Sled 45 Degree Leg Press

The 45-degree leg press pushes a weighted sled up an angled track with your feet while you lie back in a seat. It trains the quads and glutes heavily without balance or the lower back limiting the set, which makes it one of the best ways to take the legs close to failure safely.

Targets: Gluteus Maximus
Also works: Adductor Magnus, Soleus
Equipment: Sled machine
Level: Advanced
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Sit with your back and hips flat against the pad and place your feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform.
Press the platform up and release the safety handles.
Lower the sled by bending your knees towards your chest until your thighs are close to your torso, while your lower back stays on the pad.
Press back up through your whole foot, stopping just short of locking the knees.

Form cues

Knees track over the toes, not inward.
Hips stay glued to the seat.
Push through the mid-foot and heel.

Common mistakes

Going so deep that the hips roll off the pad, which rounds the lower back under heavy load.
Locking the knees hard at the top, which puts a heavy sled on the joint. Stop just short of straight and keep the tension on the quads.
Loading the sled with plates and doing quarter reps. A full range with less weight grows more muscle.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your gluteus maximus is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More quadriceps movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.