For quad growth
For quad growth, leg press rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Sissy squat keeps more of the work on the quads.
Both are good choices, and they train the quads 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. Heavy quad work without balance or load on the spine. Go deep enough to bend the knees well past 90°.
Sissy Squat. The knees travel far forward and stretch the quads hard, but it’s tough to load and stresses the knees.
For quad growth, leg press rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Sissy squat keeps more of the work on the quads. Both are good choices, and they train the quads 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 sissy squat takes some practice.
Leg press needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Sissy squat needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere.
Leg press: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for sissy squat.