Leg Press Glute Focus: Where to Put Feet on Leg Press

Want to level up your leg day and hit your glutes with a glute leg press? The leg press is known for working your quads but can be a glute developer with a few simple foot adjustments.

In this post we’ll go over the anatomy of your glutes, how the leg press can activate them and give you tips on where to put your feet for max glute activation.

Your Glutes

The glutes, or gluteal muscles, are made up of three muscles:

• Gluteus Maximus: The biggest muscle that helps with hip extension.
• Gluteus Medius & Minimus: These smaller muscles help with hip abduction (moving the leg away from the body) and pelvis stabilization.

These muscles are important for good posture, athletic movement and of course, that strong, sculpted booty we all want.

Leg Press Machine

What it is

The leg press machine is a gym staple, designed to hit the lower body muscles including quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. This versatile piece of equipment allows you to do many exercises making it a favorite among weightlifters and athletes looking to increase lower body strength and muscle. Whether you want to build powerful quads or sculpt your glutes the leg press machine can be a great additio

Types of Leg Press Machines

There are several types of leg press machines, each with its own benefits and preferences:

• Horizontal Leg Press Machines: These machines have a horizontal platform where you can do leg press with your feet shoulder width apart. Great for beginners and those who want to maintain a neutral spine.
• Incline Leg Press Machines: With an inclined platform you can place your feet higher than your hips which can help target the glutes more.
• Seated Leg Press Machines: Designed for a seated position these machines are a comfortable way to do leg press, great for those with lower back issues.
• Cable Leg Press Machines: Uses a cable system for resistance these machines have multiple foot positions so you can customize workout

Each type of leg press machine has its own benefits so try out different ones to see which one works best for you and your goals.

Leg Press for Glutes: How does it work?

Though traditionally a quad dominant exercise the leg press can be modified to hit your glutes. It’s all about foot placement.

Foot Placement Science

The placement of your feet on the leg press platform, also known as leg press foot placement, determines which muscles are activated during the exercise. To hit your glutes mo

• Place your feet higher on the platform: This increases hip extension and shifts the focus from quads to glutes.
• Widen your stance: A wider foot stance increases the stretch in your glutes and allows more activation during the movement.
• Turn your toes outward slightly: Pointing your toes outward (up to 45 degrees) engages the gluteus medius and minimus by adding abduction to the movement.

But don’t overdo it. Going too extreme with foot placement can put unnecessary strain on your lower back or knees. A good rule of thumb is to keep your feet shoulder width apart and no more than 2/3 of the way up the platform.

Foot Placement for Glutes

High Feet Leg Press

To get the most out of your glute gains on the leg press machine you need to optimize your foot placement. One of the best ways to do this is the high feet leg press. By placing your feet higher on the platform and pointing your toes slightly outward you can increase glute engagement. This foot position increases the range of motion for your hips and knees and allows for a deeper stretch and more powerful contraction of the glute muscles.

Here’s how to do a high feet leg press for glutes:

• Adjust the Machine: Set the leg press machine to your desired weight and adjust the foot platform height.
• Place Your Feet: Place your feet higher up on the platform and point your toes slightly outward.
• Lower the Platform: Slowly lower the platform, keep your knees in line with your toes to avoid any strain.
• Push Back Up: Push the platform back up to the starting position and squeeze your glutes at the top.
• Repeat: Do for the desired number of reps and keep proper form.

By doing the high feet leg press you can target your glutes and increase lower body strength and muscle mass. Remember to use proper form and adjust the weight and foot platform height to fit your individual needs for a safe and effective workout.

Pro Tips to Boost Glute Activation

Aside from foot placement there are a few more tricks you can use to target your glutes more on the leg press.

1. Pause at the Bottom of Each Rep: By pausing for 1-2 seconds at the bottom you eliminate momentum and force your glutes to engage more as you push back up.
2. Add a Glute Loop or Resistance Band: Using a glute loop around your thighs increases tension on the outer glutes (abductors) and adds extra activation to every rep.
3. Do Single-Leg Leg Presses: Doing single-leg presses allows you to isolate each glute, prevent imbalances and make sure both sides are developed equally. This variation also allows you to increase the range of motion by placing the non-working leg on the floor.

Leg Press Glute Workout

Here’s a quick leg press workout to get you started. Mixing up the leg press variations will help you maximize glute engagement and lower body strength:

• Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio.

• Leg Press (high/wide foot placement): 4 sets of 10-12 reps, pause at the bottom of each rep.

• Single-Leg Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg.

• Glute Bridge or Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12-15 reps (optional finisher to really fire up your glutes).

• Cool-down: Light stretching on the glutes, hamstring and lower back.

Conclusion

The leg press isn’t just for quads – with a few adjustments it’s a great tool to build strong, defined glutes and other leg muscles. By changing your foot placement and using the tips above you can turn the leg press into a glute machine.

Whether you want to improve your lower body looks or just strengthen your glutes for overall fitness the leg press can be part of your fitness routine.

So next time you hit the gym, give these tips a try and watch your glute gains grow!