Barbell Squats is undoubtedly the superior of all the lower body exercises & it is the king of all leg exercises. But seated leg press is the next best weight training exercise for the lower body. The leg press has its advantages, it increases leg strength and muscle definition. It isolates the lower body which makes it ideal for lifting heavyweights. But people with lower back & knee/hip issue should avoid leg press. The position of the movement put a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine. Above all, if done with the right form & lightweight it is fine.
Most people just use traditional foot position which works mainly on quadriceps muscles. However, just by changing the position of foot one can target particular leg muscles. Since this is a compound movement, so it is impossible to isolate one muscle group totally, but by placing feet differently, one can put more resistance to one particular area.
Different Stance of Leg press:
-Standard or Basic Stance: Foot placement is in middle of platform & shoulder-width apart. This is the traditional way of targeting your overall leg muscles.
-Sumo or Wide Stance: Foot placement is wider than your shoulder width. This work more on your adductors, inner thighs & inner quads.
-Narrow Stance: Foot placement is lesser than shoulder width. This work more on the abductor muscles & outer quads.
-High foot placement: Keeping the foot on high position emphasized glutes & hamstring. -
-Low Foot Placement: Keeping the foot on a low position gives more activation on Quadriceps.
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