Estimate calories burned on the leg press from your body weight and workout time, or from the sled load and total reps you lifted.
Leg Press Calories Burned Formula
The Sled load and reps mode uses a load-and-reps work formula for a 45° sled with 20% muscle efficiency. The first formula uses the default 3.5 ft of sled travel; the second uses your own travel.
- C = calories burned
- L = leg press load in pounds
- R = total reps across all sets
- D = distance per rep in feet
- The default is 3.5 ft per rep on a 45° sled
What Is a Leg Press?
The leg press is a lower-body machine exercise where you drive a weighted platform away with your legs. It mainly trains the quads and glutes, with support from the adductors and hamstrings depending on foot position and depth.
Leg Press Quick Facts
- Enter total reps, not reps per set. A workout of 3 sets of 10 should be entered as 30 reps.
- Many full-range leg press reps move the sled about 2.5 to 4.0 ft, which is why 3.5 ft is the default.
- Doubling the load doubles the calories for the same number of reps.
- 200 lb for 20 reps = 16.04 calories
- 300 lb for 24 reps = 28.87 calories
- 500 lb for 30 reps = 60.15 calories
How to Calculate Calories Burned Doing Leg Press
First, find the leg press load. For this example, use 300 lb.
Next, add up your total reps. For this example, use 24 reps.
With the default settings, the calculator uses 3.5 ft per rep on a 45° sled.
Now apply the formula:
C = L * R * 0.00401
C = 300 * 24 * 0.00401
C = 28.87 calories
FAQ
Do I enter reps per set or total reps?
Enter total reps for the whole workout. If you did 4 sets of 8, enter 32 reps.
Should I enter the machine load or my body weight?
Enter the external load on the sled or stack. Do not enter body weight unless your machine specifically includes it in the displayed load.
When should I change the sled travel?
Change it under Sets, sled travel and angle when you know the sled travel on your machine is different from the 3.5 ft default.
Why are leg press calories lower than many cardio numbers?
A leg press rep is a short movement, so calories add up through heavier loads, more reps, and more total sets rather than continuous time.
