A Human Web
Join

Gym workouts

Machine leg workout: leg press, leg extension, leg curl and calves

A leg day on machines only, with no barbell and nothing to balance. The leg press trains the front of your thighs, your glutes and your inner thighs, but barely the rectus femoris or the hamstrings: in a 12-week trial it grew the rectus femoris by 1%, against 13% with leg extensions. So this session adds leg extensions, and seated leg curls, which grew the hamstrings more than lying curls in a trial. Every machine adds weight in small steps.

45 minBeginner10 movesCardio machine · Strength machine · A wallQuads · Glutes · Hamstrings · Hip abductors · Calves
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Stationary cycling5 min
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoEasy, with little resistanceEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals
  2. Bodyweight squat10 reps
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoThen 1 light set of the leg pressEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat

Main sets

Rest as noted on each move

  1. Leg press3 sets of 8 to 12
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoKnees to about a right angle, or only as far as your hips stay on the pad. Breathe out as you press and don't snap your knees straight. Rest 2 min; stop 2 or 3 reps short of failureHarder: Bodyweight squat
  2. Leg extension2 sets of 12 to 15
    Beginner · Quads · 3D demoLine your knee up with the machine's pivot and lower over 2 to 3 s. Rest 60 to 90 s; the last set can end 0 to 2 reps short of failureEasier: Straight-leg raiseHarder: Barbell box squat
  3. Seated leg curl3 sets of 10 to 15
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Calves · 3D demoLine your knee up with the pivot. Rest 60 to 90 s; the last set can end 0 to 2 reps shortEasier: Seated band hamstring curlHarder: Stability ball leg curl
  4. Hip abduction machine2 sets of 12 to 20
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes · 3D demoRest 60 s; 0 to 2 reps in reserveEasier: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)Harder: Lateral band walk
  5. Calf press on the leg press3 sets of 12 to 20
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoSafety catches engaged and the balls of your feet on the bottom edge of the platform. Or the seated calf raise machine. Rest 60 sEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops

Cool-down (optional)

  1. Standing quad stretch30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold a supportEasier: Side-lying quad stretch with a strapHarder: Couch stretch
  2. Supine hamstring stretch with a strap30 s each side
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Calves · 3D demoEasier: Leg-up hamstring stretchHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
  3. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes · 3D demoHarder: Couch stretch

Tips

  • In your first two weeks, do 2 sets of each and stop every set with 3 or 4 reps to spare.
  • Write down your seat and foot settings with your weights: machines differ, so your numbers only compare with themselves.
  • Once or twice a week, with a day between. On a 4-day split, use it in place of the leg day workout if you don't squat.
  • With high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma or a hernia, keep the weights moderate, breathe out on every press and stop well short of failure.
  • Kneecap pain? Keep the leg press shallower and the leg extension in a range that stays comfortable, and see our knee pain when squatting guide.
  • Stop the set if your lower back lifts off the pad, a knee hurts sharply or you feel dizzy, and see the warning signs in our leg press guide.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More gym workouts

Barbell strength workout A

Barbell strength workout A: back squats and bench presses in sets of five, plus rows. Workout B (squat, overhead press, deadlift) is a separate session.

40 minBeginner6 movesA band, A barbell

Leg day workout (gym)

A gym leg day: back squats, leg press, leg curls, Bulgarian split squats, leg extensions and calf raises.

55 minIntermediate9 movesA wall, A barbell

Chest workout (gym)

A gym chest workout: bench press, incline dumbbell press, cable flyes, dips and a push-up finisher.

45 minIntermediate7 movesA band, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the machine leg workout: leg press, leg extension, leg curl and calves take?

About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, Strength machine, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 8 of its 10 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.