For glute growth
For glute growth, leg press rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress.
Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Leg Press. Deep leg presses with the feet high work the glutes through a big hip bend, though the quads often give out first.
For skiing & snowboarding, lateral lunge rates well ahead on our research criteria: more injury protection, easier to learn and fit in.
For glute growth, leg press rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress. Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Lateral lunge needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Leg press needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.