought about, the leg press machine really does concentrate on the major muscle groups.

While this is good in terms of working out your larger and more dominant muscles, it means that the smaller muscles in your ankles and calves won’t be getting much of a workout.