Leg Press vs. Squats Which One Actually Builds Bigger Legs

Squats build bigger legs than the leg press.

You've read that a hundred times. Here's the part nobody mentions: there's almost no long-term research that compared the two head to head with volume, effort and depth matched.

The study everyone's quoting barely exists. So here's what the evidence does say.

What the Research Actually Shows

Three things hold up.

Activation data is split. A 2021 biomechanics study of nine trained adults, using flywheel versions of both lifts, found quadriceps activity was similar between squat and leg press, with more force through the knee in the squat. Other EMG work reports higher quad and hamstring activation in free-weight squats, mostly because you're stabilizing the load yourself. Both are real. Neither is a hypertrophy trial.

Depth matters, mostly. Bloomquist and colleagues compared shallow squats to deep ones and found more quadriceps growth from the deeper range, especially lower down the thigh. Worth knowing that a 2025 leg press study in trained lifters didn't find the same effect, so the depth case is stronger for squatting than for pressing.

The squat costs you more. Not in muscle. In everything else. Your back, your bracing, your balance and your recovery all take a cut. That's the point of the lift, and it's why your fifth set is worse than your first.

The squat asks more of you. That isn't the same thing as giving you more.

What Each One Is Actually For

Row two decides this. If your squat sets end because your back gives out before your quads do, your quads aren't the thing being trained. They're along for the ride. That's when the leg press stops being the easy option and starts being the honest one.

So Which Builds Bigger Legs Faster?

The one you can load hard, take deep, and repeat every week without falling apart.

For most people that's both. Squat first while you're fresh, because it needs your attention. Then use the leg press to add quad volume once your bracing is gone and your technique's going with it.

Our 45 degree leg press is a 4-in-1, built to cover quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, so the press and the squat pattern live on one footprint. Our squat rack with lat machine covers the barbell side. That's the whole lower body in a corner of a garage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the leg press as good as squats for building legs?

For quad size, the evidence doesn't clearly favour either. There's almost no long-term research matching the two for volume, effort and depth. Squats train more total musculature. The leg press loads your quads with far less systemic fatigue.

Should I do both leg press and squats?

Most people should. Squat first while your bracing is fresh, then use the leg press to add quad volume afterwards. They aren't substitutes. They fail at different points, which is why they pair well.

Does leg press depth matter for growth?

Less clearly than squat depth does. Research on squats found more quadriceps growth from a deeper range, but a 2025 leg press study in trained lifters didn't replicate it. Still go as deep as you control without your pelvis rolling off the pad.

Why can I leg press so much more than I squat?

Because the machine holds your torso and removes the balance and bracing demand. The sled number isn't a strength comparison and it isn't evidence of a better stimulus. Judge the set by whether your legs finished it, not by the plates.

The Short Version

Anyone who tells you this is settled hasn't read the research, because the head-to-head trial they're quoting barely exists. Squat for the whole body. Leg press for quad volume without the tax. Go deep on both.

Not sure what fits your space? Call 705-710-3502 or email sales@befitnow.ca with your ceiling height and floor plan. We'll tell you what fits, including when the answer is neither.

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