How to use a Technogym leg press

Set the seat before the first set

On the Element+ model described in the manual, the seat lever sits beneath the left handgrip. Keep your back supported and place both feet securely on the platform at the same height. The platform's reference lines help you repeat your placement.

Choose a light load while the stack is resting. Move the seat to a start position you can control without your pelvis rolling away from the backrest. The adjustment number is a reference for this machine, rather than a target to copy from somebody else.

1. Identify the seat adjustment and load selector before sitting down.
2. Adjust the seat, check that it is secure, and select a light load with the stack at rest.
3. Place both feet securely and evenly on the platform, with your back against the pad.
4. Hold the handgrips. Press smoothly and return under control without forcing your knees into a locked position.
5. Finish with the weight settled, then move the seat back using the lever to make getting out easier.

Make the next visit easier

Save the exercise as seated leg press and add the machine name in a note. Record the seat position, selected weight, repetitions and sets. A note such as 'Element+, seat 4, feet on middle reference line' is much more useful next week than 'leg press felt good'.

If you use a different leg press next time, start a separate comparison. A number on another machine does not automatically represent the same resistance. For the first visit, finding a repeatable setup is enough; increase the load only when the movement remains controlled.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating an angled plate-loaded leg press as the same machine as a seated pin-loaded model.
• Letting the hips lift from the seat to make the weight move farther.
• Changing the seat position every set without recording it.