For quad growth
For quad growth, leg press rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the quads, more stretch.
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°.
For cycling, leg press rates higher on our research criteria: more carry-over to cycling. Trap bar deadlift does more to prevent injuries.
For running, trap bar deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to running, more injury protection.
For quad growth, leg press rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the quads, more stretch. 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.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Leg press needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Trap bar deadlift needs a trap bar, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.