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Leg press to squat calculator

Enter a leg press set and how many reps you had left. The calculator gives the back squat it points to, from the one study that tested both lifts in the same people, and the range that study allows, which is wide: a 195 kg leg press max points to a squat anywhere from 58 to 103 kg. One squat set stopped 2 reps short turns it into a real number.

Unit
Reps in reserve

How many more you could have done. 0 means none.

Example result

Estimated back squat 1RM

~74kg

Likely range

58–103kg

Sets of 8, 2 in reserve

57.5kg

150 kg × 8 with 2 in reserve points to a 195 kg leg press max.

back squat working loads, rounded to 2.5 kg
RepsRIRLoad
5262.5 kg
8257.5 kg
10255 kg
12252.5 kg
Build a back squat session

Leg press to squat examples

Four lifters who leg press and want to squat. Look at the range in each, then at what they do next.

  • Example 1

    Strong on the sled, new to squats

    A lifter who presses 405 lb for 8 with 1 left on a 45-degree sled and has never squatted with a bar.

    leg press weight
    405 lb
    Reps completed
    8
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated back squat 1RM~195 lb
    • Likely range152–271 lb
    • Sets of 8, 2 in reserve150 lb

    The range is over 100 lb wide, so no single number here is a plan. The first squat session starts with the empty bar and works up in sets of 5; the set that ends with 2 reps left goes into the one-rep max calculator.

    Build a back squat session Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    The study's own setup

    A woman on a seated leg press, the machine the study used: 120 kg for 6 with 2 left.

    leg press weight
    120 kg
    Reps completed
    6
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated back squat 1RM~56 kg
    • Likely range44–78.5 kg
    • Sets of 8, 2 in reserve42.5 kg

    Even on the same kind of machine as the study, the range spans more than 30 kg. Treat the sets-of-8 load as a ceiling for the first session, not a target.

    Build a back squat session Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    Back to the bar after years away

    A 55-year-old who has only used the leg press for years, 270 lb for 8 with 2 left, and wants squats back in the program.

    leg press weight
    270 lb
    Reps completed
    8
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated back squat 1RM~133 lb
    • Likely range104–186 lb
    • Sets of 8, 2 in reserve105 lb

    Start well under the sets-of-8 load and spend two or three sessions on depth and bracing. A hard set of 5 after that gives a squat number worth building on.

    Build a back squat session Open with these numbers

  • Example 4

    High-rep leg press

    A lifter who runs 540 lb for 12 with 2 left.

    leg press weight
    540 lb
    Reps completed
    12
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated back squat 1RM~294 lb

    Fourteen reps to failure stacks a rough leg press max on top of a loose conversion. Skip the conversion: squat a set of 5 instead and enter it in the one-rep max calculator.

    Build a back squat session Open with these numbers

How far a leg press number goes

Only one study we found tested both lifts in the same people: 14 physically active women, on a seated leg press. Their average squat was 38% of their average leg press. Using the leg press one standard deviation either side of its average, the squat comes out anywhere from 30% to 53% of it, and that is the range the calculator shows.

The leg press numbers also spread more: their standard deviation was 28% of the average, against 19% for the squat. The study doesn't say whether the sled was counted, and a 45-degree sled or a different seat loads the same plates differently.

Back squat and leg press 1RM in the same 14 women (Jurado-Castro et al., 2022)
LiftAverage 1RMStandard deviation
Back squat60.53 kg11.31 kg
Seated leg press159.28 kg44.8 kg

Find your squat without maxing out

A squat set you can finish cleanly tells you more than any conversion. In your first session:

  • Warm up with the empty bar for 2 sets of 5, squatting to the depth you will keep.
  • Add weight in small jumps, 5 reps a set, resting 2 to 3 minutes between the heavier ones.
  • Stop at the first set that ends with about 2 good reps left.
  • Enter that set in the one-rep max calculator and train from its working loads.

Technique for both lifts

The lift you are estimating

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

Depth decides what a squat number means. Pick the depth you will train at before your first heavy set, and count only reps that reach it.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in the rack at about armpit height, step under it and rest it on the meaty part of your upper back, hands just outside your shoulders.
  2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, stand up to lift the bar off the hooks and take two or three short steps back.
  3. Set your feet about shoulder width, toes turned slightly out, then breathe deep into your belly and tighten your trunk as if bracing for a punch.
  4. Bend at the hips and knees at the same time and sit straight down between your heels, knees moving forward and out in line with your toes.
  5. Go down until the crease of your hip passes below the top of your knee, keeping your whole foot on the floor.
  6. Drive up through your midfoot, keep your chest and hips rising at the same speed, and breathe out only once you are standing tall.

Cues

  • Big breath and brace before every rep
  • Knees out over your toes
  • Chest and hips rise together

Common mistakes

  • Squats getting shallower as the bar gets heavier: film from the side, count only reps where your hip crease sinks below your knee, and strip weight until they all do.
  • Hips shooting up first out of the bottom: the bar ends up over your toes and the set turns into a good morning, so drop the load and push your upper back into the bar as you stand.

Full squat guide

The lift you enter

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

Short reps make a leg press number bigger without making your legs stronger. Use the same depth and foot position every time, so the set you enter is comparable.

How to do it

  1. Sit back in the press with your hips and back flat and your feet hip-width on the platform.
  2. Release the safeties and bend your knees deeply toward your chest.
  3. Stop before your lower back lifts off the seat.
  4. Press the platform away and keep a slight bend at the top.

Cues

  • Low back stays down
  • Deep, controlled
  • Do not lock out

Common mistakes

  • Pushing through the toes: press through your whole foot, heel included.

Make it fit you

  • Count the sled the same way

    Enter the leg press the way you always log it, with or without the sled. The leg press calculator works from the same number.

  • Use a set of 3 to 8

    Past 10 reps to failure the leg press max is a guess, and the conversion multiplies that guess. A heavier set gives the conversion something solid to start from.

  • Start from the low end

    If you want a first squat weight from this page, take it from the bottom of the range, then work up within the session.

  • Older lifters

    Spend the first sessions finding a depth you can hold with good form, and keep sets at 2 or 3 reps short of failure while the movement settles.

  • Keep both lifts

    The leg press doesn't need to go. Log both and each keeps its own max, so neither number pretends to be the other.

Questions

How much should I squat if I leg press 200 kg?

A 200 kg leg press max points to a squat of about 76 kg, anywhere from 59.5 to 106 kg in the one study of both lifts. A squat set of 5 tells you where you are in that range.

Why is my leg press so much higher than my squat?

In the study, the average leg press was 2.6 times the average squat. On the leg press your back is supported and the machine sets the path, so your legs can move far more weight.

Is there a leg press to squat conversion formula?

Not a reliable one. The best available is the squat at about 38% of the leg press, from 14 women, with a spread of 30% to 53%.

Does the leg press weight include the sled?

It depends on how you log it, and the study didn't say. Count it or not, but the same way every time.

How do I find my squat max without maxing out?

Squat a set of 3 to 8 reps that ends with 1 or 2 reps left and enter it in the one-rep max calculator.

Sources

Let your squat sets set the number

Log load, reps and RIR on every squat and leg press set and RIRLift keeps a separate estimated max for each, then picks the weight for your next session.

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