It’s about to be that day of the week again.
You know the one…leg day.
Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit that there are a lot of legit lower-body exercises to choose from.
Maybe you’re lucky enough to have access to a leg extension/leg curl combo machine like the PLC01 and can easily blast your quads and hamstrings. You may even like to get a little creative and use a standalone Smith Machine like the PSR05 to do calf raises and hip thrusts in.
…but deep down, you know who the real leg day MVPs are…
The leg press machine and the squat rack.
You’d be extremely hard pressed to find any other piece of equipment that allows you to load the weight on like these two beasts, but there is still one question left to be answered:
Leg press vs squat rack…which is the best option?
While we can’t make any decisions for you, today we’re going to lay out all of the information you need to pick out the best piece for you.
Why the Leg Press Still Rules for Massive Loads?
Truth be told, a leg press machine is not often the first larger equipment item that most people select for their home gym setup. Despite models such as the Gazelle providing multiple levels of functionality (it allows lifters to perform the hack squat, reverse hack squat, and heavy calf raise exercises rather than only supporting the standard leg press exercise), other large pieces of equipment are usually prioritized.
This doesn’t mean that a good leg press machine can’t and shouldn’t be the first item you select for your space. For those who prioritize serious lower-body muscle and strength building, there are few, if any, machines that compare to it.
One of the leg press machine’s main advantages is its ability to accommodate massive loads. Lifters can almost always work with significantly more weight for exercises like the standard leg press, hack squat, and reverse hack squat than they can for the barbell back squat or front squat. These heavier loads lead to increased gains every time “leg day” rolls around.
The leg press machine is also a very beginner-friendly piece of equipment. Weight plates are easily loaded on either side of the machine, and lifters can comfortably position themselves on its padded seat. With a slight flick of the bottom handle, trainees release the weight from its racked position and push through their legs to guide it on its fixed, linear bearing-slide track. Other popular lower-body exercises, like the barbell back squat, are much more technically difficult to perform than leg press machine exercises.
Finally, lifters do not need to worry about balancing the weight (the machine handles this for them), and with 4 different height settings to re-rack the weight, it is not difficult to quickly end a set if the weight becomes unexpectedly heavy or otherwise difficult to control.
Squat Rack Versatility: From Barbell to Bodyweight
For many home gym enthusiasts, the classic squat rack is the “centerpiece” item in their respective training areas. This is largely because, despite its rather modest name, most squat racks allow lifters to perform an extremely wide variety of exercises to include many compound lifts.
Consider a “squat rack” like the M1. While technically classified as a “power rack”, most fitness enthusiasts would refer to it as a squat rack in an interchangeable manner. However, unlike old school, single-function squat racks, the M1 allows lifters to perform classic barbell movements along with Smith Machine exercises, cable pulley exercises, and even bodyweight movements.
The sheer functionality of racks like the M1 is possibly only matched by its space-saving and price-saving qualities. Despite supporting exponentially greater exercise functionality to a leg press machine like the BLP01, it has a nearly identical footprint (roughly 20 feet). Also, the M1 only runs a few hundred dollars more than the BLP01 and is actually less expensive than the Gazelle Leg Press Machine.
One of the most impressive qualities of Smith Machine/squat rack combination pieces of equipment is that by investing in specialized attachments, these can essentially become leg press machines! With items like a solid Hack Squat Rack Attachment lifters can use their racks to perform some of their favorite leg press exercises.
Leg Press vs Squat Rack: Functionality, Price, and Safety
Now that we have covered some of the most interesting and important qualities of leg press machines and squat racks, let’s take a closer look at how they directly match up with one another:
-
Leg Press vs Squat Rack Functionality: Leg press machines like the Gazelle facilitate more multiple movements than most other single-function leg press machines. However, even the most creative home gym lifters will be able to perform significantly fewer exercises with their leg press than they will with a squat rack. If you opt for something like the Buffalo, the sky is truly the limit.
-
Leg Press vs Squat Rack Price: This is an area where numbers are a bit all over the place as it is possible to spend relatively large and small amounts of money for either of these items. Looking at RitFit gear, specifically, a “basic” squat rack like the PPC02 is significantly less expensive than the BLP01 while the all-in-one Buffalo is pricier than the Gazelle. The good news is that whatever your budget may be, there are suitable equipment options.
- Leg Press vs Squat Rack Safety: Every exercise will have its own degree of safety, but leg press movements are almost universally safe to perform. The machine’s guiding mechanisms and multiple reracking positions makes its far safer than just about any common free weight exercise performed in a squat rack.
We’re sorry that it’s pretty much impossible to declare a conclusive “winner” from this brief compare-and-contrast, but at least you’ve got an idea of what all of your options are.
Best Choice for Your Home Gym
As we finish up, you can probably tell that we’re pretty high on both leg press machines and squat racks. We’re also very confident that you’ll be a fan of whichever piece you choose.
The best part is, with so many compact racks and leg press machines on the market, not to mention all of the relatively inexpensive options out there, picking up one of each doesn’t seem all that unreasonable.
Who knows…you may find yourself answering the “which do you prefer: leg press vs squat rack?” question with a question of your own…
…why not both?
