Smith Leg Press

Sit on the leg press machine with your back against the pad. Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the footplate. Unlock the safety pins and fully extend your legs. Bend your knees and lower the weight until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Push through your heels and extend your legs to lift the weight back up. Repeat for desired number of reps.

How to perform the Smith Leg Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Smith Leg Press using your smith machine.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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