Day 2: Lower A
about 30 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 5-8 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 10-15 | 9 | 75s |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Cable Crunch | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
Workouts by equipment
Leg day without a leg press
Two leg days for a gym where the leg press is taken or missing: what takes its place and how to keep the quads working.
- Workouts shown
- 2
- Per workout
- 30-50 min
- Level
- Intermediate
Equipment: A full gym with barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines, minus the leg press
The workouts
Built by the same generator a MuscleBuddy account uses, for exactly this equipment. These are 2 of the 4 workouts in its week.
Day 4: Lower B
about 50 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional Deadlift | 3 | 4-6 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 8-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Smith Machine Calf Raise | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 9 | 75s |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
Times are estimates: the prescribed rest plus about 30 seconds per set. RPE is effort on a 10-point scale, so RPE 8 leaves about two reps in the tank.
Why these movements
The leg press lets you load the quads hard without balancing a bar. Without it, the same job goes to squat patterns that load one leg at a time, or to a machine that trains the quads directly, such as the leg extension.
The hinge side of leg day does not change. Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts do not need a leg press.
Single-leg work counts per side: do every set on one leg, then the other.
How to run it
- These are the two lower-body days of a four-day upper/lower week. Run them with an upper day after each.
- Add weight when every set reaches the top of its rep range.
Want this progressed from what you log each workout?
MuscleBuddy builds this week around your own equipment, then moves the weight up when your logged sets earn it and adjusts when you stall.
Create your free accountFrequently asked questions
- What can I do instead of a leg press?
- Squats of any kind, split squats and lunges train the same muscles through a similar knee bend. A leg extension adds direct quad work if the gym has the machine.
- Is the leg press better than squats?
- It is easier to load and to recover from, not better. The muscles worked overlap heavily, so squat patterns are a fair swap.