Aditya Sahu ‧ CPT & Head Coach
Aditya is an ACSM certified personal trainer and exercise physiologist with more than 7 years training various people and transforming people's lives. He has written various publications for various sports and fitness magazines.
The leg press is a popular exercise to tone down the legs and have stronger thighs. If you are bored or have no access to a leg press machine, you can gravitate towards leg press alternatives.
Leg presses exercise works on hamstrings, calves, quads, and glutes. Finding a leg press alternative with the same target is not easy. It becomes challenging to choose which of them are effective with various options out there.
In this article, we have deeply researched and compiled the best 10 leg press alternative exercises to work on every muscle of your lower body.
So, bid a farewell to the leg press machine and get ready to hustle with leg press exercise alternatives that really work.
10 Leg Press Alternative Exercises
Resistance Band Leg Presses
The leg press exercise machine can be strenuous to work with. If you want to avoid carrying extra weight, a resistance band leg press is an excellent leg pressing alternative. You just need a resistance band and yoga mat for this.
This exercise copies the biomechanics of leg presses in which weight is pushed away from the body while resistance bands act as a load. However, the load achieved with a leg press machine cannot be achieved through resistance bands.
Target Muscles
Resistance band leg presses target calves and hamstrings, quads, and glutes.
How to do it?
Spread a yoga mat on the floor, lie face up, and keep your knees lifted parallel to the ground.
Keep the feet straight and curl the resistance band around the bottom of the soles.
Hold the ends of the band in your hands and bring them near to the chest to create tension on the band.
Move your knees towards the chest, and make sure to keep the hips on the ground.
Push the legs away until they are straight and at the end of the movement, squeeze the quads.
Repeat the movement by bringing your knees to your chest.
Watch this video for a quick demonstration of the Resistance Band Leg Press.
Professional Tip
Don’t let too much arch over your lower back when you straighten your upper legs. This will keep your core engaged because the resistance band leg press will hit your core muscles.
Wall Squat
One of the best leg press alternatives, the wall squat, is an easy leg pressing exercise that you can do anywhere. This is one of the free weight exercises that tone and strengthen the legs and knees.
The advantage of this exercise is that it keeps your body locked in a position and helps to gain the most complex aspect of a squat. You can perform this isometric exercise at home too.
Target Muscles
Wall squat targets rectus femoris, glutes, and vastus lateralis.
How to do it?
Stand straight with the wall and keep your back as flat as comfortably possible.
Keep the feet shoulder-width apart, 30 to 60 cm from the wall.
Keeping your core strong, lower your knees parallel to the ground.
Pause at the position and count 3 staying in a parallel position
Come back to a straight position without locking your knees out.
Watch this video for a quick demonstration of the Wall Squat.
Professional Tip
The upward movement should be faster than the downward movement. Before building up strength, don’t try to go beyond parallel.
Jump Squats
The jump squat is the best exercise for improving power, core strength, and calorie burnout. This exercise is more beneficial than regular squats.
The benefit of this exercise is that you can perform it anywhere without equipment. Jump squats are a great leg press alternative exercise if you play high-strength sports like football or tennis.
Target Muscles
Jump squats target glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
How to do it?
Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and find a comfortable position.
Lower yourself to the floor in a controlled fashion.
Stand again with as much power as you can.
Land on the balls of your feet softly.
For a quick demonstration of the Jump squat, watch this video.
Professional Tip
You can reduce the impact of broad jumps squat on the body by limiting the sound of feet when landing on the floor.
Barbell Step-Ups
If you want to work out your quads and glutes to strengthen the core, barbell step-ups can be the best exercise. It is a unilateral, functional, multi-joint exercise that improves overall body balance and symmetry.
This great cardio exercise is the best alternative for leg press because it has a very low impact on the body.
Target Muscles
Barbell step-ups target quads and glutes.
How to do it?
Carry a barbell onto your back just like back squats.
Stand in front of support, e.g., a box or bench of height equal to your knee.
Step up and place your right leg on the bench or box first while lashing over the heel and midfoot.
Put the left foot on the bench, too, and then step downwards.
Repeat the exercise with the left leg and front foot.
For a quick demonstration of barbell step-ups, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Keep changing the height of the bench or box to challenge your alternate legs and get the most out of this leg workouts exercise. You can start it with free weights too.
Single-Leg Dumbbell Step Ups
Like the barbell hack squat step-up exercise, single-leg dumbbell step-ups also focus on unilateral core strength. The main benefit of this exercise is that it shifts the entire load to one leg and creates a high level of exertion over the glutes.
Along with toning the inner thighs and glutes, a single-leg dumbbell enhances the body's power, balance, and symmetry. It is best for those who don’t want to perform hectic exercises and get the benefits of high-intensity cardio.
Target Muscles
Single leg dumbbell step-ups target glutes.
How to do it?
Hold a dumbbell of desired weight in both hands and extend your arms by the sides.
Stand in front of support, e.g., a box or bench of height equaling to your knee. You can increase height after some time.
Place the leading leg on the bench and stay there until you get out of your rep range.
Drive through the heel and the middle foot and push up while standing on the bench.
Don’t let your leading leg rest on the bench or box. Leave it in the air for seconds and then place it on the ground.
Before changing the leg, keep practicing on one leg.
For a quick demonstration of single-leg dumbbell step-ups, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Single leg dumbbell step-ups are mind-to-muscle connections. Focus on the exercise with a calm mind to get most of it and tone your glutes.
Walking lunges
There are very few excellent leg press alternative exercises that give the same benefits as leg press machine exercises, and walking lunges are one of them. It improves the balance of the lower and upper body and stabilizes the core by acting on either side of the body.
The main benefit of walking lunges is that it improves the flexibility of the legs and hips. Plus, it works on all the primary muscles of the lower body for toning and strengthening them. Serious effort is needed to perform this lower body exercise. That’s why this exercise improves functionality and boosts immunity.
Target Muscles
Walking lunges target hamstrings, calves, quads, and glutes.
How to do it?
Take two dumbbells and hold one in each arm. Extend the arms to the sides.
Find a comfortable starting position to perform lunges in a correct posture.
Take a step forwards while keeping the head straight. Also, keep the core and chest engaged.
Return to the original rack position while keeping the core rigid and head straight.
Repeat the same steps again.
For a quick demonstration of walking lunges, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Keep the core stabilized and strong through focus and concentration. It will help you to avoid injury due to spinal loading during exercise.
Smith Rack Squats
Smith Rack squats decrease the chances of injuries associated with belt squat machine exercises and increases muscle group development. It lets you focus on your technique and promotes stabilization and balance of the body.
While performing this exercise, your body is locked into an anatomically perfect position. High stress is produced on the front knee and back knee flexors while your knees are not allowed to drift in front of your toes.
The Smith squat machine has a bar that moves up and down and allows you to lift different weights according to your core strength. It challenges the muscle groups and promotes their development.
Target Muscles
Smith rack squats target hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves.
How to do it?
Load the desired weight that you can easily lift onto the barbell
Stand inside the rack and find an anatomically correct position keeping feet shoulder-width apart.
Take the squat position. Make sure to keep the weight on your heels, core tight, and head in a straight line.
Take a one-second pause at the bottom of the movement and return to the starting position.
For a quick demonstration of Smith Rack squats, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Though Smith Rack squats are a beneficial exercise for building muscles but beginners, it is recommended to start with low weights. Plus, it is recommended not to go below parallel before gaining maximum strength and confidence.
Sissy Squat
Sissy squat is a great leg press alternative exercise, but it only targets the quads. It is best for those who don’t want to go to the gym or want to get rid of hectic cardio exercises. This exercise works by increasing the amount of knee bending. Thus, it puts extra force on quads and tones them.
If you have no equipment or find an excellent leg press alternative to practice a home, you can adapt this exercise. Though Sissy squats work well, minor hip flexors bending activity is involved in this exercise, like back squat, so the glutes are ignored.
Target Muscles
Sissy Squat targets quad only.
How to do it?
Take a comfortable position and stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Grab a weight or object to the hip height.
Get ready and push your knees in a forwarding position.
Lean backward while moving your knees forward.
Raise your heels upwards and stand on the balls of your feet.
Stand up while pushing through the balls of your feet. Drive your chest forwards while standing up.
For a quick demonstration of the sissy squat, watch this video.
Professional Tip
The most common problem that people face while performing the Sissy squat is staying balanced at the bottom in the free-standing version of the exercise. The solution is to place a yoga block or dumbbell on the floor to rest your heels during the movement.
Front Squat
The front squat is the best all-around exercise, and you can adapt it to make it a good leg press alternative. This exercise is best for people who want to work on their lower body muscles and back muscles. The front squat is a variation of squats but acts on the same muscles. It is the reverse of a back squat.
Unlike the back squat, the front squat works on leg muscles without putting extra muscle tension on the spine. This exercise is best for those who have spine issues or got injured due to spinal loading on leg press machines exercises in the past.
Target Muscles
Front squats target hamstrings, glutes, calves, and lower back muscles.
How to do it?
Start the front squat exercise as a regular squat and let the bar rest on your collarbones instead of shoulders.
Take a comfortable position before starting the movement. Make sure that your core is engaged and you are in a squat position.
Drive away with your feet hip-width and keep your knees parallel to the ground.
Make sure to keep the focus of weight on the back of your feet to avoid drifting too much in the forward direction.
Raise to the starting position slowly
Make sure to avoid knee locking while raising to the starting position.
For a quick demonstration of the front squat, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Keep your eyes on your toes while lowering into the squat position. You should be able to see them throughout the exercise. Plus, avoid drifting knees in front of toes to avoid injury.
Toes Up Landmine Squats
Coming to the last alternative of leg press exercise, toes up landmine squats is something that is not for beginners. It is for those who want to get maximum exercise but don’t want to do leg press anymore.
Toes up squats involve the uneven distribution of weight. It works similar to a leg press by pushing weight, but it focuses more on the same muscles. Most professionals perform this exercise as a good leg press alternative.
Before going for a toes-up landmine squat, make sure you are not a beginner because it can cause injuries in people with less core strength.
Target Muscles
Toes up landmine squats targets quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
How to do it?
Take a barbell and set it up in a landmine attachment.
Select the appropriate weight and load it onto the barbell.
Put the weight plate in front of you and face away from the landmine.
Place a barbell on your shoulder and toes on a weight plate while your heels touch the floor.
Bend your knees while leaning back to the barbell. Make sure to bend your knees smoothly and go into a squat position to avoid knee pain.
Come back to a standing position using core strength without letting the knees lockout.
Repeat the exercise with a barbell on one shoulder and then on the other.
For a quick demonstration of toes-up landmine squats, watch this video.
Professional Tip
Toes up landmine squats are exclusively for people who are pros at workouts. It is not for beginners because it involves high core strength and requires more power and confidence. In beginners, it can cause knee pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does leg press differ from squatting?
The leg press is a bit different from traditional squatting. The leg press exercise involves the lower body movements, including calves, hamstring, glutes, and quads. However, squatting leg exercises involves the significant muscles of the body. There are many forms of squatting exercises, and they are used as excellent leg press alternatives.
Why do people look for leg press alternatives?
People who look for leg press alternatives don’t have easy access to the gym or want to try something new. Most people who look for leg press alternatives want to do free-weight leg exercises or lower-body exercises at home. Several leg press alternatives can be easily practiced at home using a yoga mat and dumbbells.
Are leg press alternatives as practical as leg press exercises?
Yes, leg press exercise alternatives exercises mentioned in this article are as helpful as the traditional leg press exercise. Many alternatives to leg press like barbell squats are here that serve as lower body workout as the leg press exercise does. However, it depends on which one among the leg exercises you choose according to the target muscle groups.
Bottom Line
Leg press replacements are mainly for those who want to do leg press work without heavy bodyweight exercises. They involve the front leg, back leg, front foot, and back foot and act on specific muscles to tone the lower body through leg workouts. You can choose the one that is better for you by researching and determining which muscles you want to tone.
