Many people would agree that the best exercises that you can do if you want to increase muscle mass in your legs are squats, deadlifts and lunges. However some people still prefer to use machines to work the same muscle groups.
One of the most popular machines to use in the gym is of course the leg press machine because this will really work your quadriceps in particular, as well as your glutes and hamstrings.
There are actually two types of leg press machine – the seated (horizontal) leg press and the incline leg press – but the point is that you really need to be careful whichever one you use because it is very easy to injure yourself if you don’t perform this exercise with correct form at all times.
Here are two of the most common injuries that can occur as a result of using the leg press machine:
Lower Back Injuries
If you are using an incline leg press machine, for example, where you are sitting close to the floor with your back supported by a back rest, you may automatically assume that you couldn’t possibly suffer any kind of back injury.
However it is actually very easy to damage your lower back performing this exercise. Indeed problems may arise simply as a result of not having the seat in the correct position to fully support your back.
Most problems occur because users allow the weight plate to come down too far with each repetition, which exerts a lot of pressure on the lower back.
Problems can also occur as a result of loading the weight plate with too much weight because this can force people to over-arch their backs and adopt unnatural body positions in order to complete each rep.
Knee Injuries
The leg press machine can easily cause lower back injuries when it is used incorrectly, but it can also injure your knees as well if you are not careful.
Fully locking out your knees is one rookie mistake that can result in injury because this puts a lot of stress on the knee joints instead of the quads.
Another potentially dangerous mistake is to allow your knees to come together because you really don’t want to have a large amount of weight pressing down on your legs when your knees are pointing inwards in an unnatural and unstable position.
Final Thoughts
I don’t want to put people off using the leg press machine because although it has its detractors, it can help you build some massive quads if used correctly.
The key is to press your lower back into the seat and not allow the angle of your knees to drop below 90 degrees because this can put too much pressure on both your back and your knees. You should also make sure that you don’t fully lock out your knees or allow them to cave inwards.
If you can follow this advice, you should be able to use the leg press machine safely and effectively without experiencing any kind of injuries.
I heard a snap in my right knee while using too much weight on the incline leg press. I must have gone past 90 degrees. What did I tear?
I’m sorry to hear that. You really need to get it checked out by a doctor because I am not qualified to give professional medical advice. In the meantime you should definitely stay off the leg press machine for a while because you might end up making it even worse.
Could I have sprained my foot/ankle while performing leg presses?
It is possible to experience pain in your ankles when pressing heavy weights. You might also want to look at your foot position because this can sometimes cause problems as well.
I was pressing a lighter amount of about 295 and had my left knee involuntarily lock causing it to quickly and violently bend inwards in which there was a very audible popping sound that had come from my knee. I now have very limited ROM for my left leg from around the area of the quadricep tendon and down, I have also experienced fluid accumulation, swelling, what seems to be bruising as well as a look that looks much like blood rushing to the surface of the skin would look like. I think I possibly hyperextended my knee and have possible structural damage, could you possibly offer any advice and opinions?
Wow, sorry to hear that Paul. I’m afraid I’m not qualified to give medical advice. You really need to get it checked out properly.
I went to a specialist to get it checked out and he performed the anterior and posterior pressure test as well as the lateral and medial test for any looseness in the ligaments and said he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and was being rather rough while performing the tests, causing a large amount of pain for me. How should I go about getting accurate information and a general relief of pain as well?
Hopefully, it will start to get better if you give it plenty of rest, but if not, it is probably worth getting a second opinion, or going back to the specialist and asking for further tests.
I have developed a painful click when straightening my left leg and stiffness behind my left leg just above the knee after a single leg press. I hope rest and ice will cure it but worried about more serious damage.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it will get better soon with plenty of rest.
After using leg press , i am feeling pain in my lower back . Pain is reducing in a lower amount, but i still have pain for last 5 day .
What should i do to get rid of it ?
Sorry, I have only just seen your comment. Hopefully, you are back to normal now. You don’t want to take any chances with back injuries, so it’s definitely a good idea to avoid using the leg press machine for at least a few more weeks.
I’m in PT for left knee replacement and after they had me use a leg press a couple of times I have pain in my previously injured right ankle and I’m limpimg. Could this be the cause? That ankle has alway had weakness since I broke it.
I have a personal trainer at my gym who had me use a leg press. I did alright on it. Then he added more weight and that was definitely more challenging. He neglected to mention anything about technique. That said, the next day and in the coming days (up to present, this has been at least a couple of weeks) I have experienced a sharp pain on the side (exterior) of my left knee. I informed my personal trainer and he has had me to some exercises to build up muscle around the knee–until I asked him to give that whole area some time off. Is this type of pain common–and do you think it will eventually recover as before, which was a normal knee without any pain?
If you are experiencing pain in any part of your body, it is always a good idea to give it complete rest. Most minor injuries will fully recover with rest, but if you are still experiencing some pain, you should definitely get it checked out by a doctor and follow their advice.
can people get low stomach pain from leg press or injury in stomach muscles, i mostly put there 200 kg but i feel like my legs can handle more so with little longer breaks i put ther up to 300 kg and i feel like i have got this low stomach pain from there .
is it possible
I haven’t really come across this before. It might be worth asking a trainer in the gym to check that you are performing this exercise with correct form.
This was my experience as well…
It also happened to me last week when I used the incline leg press. I first felt lower back pain in my left side. As time goes by I tried to exercise my back to maybe heal myself. Then now(February 26,2020) I tried again the leg press, I heard something in my stomach was crunched or something sounded off. I will definitely try to avoid this machine , and try lunges and squats instead, temporarily, until the pain comes off.
Have you checked what happened with you in the hospital because I just had the same injury
Just had the exact same thing happen to me. Heard something pop in my abdominal section. In a lot of pain at the moment.
Yes I now have low stomach pain and food issues and seemingly weekend my bladder. Incontinence. Crazy I know but my friend hyped me up to luft wat more than I should. Ego lift tendencies is the worst mindset you can possibly have in the gym. I have to continue to rest for the pain to lesson. its bin about three to four weeks. I know I’ll have to do kegel type exercises when the swelling/damage is repaired in time. But yes food and bladder issues are possible because nerves were affected/ weakened definitely look & get into core & kegel up exercises to strengthen the stomach & private area when you can.
I have a sore lower back from using the leg press. it’s usually ok throughout the day but at night it’s extremely uncomfortable and stops me from sleeping. I’ve had it for about 2 weeks now but have only just this week realised that’s its due to the leg press. How much longer would you leave it before seeking medical attention? I’m only 29, fit and healthy and never had any back or joint problems previously. Thanks for your help
I have experienced this before, and for me it usually occurs when I attempt to push really heavy weight and engage my back a little bit. You really need to plant your back firmly into the seat and concentrate on pushing through your legs. In the meantime you should stop doing the leg press until your back is back to normal.
Same as with you I cannot really sleep at night because of the discomfort I feel when I lay down in bed. This exercise was really done incorrectly by me. Maybe I’ll get to see a doctor in the next few days to have a test on my lower back pain.
i am 68 years old and have been active with gym for last two years. In the process of building strength i increased weights on the leg press machine. Probably it was more than the threshold of my strength, next day i started to feel my knees tight and range of squats has come down, there is pain in the hips, and whole leg that disturbed my sleep.
I stopped workouts and have been doing exercises with stretch bands and swiss ball to improve my pain, all under a good trainer. it is now two months, for sure it is improving but very slow.
Please tell me what was my mistake [my posture was perfect], what i should not have done.
How long should i stay away from gym. when could i start again.
Im leg pressings 900 16 times trying to get up to 3000. Do i need leg straps or can i just keep doing what im doing?
Sorry, I’m not really qualified to give advice on this matter. You would be better off asking one of the instructors in your gym. That is a lot of weight, so perfect form is absolutely essential, but as for knee straps, I’m not really sure if they would prevent injury or help you to lift more.
I am a rookie and I leg pressed with my knees locked in causing a knee injury. It’s been 2 days and I can barely move my right leg. Hire long approximately will it take to recover
Have you recovered from your injury yet?
Hey, so i’m a rookie and i started going to the gym for 3 weeks. Did some cardio and a lot of leg presses. And i haven’t returned back to the gym because of Covid. But i was experiencing a lot of knee pain when i bend down, for 2 weeks now its been like this. I think i overdid the leg presses and scared that i probably injured myself really seriously. But I dont hear any cracking sounds. Is it just a sprain and will it take time for the pain to go away?
I am 69 doing knee press
for about 6 weeks..ive stopped & now my left knee cap aches.
would u know if I might ave injured it
I have many years of experience using the incline leg press without any issues. This evening, after my first rep, I felt a pain in my lower left back. Hours later, the same area hurts when I bend over or when sitting, especially when sitting and leaning forward. Any idea what this could be?
I challenged myself with some more weight o leg press because I thought I was ready. The next day my knees were hurting when bending them, I tried to squat and couldn’t because of the pain that would shoot up. I decided to take a break from leg workouts, but now as I am driving my knee hurts to extend and bring back out when pushing the gas pedal. Simple things on a daily basis cause pain. I mean I don’t think it’s major since I can walk without pain?
Hi
I upped the weight by one plate when doing a single right leg press, I felt something go in my abdomen with some pain which increased over time.
It turned out I have damaged my iliohypogastric nerve
Unfortunately I was not doing the leg press correctly and didnt have my tailbone hard up against the backrest and was slouched down.
Have you heard of anyone else damaging the iliohupogastric on the leg press?
You said a few times to people to push your back into the seat but I don’t know what you mean. You sit on the seat, press your bum down or backwards? Press your back into the back rest?
I have a very sore leg after using the leg press and can’t even walk, the doctor said it could be a bulging disc.