leg press

noun

plural leg presses

: an exercise in which a person sits on an exercise machine in a seated upright or inclined position and uses their legs to push away from a weighted platform attached to the machine

The quadriceps do most of the work during a leg press, with support from the hamstrings and glutes.

—Jody Braverman

Because your back is supported and there are hand rests, a leg press tends to be more consistent and can be safer to execute than a squat.

—Chuze Fitness

also : the machine on which a leg press is performed

The seat-back of a leg press should be situated so your legs sit just shy of a right angle (90 degrees) and not pushed too far forward.

—John Tavolacci

Examples of leg press in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Simple morning movements—such as leg presses and wrist flexor stretches—can help loosen the body. —Kristen Fischer, Health, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above