Home Gym Leg Press Machines

If you are going to add more fitness equipment to your home gym than the traditional barbell exercise, it should be to train your legs. You can do a lot for the upper body with a barbell and weight plates, so investing in machines for leg muscles is a good idea.

Don’t Skip Leg Day!

The leg press is a fantastic way to put serious muscle mass on your lower body. Unlike the barbell squat, you can start and stop the exercise quickly, making it less taxing to our entire body.

The challenging part about choosing a home gym leg press is determining how much room you want to dedicate to this exercise. Known as the largest piece of workout equipment, the leg press is an exercise that many will avoid purchasing. But the leg press is a valuable exercise and you have more options than you think in terms of how much space it takes up on your gym floor.

This article will discuss the wide range of options you have for adding more leg exercises into your workout routine. It will provide you with details about different machines attachments that are available to help you perform the leg press without having to keep a gym membership.

Vertical Leg Press Machine

A vertical leg press machine is a great way to include this exercise into your home gym without taking up much space. Since it is vertical, we can place it near a wall helping to keep your floor open. A vertical leg press machine allows you to train your entire lower body. You can use this piece of fitness equipment for both leg presses and calf raises.

Many powerlifters such as Matt Reynolds from Barbell Logic keep a vertical leg press in their gym. Since their focus is on compound lifts, they do not need a lot of fancy equipment. However, the vertical leg press allows them a leg accessory exercise for increasing blood volume to the muscle.

If there is a downside to the vertical leg press, it is the foot plate. Most home gym versions come with a significantly smaller foot plate than you will find on other leg press options. This means you cannot emphasise the front or rear portions of the leg or take a wider position on the plate.

• Small footprint in your gym.
• Train your quads, hamstrings, and calves.
• Most offer use with standard or olympic plates.

Top Pick: Click Here To Learn More About the Powerline Vertical Leg Press.

Horizontal Leg Press Machine

If you have trained at a commercial gym, then you are familiar with the traditional horizontal leg press. While there are differences in the angles, rolling mechanisms, and size, most serve the same purpose. The standard horizontal leg press will take up a lot of room in your gym. So make sure you have the space for a large piece of equipment before you make your purchase.

It isn’t unreasonable to want a leg press for your home gym. So don’t feel bad for having a piece of equipment take up a large foot print if you absolutely love the exercise. It is your gym so you get to make the rules on what goes in and what doesn’t.

Most standard leg press products are plate loaded and come with a large foot plate. They allow you to lift significantly heavier weights than a standing squat machine or vertical leg press so make sure you have enough weight plates on hand. The slope takes pressure from the weight as it goes down and up, so the assistance requires you to load more poundage on the weight horns.

Leg Press Hack Squat Machine

Thanks to the innovation of companies who make home gym equipment, we now have leg press and hack squat combo machines. With a couple quick adjustments you can perform both the hack squat and leg press in the same workout. You will have two ways to train your quads, hamstrings, glutes and even two calf raise variations.

These options are slightly smaller than a traditional leg press but they still take up a decent amount of space in your gym. The foot plate is also slightly smaller but still offers enough room for emphasizing different muscles during the exercise.

• Takes up a larger footprint in your gym.
• Offers the largest footplate for multiple feet positions.
• Requires more olympic plates than a barbell exercise.

Top Pick: Click Here To Learn More About The Body Solid Leg Press Hack Squat Machine

Leverage Leg Press machine

A more expensive but great piece of fitness equipment is the leverage leg press. This version of a horizontal leg press moves the weight in a more natural way. It helps engage the quads, glutes, and hamstrings as the legs straighten.

The leverage leg press is a popular choice for bodybuilders as it pumps a sizable amount of blood into the leg muscles. After a few sets of leverage leg presses, you will quickly understand why it is a great exercise for muscle hypertrophy.

• Most comfortable feel when performing the exercise.
• High cost because of the leverage mechanism.
• Requires more olympic plates than a barbell exercise.

Top Pick: Click Here To Learn More About The Body Solid Leverage Leg Press Machine

Straight Leg Press Machine

Want to train your legs but are not interested in building up an enormous amount of strength? Then a straight leg press machine may be a good option for you.

Most of these machines use a weight stack with a pin to help you change the weight without getting out of the machine. It is a quick way to go from warm up to working set without a lot of hassle.

If you are a serious lifter, then this type of machine may limit you as most weight stack sets have a weight capacity of 200 lbs. This means that if you have strong legs, you could only use this machine for a finishing exercise or on a day when you are not training to failure.

The straight leg press machine uses a pulley system to keep the tension constant throughout the movement.

• Takes up a moderate footprint in your home gym.
• Limited by the amount of weight on the weight stack.
• Easily adjust the weights by pulling the pin.

Top Pick: Click Here To Learn More About The Body Solid Straight Leg Press Machine

Multi Station Gym With Straight Leg Press Machine

For those who have a large garage gym or a room with a center open space, you may opt for a multi station gym with a leg press option. These can help you get more use from the weight plate stacks and allow you to fill the outer parts of your gym with free weight equipment.

• Takes up the largest footprint of any leg press option
• Limited by the amount of weight on the weight stack.
• Easily adjust the weights by pulling the pin.

Top Pick: Click Here To Learn More About The Body Solid Multi Station Gym With A Leg Press

Leg Press Attachments

Did you know you can use your squat rack to perform leg presses? Thanks to the innovation of fitness companies, you can find a leg press attachment that works with a set of jammer arms. These arms that allow you to perform bent over rows, chest presses, and other exercises can also train your legs.

You will need to find a leg press attachment that fits with your jammer arms. Call the company before purchasing so that you can verify that the holes will line up and the width is enough room for the leg press attachment to fit.

Alternatively, you can create a DIY leg press attachment by connecting a barbell to a set of hammock straps that hang from the top of your rack. This option will cost about $20.00 if you have the correct power rack setup.

Finding a Leg Press Alternative

The leg press isn’t the only option you have beyond the traditional barbell squat exercise and its variations. If you feel that a leg press is not for you then these types of machines might be a better fit.

Hack Squat

If you like the feel of a hack squat machine better than a leg press machine, then it may be worth the investment to purchase one. However, since there are plenty of hack squat leg press combo options, it makes sense to get both for the same price. Maybe one day you will come around and learn to enjoy the leg press.

Leverage Squat Machine

A leverage squat takes away the balance requirement of taking the bar off the rack and getting into position. It also allows your body to shift slightly backwards as you descend, putting more emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings. This movement resembles more of a leg press than the traditional barbell squat.

Here Is Our Leverage Squat Machine Recommendation: Body Solid Leverage Squat Machine

Belt Squat Machine

This newer form of equipment is becoming a popular choice for home gyms. The weight being below your body helps spinal decompression while giving you a serious leg workout. You have the option to use a belt squat machine or use many of the different home gym belt squat variations available to perform this exercise. You can use a landmine attachment, a loading pin, or weight plates to perform the exercise.

While you may not need a complete belt squat machine, you will need to purchase a belt squat belt to get the best feel from the movement.

Here Is Our Belt Squat Belt Recommendation: Spud Inc Belt Squat Belt

Leg Extension

Of course there is always the leg extension as an option for your home gym. Unfortunately, this exercise may not be worth its weight. Unless you have an expensive version of this machine that is built to remove pressure from the knees, the leg extension may do more harm than good. While it makes for a good warmup exercise, having a heavy load can put too much wear and tear on the knee joint.

If you want a home gym leg extension option, we would suggest that you purchase a bench that has a leg extension and leg curl attachment. For a small amount of money you can add a leg extension to your warm up routine without wasting space. Plus, you get the added benefit of leg curls.

Here Is Our Bench With Leg Extension Attachment Recommendation: Body Solid Heavy Duty Flat Incline Decline Bench

Sissy Squat Machine

This is a good option if you want a piece of equipment that takes up minimal space and gives you a different feel from the squat. This exercise would more resemble a leg press if you were to take a narrow stance and put your feet low on the footplate.

Here Is Our Sissy Squat Machine Recommendation: Body Solid Sissy Squat Machine

Get Help From A Fitness Professional

If you are uncertain which leg press options are the best for your home gym, we would love to help! Our team of certified fitness professionals is ready to provide information and insight into each of these leg press variations. We offer no pressure advice as to which leg press will fit in your space and your strength training goals. Call us or send us an email with questions you may have.