Legs / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Smith Machine Leg Press

A Smith machine exercise for the quads, with the calves, glutes and hamstrings assisting.

At a glance

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

Position a Smith machine bar a couple feet off of the ground. Ensure that it is resting on the safeties. After loading the bar to an appropriate weight, lie underneath the bar. Place the middle of your feet on the bar, tucking your knees to your chest. This will be your starting position.
Begin the movement by driving through your feet to move the bar upward, extending the hips and knees. Do not lock out your knees.
At the top of the motion, pause briefly before returning to the starting position.

✗ Lowering so deep the hips curl off the pad.
Why it hurts: The pelvis tucks and the lumbar spine flexes under heavy load, a common cause of disc injury on this machine.
✓ Instead: Stop the descent before your tailbone lifts. Keep the lower back pressed into the seat.
✗ Snapping the knees straight at the top.
Why it hurts: Locking out under a heavy sled loads the knee joint passively and can hyper-extend it.
✓ Instead: Stop just short of lockout with a soft knee.