It’s undeniable that the squat is the king of leg movements. If you want to stimulate growth all over your body (as well as the legs), the squat is definitely number one on your list on leg day. However, after you complete squats, the next step on your path to tremendous squats should almost always be the leg press. Or, if you have sustained a knee injury making squats impossible, then you should start leg day with this very useful movement.

The leg press is a very popular movement among bodybuilders because it allows for the thighs to be fully stimulated, without a lot of the dangers that squats deliver. If you reach a point of failure at the bottom of a squat, you are looking at a few undesirable scenarios. If training alone, you have to let the weight roll off your back and potentially do some damage to the floor. If you’re in a rack, you risk equipment damage. If you’re training with a partner, it could just be limited to an awkward spot. The leg press allows you to use your hands on your knees to assist the legs in moving the weight back to the top, so you never completely get into trouble.

Leg presses allow for cheating – and in a good way. It’s really hard to cheat when doing squats. You can either get the weight back up, or you cannot. If you have a spotter, he can stand directly behind you and help raise the weight, but you never really have the ability to control the weight lessening yourself. With let press, however, you possess the ability to apply some pressure to the knees/thighs with your hands. This allows you to give the tired legs a little help in pushing the weight up. Additionally, it’s very quick and easy to peel weights from each side and keep lifting past failure!

Finally, leg presses allow you to devote complete concentration to the legs as you train them. There are some secondary effects of training legs with this movement. Hamstrings, glutes, and calves all receive some stimulation. The quadriceps muscles maintain the brunt of the weight, however. Playing with leg placement, range of motion, and speed of repetition – while reducing the weight – allows the leg press to be used as a concentration movement. Work to feel the exercise in every part of the thigh as you slowly move the weight. By varying your repetitions from the 6-8 range to the 12-15 range, leg presses allow you to blast both the fast-twitch and close-twitch muscle fibers. This ensures your legs are completely trained, with as many individual muscle fibers activated as possible.

The leg press is a valuable tool in your leg training regimen. It’s not quite in the league of squats, but it’s the next best thing. Additionally, it does often some advantages in terms of safety, control, and concentration that eke out every movement, including the squat. Use the leg press in every workout to ensure solid, steady gains in leg mass and shape.

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