For glute growth
For glute growth, Romanian deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the glutes, more stretch.
Leg press is easier on the joints.
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.
Romanian Deadlift. Loads the glutes and hamstrings at the bottom of the hinge, where both are stretched. Heavy sets tax the lower back.
For cycling, leg press rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to cycling. Romanian deadlift does more to prevent injuries.
For glute growth, Romanian deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the glutes, more stretch. Leg press is easier on the joints. 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.
Leg press is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Romanian deadlift takes some practice.
Leg press needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Romanian deadlift needs a barbell, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Leg press: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Romanian deadlift.