How many sets and reps of the wide-stance leg press should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps with a moderate weight, keeping the knees tracking over the toes through a comfortable full range. Add weight in small plates once your lower back stays flat on the pad for every rep.

What can I do instead of the wide-stance leg press without a leg press machine?

A wide-stance goblet squat, sometimes called a sumo squat, holding one dumbbell or kettlebell trains the same inner-thigh and quad combination without a machine.

What is the wide-stance leg press good for, and when is it not the right pick?

It trains the inner thighs alongside the quads in one machine-based movement, useful as a squat accessory or stance variation on leg day. It's a poor choice for someone with hip or groin pain that a wide stance aggravates, and a poor substitute for a true hip hinge if the goal is hamstring or glute development.

Intermediate

Wide-Stance Leg Press

Widening your stance on the platform brings the adductors into play as they help extend and stabilize the hips under load. It is a useful variation for trainees who want to hit the inner thighs and quads together without a barbell. Program it as an accessory to squats or as a stance rotation on leg day.

Equipment: Machine
Body part: Quads, Thighs
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Adductor Magnus
Browse by movement: Squat

How to do it

1
Sit back into the machine with your spine supported by the pad.
2
Set your feet wide on the platform with the toes turned slightly out.
3
Unlock the safeties and lower the sled under control until the knees reach a deep but comfortable angle.
4
Track the knees out over the toes as you descend.
5
Drive through the heels and mid-foot to press the sled back up.
6
Keep your glutes and lower back in contact with the seat throughout.

Tips

Point the toes in line with the knees to protect the joint.
Feel the stretch through the inner thighs at the bottom.
Do not bounce out of the bottom position.

Variations

Common mistakes

The knees track inward toward each other despite the wide stance, fighting against the very foot position that's supposed to let them travel out over the toes.
The feet slide down toward the bottom of the platform as the weight gets heavier, putting more of the load on the toes and less on the heel and mid-foot.
Cutting the depth short well before the deep, comfortable angle the exercise calls for skips most of the inner-thigh range this stance is meant to train.
The lower back peels off the pad at the bottom of a deep rep, especially once the weight is heavy enough to fight for depth.
Pressing unevenly through one leg more than the other lets the stronger side quietly take over a movement that's supposed to load both evenly.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the wide-stance leg press should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps with a moderate weight, keeping the knees tracking over the toes through a comfortable full range. Add weight in small plates once your lower back stays flat on the pad for every rep.
What can I do instead of the wide-stance leg press without a leg press machine?: A wide-stance goblet squat, sometimes called a sumo squat, holding one dumbbell or kettlebell trains the same inner-thigh and quad combination without a machine.
What is the wide-stance leg press good for, and when is it not the right pick?: It trains the inner thighs alongside the quads in one machine-based movement, useful as a squat accessory or stance variation on leg day. It's a poor choice for someone with hip or groin pain that a wide stance aggravates, and a poor substitute for a true hip hinge if the goal is hamstring or glute development.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Quads exercises