The leg press and hack squat are popular leg building exercises because they both essentially give you a safer, more comfortable way to perform squats.
And we can all probably agree squats are top dog when it comes to building leg strength, but unfortunately, squats aren’t doable for all of us.
Achy joints, lack of a spotter, or just poor form can make doing squats uncomfortable, but with a leg press/hack squat machine, most folks can still enjoy the benefits of this great exercise.
And there are actually some great home models to choose from this year.
But if you’re looking to add a leg press & hack squat machine to your home gym, it’s a good idea to know what to look for when comparing models.
You know, to make sure you get a solid machine and not a piece of junk that’s gonna waste your time and money.
Well, turns out you’ve come to the right place because in this guide, I’ll be going over all the specs you should think about when shopping for these home gym machines.
I’ll also present my top picks for the year based on the specs we go over.
After reading, you’ll know everything you need to in order to find the right leg press & hack squat machine for your home gym.
Alright, let’s do this.
| Footprint (inches) | Weight Limit | Assembled Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Body-Solid GLPH1100 | 83" x 34" | 1,000 lb | 340 lb |
| #2 Force USA Compact Leg Press/Hack Squat | 65" x 52" | 660 lb | ? |
| #3 BodyCraft F760 | 82.5" x 41" | 1,000 lb | 411 lb |
| #4 Titan Leg Press/Hack Squat | 84" x 40" | 1,000 lb | 325 lb |
| #5 ANYTHING SPORTS Leg Press/Hack Squat 2.0 | 83" x 34" | 1,000 lb | 325 lb |
The 5 Best Leg Press & Hack Squat Machines of 2024
#1 Body-Solid’s GLPH1100 Leg Press Hack Squat Machine
If you’re familiar with home fitness equipment, you’ve likely heard of the Body-Solid name before.
Long-story-short, they’re one of the best in the biz when it comes to strength training machines and their GLPH1100 offers the perfect combination of quality and affordability.
For starters, this unit is quite heavy-duty: being assembled out of 2″ x 4″, 11-gauge steel, the GLPH1100 comes with an impressive 1,000 lb weight limit and weighs in at around 340 lb fully assembled.
In other words, you won’t have to worry about this thing wobbling around on ya while you work.
This machine only comes with 3 lockout positions, so not quite as many as some of the other models on this list, but it makes up for it with ingenuity.
The GLPH1100 transitions rapidly between leg presses and hack squats with a unique “flip and lock” feature found on both the floorboard and the shoulder pads.
This is a cool feature because you don’t have to take anything off or swap any components to switch between exercises.
You can also adjust the angle of floorboard for optimal comfort.
Oh, and Body-Solid backs this model with a lifetime frame/parts guarantee, which even covers the upholstery (which is 4″ thick by the way).
The only real downside is that this thing isn’t small – it takes up a footprint of roughly 83″ x 34″, so it isn’t exactly compact.
But if you’ve got the room, it’s going to be really hard to find a more complete package at this price range – simply a great leg press/hack squat machine for home use.
#2 Force USA’s Compact Leg Press & Hack Squat
Ok, before anyone gets too upset, I want to admit that I realize the leg press on this machine isn’t a true leg press – meaning you aren’t sitting down to perform it…
But hear me out on this one…
I still think the Force USA’s Compact machine here is worth considering because it’s affordable, takes up a lot less room than most of these machines, and it still offers 2 variations of these exercises.
The hack squat is a legit hack squat, but the leg press is performed standing up as well – I know, it’s a similar move, but you can adjust the floor board to switch up your angles a little bet to target your legs differently.
And by compact, I mean this thing only takes up a footprint of 52″ x 65″ (the extra width is taking into account the 14″ weight horns on each side).
It also comes with an adjustable footplate (4 positions), an adjustable back pad angle (5 positions), and 8 lockout safety positions for your squats.
Something else worth noting, is that it can work with both standard and Olympic sized plates, something most machines can’t say.
With a max weight limit of 660 lb, it isn’t quite as heavy-duty as the machine mentioned up above, but that’s still enough weight to challenge a lot of us (I know I’d never lift more than that).
Oh, and it also comes with an attachable calf raise plate too for a little added bonus.
And Force USA backs it with a lifetime frame/structural guarantee, not bad for a $1k machine.
Overall, if you’re looking for a leg press/hack squat machine that doesn’t take up as much real estate (and takes it a lot easier on the budget), you should definitely check this one out.
Plus you can save an extra 5% with the promo code: HOMEGYM5.
#3 BodyCraft’s F760 Linear Bearing Leg Press/Hack Squat Machine
BodyCraft’s F760 looks like something you’d see at your local Gold’s, what with the diamond gray powder coat finish and sheer size of it.
And of course I mean that in a good way – looking commercial grade is always a good thing, but in this case, the F760 is actually warranted for light commercial use too.
Anyway, the F760 is more of a traditional leg press/hack squat combo machine, allowing you to perform both exercises the way you’d expect.
Similar to how the GLPH1100 works, the F760 comes with upholstered pads that flip in/out of place, making it easy to switch between exercises.
The F760 is quite a bit heavier-duty though, coming in with an assembled weight just north of 400 lb.
This is due largely to the fact that BodyCraft uses commercial grade components throughout this machine, including heavy-gauge steel tubing for the frame and 1.25″ solid guide rods.
All of this heft allows this machine to remain stable while holding up to 1,000 lb.
The F760 is also very adjustable, coming with adjustable shoulder pads/footplate and 4 lockout safety positions.
BodyCraft also throws in a removable calf raise block and backs this beast with a lifetime frame/parts warranty (as well as light-commercial use warranty too).
The only bad thing about this machine is that it isn’t small – with a footprint of roughly 82.5″ x 41″, it takes up quite a bit of real estate.
It isn’t cheap either, but if you’re looking for the kind of leg press/hack squat machine you’d see in a local gym, the F760 is the way to go.
#4 Titan’s Leg Press Hack Squat Machine
If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, Titan’s Leg Press/Hack Squat Machine is worth checking out.
Titan is a budget-friendlier brand and their warranties kinda suck (only 1 year), but if you’re looking for a good deal, they’re still one of the better brands to explore.
In this case, their leg press machine comes with some legit specs.
For starters, it has a 1,000 lb weight limit, so it’ll be able to handle any workout you wanna throw at it.
And with an assembled weight of 325 lb, it’s surprisingly robust.
And it too uses the ingenious flip-up feature that lets you switch between leg presses and hack squats rapidly during a workout, without having to remove any parts.
Titan’s take on the leg press/hack squat also comes with 2 weight storage horns, so you can always keep your plates within reach.
This machine also comes with an adjustable angle footplate/back rest and 3 lockout safety positions.
The pads on this model aren’t as nice and thick as the pads found on the machines mentioned above and its warranty is short by anyone’s standards (1 year).
Oh, it’s also a full-size machine and takes up a footprint of roughly 84″ x 40″.
But as leg press hack squat machines go, it still has some great features.
#5 ANYTHING SPORTS Leg Press & Hack Squat Machine 2.0
Rounding out my list here is a budget-friendly machine by ANYTHING SPORTS.
I’m not familiar with them as a brand, but at first glance, it looks like they offer a random assortment of fitness gear and recreational sports stuff.
So, when it comes to home fitness, they certainly aren’t in the same league as the brands mentioned above, but still, their leg press machine here is pretty solid for the price.
This machine offers the traditional form of both exercises and comes with a 1,000 lb weight capacity, so there’s that.
It also comes with 3 lockout positions, an adjustable footplate/back support, and the same flipping mechanism found on some of the previous machines, making it easy to switch between exercises.
And with a footprint of 83″ x 34″, this model is a little more narrow, so if floor space is a little limited, the smaller size might come in handy.
It’s also surprisingly heavy-duty (assembled weight of 325 lb) for such an affordable leg press/hack squat machine.
With that smaller price, comes a smaller warranty though – like the Titan just mentioned, this machine only comes with a 1 year warranty.
But again, if you’re ballin’ on a budget, ANYTHING SPORTS is definitely worth considering.
A Quick Word on Leg Presses and Hack Squats
Before we get too deep into this guide, I want to make sure we’re all talking about the same thing here because leg presses and hack squats are 2 different exercises.
And for the sake of this guide, I’m talking about machines that let you perform both leg presses and hack squats from a single device.
The leg press exercise is when you’re sitting with your back/hips supported and your legs are pushing against the weighted platform.
A hack squat is where you’re standing with your shoulders against a weighted platform and your feet are stationary on a base and you bend your legs to perform a squat like movement.
These 2 machines work the same muscles, but they are technically 2 different exercises.
They’re essentially the opposite of each other if you think about it.
Anyway, you can purchase machines that only do leg press or only do hack squat, but again – for the purpose of this guide, I’ll be talking about machines that let you do both exercises.
This is really win-win because you get the option to perform both moves without having to purchase two different machines.
Ok, now that we’re all on the same page, let’s proceed…
What To Look For When Buying Leg Press & Hack Squat Machines
There aren’t a ton of these combo machines on the market, but there are still enough to make you think a little about what you’re getting.
When comparing options, I encourage you to start off by considering the following:
Size
The first thing you should really think about is whether or not you actually have enough floor space for one of these bad boys – cause they aren’t exactly small.
Some are larger than others, but on average, you’ll still likely need a footprint of roughly 4′ x 6′ to comfortably fit one of these machines in your home.
And of course you’ll need a little wiggle room on the sides to be able to access the weights and load/unload the machine.
If your home gym space is limited, do yourself a favor and measure out your area before making any purchases.
That said, this is a speciality piece of equipment and likely not the only piece you’ll be using in your gym – so I’m assuming anyone looking to add one of these machines already has the space necessary.
But you know what they say about making assumptions…
Weight Capacity
When comparing leg press/hack squat combo machines, it’s a good idea to consider their weight capacities too.
Not only do you want to make sure your machine is capable of holding enough weight to challenge you, but you want to have some room to grow as well.
Most of the top leg press and hack squat machines come with 1,000 lb weight limits, so that shouldn’t be too much of an issue though.
But seeing a higher weight limit also tells you that the machine is made with superior build quality.
After all, a machine that can handle 1000 lb should theoretically be heavier-duty than one that can hold 500 lb… right?
Well, that might not always be the case, but generally speaking, it probably is.
Oh, that reminds me, something else you might want to consider is the physical weight of the machine – seeing heavier assembled weights is another good sign when it comes to overall build quality.
Higher assembled weights means heavier-duty components, which means it should feel more stable during use.
Safety Lockouts
The safety lockouts allow you to stop the machine at different positions throughout the total range for either leg press or hack squat and some machines come with more lockouts than others.
Depending on your height, having more lockout positions isn’t necessarily beneficial, but machines with more lockouts should be able to accommodate users of more heights.
Think about it – someone who’s 5’6″ probably isn’t going to use the same starting/stopping position as someone who’s 6’4″.
Having more lockout positions allows a single machine to accommodate both user comfortably, which’ll be especially helpful for homes with multiple users.
Expect most top models to come with somewhere between 3 – 8 lockout positions and when in doubt, check for manufacturer suggested height ranges too.
Adjustability
The best leg press/hack squat machines usually come with some degree of adjustability.
Many machines will let you adjust the angle of the floor board or add a calf raise block for resisted calf raises.
Others might come with adjustable height shoulder pads for hack squats.
When comparing models, it’s a good idea to take note of how adjustable these machines are, especially if multiple users plan on using the machine at home.
Warranty
Last, but certainly not least, is the warranty.
I love to see a great warranty because it just adds extra peace of mind when making a big purchase like this.
And guess what, all leg press/hack squat machines are not equal when it comes to the warranties their manufacturers offer.
The best options will come with lifetime frame and parts guarantees, while others may only offer a 1 year warranty.
When in doubt, I say go with the better warranty.
Final Thoughts
If nothing else, I hope this guide goes to show that there are plenty of nice leg press/hack squat machines out there for home use.
And actually, they’re all pretty reasonably priced – the most expensive one on this list is around $2500 I think and that’s not bad for a commercial-grade piece of equipment.
When comparing these machines, I encourage you to keep your floor space in mind because these things do take up a lot of space.
Force USA’s compact leg press is quite a bit smaller, but even that still takes up a good hunk of floor.
So, just make sure you have the room before you buy – it would suck to get one of these home and assembled only to find you don’t have enough room to actually use it.
Otherwise, it’s all about comparing specs and features and finding one that fits your needs and budget.
I hope you found this guide helpful and if you know of any great leg press and hack squat machines that deserve recognition, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to ya shortly.
Happy lifting.
