Leg day is a marmite workout, you either love it or you hate it. Regardless of your preference, it’s essential.

There are an infinite number of leg exercises you can do, but two of the most popular are barbell back squats and the leg press. With our range of Olympic Barbells and new Leg Press Machine, you can do both. They are great compound movements that maximise muscle growth, but which one is more suitable for your training goals?

The Difference Between Leg Press and Back Squat

Targets Different Muscles

Both the back squat and leg press are lower body exercises. However, where the leg press solely focuses on the quadriceps, back squats use a variety of different muscles such as: hamstrings, glutes, core and the lower back.

Requires Different Skills

Another difference between the exercises is the amount of motor control required. Because the leg press is a fixed machine, it requires less control from the nervous system which makes it a much easier exercise to perform. It also requires less skill.

The barbell back squat is an advanced exercise and is often progressed after performing other movements such as body weight and goblet squats. Only when you’ve mastered good technique is it advised to move onto barbell back squats. On the other hand, you can use a leg press straight away, which is why it might be more suitable for beginners.

A Leg Press Can Load More Weight

If you want to lift as much as possible then the leg press is the exercise for you. You require less stability in the spine and joints and therefore can lift a lot more. Instead, you’re relying on pure leg strength as opposed to the other elements of your body being able to handle the load.

Which Should I Choose?

This all depends on what you’re looking to get out of your training. If max strength is your goal then you should opt for the leg press. This makes it a popular exercise with bodybuilders who want to promote lower body muscle growth without placing as much stress on the joints in other areas of the body.

Likewise, the leg press is a great exercise for beginners. You don’t need as much skill or motor control and therefore are able to push yourself with less chance of injury or likelihood of performing the movement with poor technique. Although it might seem daunting having a weight lowering down towards you, it’s incredibly safe. The leg press comes with a safety rail to stop the weight moving beyond your control. 

Moreover, the barbell squat could be a more suitable exercise for you if you want to work on functional movement. Squats are functional because we do them in everyday life, such as when we’re picking things up off the floor. Because of this, if you want to improve your range of motion and how you move day-to-day then squats are probably a better exercise for you.

Also, if you participate in strength-based sports such as powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting then squats should be your priority. The squat is one of the primary movements in both of these sports and so you need to be able to perform them properly before you begin loading the weight. If you can’t do the movement properly then you won’t be able to participate.

Should I Do Both?

If you don’t have a specific goal in mind and you just want to stay strong and healthy then there’s no reason why you can’t include both in your training plan. As they are both compound movements that require a lot of strength, it makes sense to perform them on separate days and have at least one rest day in between. This will give your legs time to recover.

How to Perform a Leg Press

Begin by sitting in the seat at the bottom of the machine. Place your feet on the plates, hip width apart with your knees, ankles and toes inline. Again, if it’s more comfortable you can turn your feet out slightly.

Using the handles either side of you, release the safety rail and slowly lower the weight down. Once your legs are approximately at a 90-degree angle, push the weight back up to the start position. Make sure you keep a soft bend in your knees and control the push.  

But it doesn’t stop there. This is a dual function machine and has the ability to work as a hack squat as well as a leg press.

How To Perform a Hack Squat

To start, pull the backrest pads down to convert the machine from a leg press to a hack squat. Step into the machine and rest your shoulder and back comfortably in the pads. Set your feet into position high up on the leg press platform with your knees, ankles and toes in line, hip width apart. You can slightly angle your toes out if more comfortable.

Use the upper handles to release the safety rail and lower down into your squat. For full range of motion, you should try to get to at least parallel. Dig your weight into your heels and push back up to standing.

For both exercises, you can increase the weight by loading the four weight poles with 2-inch Olympic weight plates. 

Still can’t make your mind up? Well, it’s a good job you can do both with our Leg Press and Hack Squat Machine. Round up your lifting buddies (it takes three people to assemble this machine) and take your home gym leg session to the next level.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength