Lionscool Leg Press / Hack Squat Review: Is It Worth $800?

The Lionscool Iso Leg Press Hack Squat 3-in-1 Machine is one of the more affordable leg press and hack squat combinations you can put in a home gym.

At right around $800, it costs considerably less than many of the heavier-duty machines in this category.

I've spent the last several weeks training on it myself, but more importantly, I've also put a bunch of my personal training clients through workouts on it.

And there is a lot to like.

[[BTN:Check Price + Save 5% →|https://www.lionscool.com/products/lionscool-lp01-3-in-1-leg-press-hack-squat-machine?ref=LIFTLAB]]

[[NOTE:Use code LIFTLAB for 5% off. Affiliate links support Lift Lab Reviews at no additional cost to you.]]

This is definitely not a premium piece of equipment.

There is some flex. Some of the materials feel inexpensive. The safety positions could be better. And if you're extremely strong, you may eventually run out of weight.

But functionally?

The Lionscool performs surprisingly well for the money.

And the biggest surprise for me is actually the hack squat.

I normally don't love hack squats because many of them bother my knees. This one feels great.

If you want to see how a much more expensive and completely different design compares, I've also tested the [[LINK:Legion Leg Press Hack Squat →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/legionlegpresshacksquat]], which uses a horizontal cable-driven design rather than the traditional angled sled you get here.

## Quick Verdict: Is the Lionscool Leg Press Worth It?

[[VERDICT:8.5|Very good budget option|For most home gym owners, yes. The sled is smooth, the leg press range of motion is good, the independent leg function is genuinely useful, and the hack squat is excellent. The compromises come down to build quality and refinement, not function.]]

It's also fairly compact for this type of machine.

You'll see some flex under load, the handles feel inexpensive, the locking mechanism can make some noise, and I really wish Lionscool gave you more safety positions.

But none of those things prevent me from getting a great workout.

### My Rating

[[RATING:Leg press=8.5;Hack squat=9.5;Calf raise=6;Build quality=7;Versatility=9;Value=9.5]]

## Lionscool Leg Press / Hack Squat Specs

[[SPECS:Price=Around $800;Dimensions=Approx. 74.8" L x 35.4" W x 57.9" H;Maximum loading capacity=600 lbs;Starting weight=Approx. 70 lbs total;Footplate size=Approx. 29.9" x 23.3";Footplate positions=5;Leg press=Yes;Isolateral leg press=Yes;Hack squat=Yes;Calf raise=Yes;Plate loaded=Yes]]

## Lionscool Leg Press Pros and Cons

[[PROS:Excellent value at around $800;Relatively compact footprint;Very smooth sled;Independent left and right leg press;Good leg press range of motion;Excellent hack squat;Deep hack squat range of motion;Multiple footplate angles;Fast transition between exercises;Comfortable padding;Easy assembly]]

[[CONS:Safety positions could be better;Noticeable flex in some components;Limited plate loading space with thick bumper plates;Isolateral locking mechanism can clank;Leg press footplate could be taller;Dedicated calf raise setup isn't great;Hack squat can be heavy for weaker beginners;Plastic handles feel inexpensive]]

## Compact Footprint Is a Big Advantage

One of the first things I noticed is how compact this machine is compared with a lot of traditional leg press and hack squat combos.

These machines can get huge.

That's a problem when you're trying to fit a rack, dumbbells, cables, cardio equipment and everything else you want into a garage gym.

The Lionscool is only about 35 inches wide.

One of the ways Lionscool accomplishes that is by keeping the weight horns tucked underneath the machine instead of putting another set of horns higher on the sled.

For my gym, that's a legitimate advantage.

I can easily walk around the sides without smashing into weight plates, and I'm able to fit more equipment into the same space.

That's something I increasingly look for when reviewing home gym equipment.

Bigger isn't automatically better when the giant piece of equipment consumes half your gym.

The same idea is one reason I liked the modularity of the [[LINK:Apex Fitness Apex Bench →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/apex-fitness-apex-bench-review]]. Equipment that gives you more functionality without continuously eating up floor space has real value in a home gym.

The downside to Lionscool's compact design is loading space.

## Weight Capacity Could Be a Problem for Strong Lifters

The machine is rated for up to 600 pounds, but the amount of weight you can physically fit on it also depends on the plates you own.

I primarily use bumper plates.

With my Rogue bumpers, I can fit roughly four 45-pound plates and another 25-pound bumper plate on each side.

If you're using thinner iron or steel plates, you're obviously going to be able to fit more weight.

For the hack squat, I think the available resistance will be plenty for the overwhelming majority of home gym owners.

The leg press is different.

People can usually move substantially more weight on a leg press than a hack squat.

So if you're extremely strong, this is absolutely a machine you could eventually max out.

That's one of the biggest differences between this and something like the [[LINK:Legion Leg Press Hack Squat →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/legionlegpresshacksquat]]. That machine uses a cable-driven 1:1 resistance system and has a much higher price tag, while the Lionscool prioritizes simplicity and affordability.

If you're regularly burying commercial leg presses under a mountain of plates, I'd probably look at a heavier-duty option.

For the average home gym owner?

I think there's plenty of usable resistance.

## Build Quality: This Is Where the $800 Price Shows

This feels like a budget machine.

That isn't necessarily an insult.

You simply aren't getting $2,000 or $3,000 build quality for $800.

There is some visible flex.

The footplate moves slightly under load, and I can see some of the arms and supporting components flex when clients use the machine.

Interestingly, I don't notice it very much while I'm actually doing the exercise.

I notice it much more when I'm standing back watching somebody else train.

You can see the machine moving a little.

At no point have I felt like it's going to break.

There are still some pretty substantial pieces of steel here.

It's more that you don't get the rigidity, finish or overall premium feel of a more expensive machine.

The handles are another example.

They're basically plastic.

I'd much rather see Lionscool put some kind of rubberized grip on them.

The vinyl and padding are also nothing special.

But they're comfortable.

Nothing digs into my shoulders. Nothing hurts. And once I'm actually training, I don't really think about the pads.

For a budget piece, I'll take that.

## Lionscool Leg Press Review

The actual leg press feels good.

The first thing I noticed was how smooth the sled is.

The bearings move really well along the guide rods, and the movement feels significantly better than I expected at this price.

There is some mechanical noise.

Because this is an isolateral machine, the left and right sides can move independently.

When you lock them together for a traditional two-leg press, there's a connecting mechanism between the two sides.

That mechanism can clank around a little, especially if you're not applying perfectly even pressure with both legs.

It's slightly annoying.

But it doesn't negatively affect the actual exercise.

### Leg Press Range of Motion

Overall, I think the leg press range of motion is good.

I can bottom the machine out, but I have to get pretty deep to do it.

For most people, I don't think you're going to feel significantly limited.

Shorter lifters will naturally bottom out sooner because they have shorter legs and less distance between their hips and the platform.

I've used the machine with multiple clients of different heights, though, and I haven't found the range of motion to be a major issue.

Interestingly, the independent leg press mode can actually improve it.

When the two sides aren't connected, I can bring one knee farther back toward my torso than I can when both sleds are locked together.

That means you can actually get a little more depth during unilateral presses.

### The Safety Positions Are My Biggest Complaint

If Lionscool asked me to change one part of the machine tomorrow, this would probably be it.

Give me more safety positions.

I constantly feel like I'm between settings.

At one height, I'm starting slightly more crunched than I'd ideally like.

Move it up one position and suddenly I'm having to reach, extend onto my toes or awkwardly reposition myself just to get the sled unlocked.

It's not a deal breaker.

I can always find something that works.

It's just never quite perfect.

One additional position between some of the existing safety points would make a noticeable difference.

And this comes up again when switching between exercises.

### Adjustable Footplate and Back Pad

The leg press gives you multiple footplate angles along with an adjustable back pad.

That combination gives you quite a bit of control over your position.

Personally, I tend to leave the footplate in one of its more aggressively angled positions.

Then I adjust the back pad until I find the combination that feels right.

The width of the platform is fine.

The height is where I think Lionscool could improve it.

Both myself and several of my clients naturally want to place our feet slightly higher than the platform allows.

Another couple inches at the top would make it better.

That said, I've never had an issue with grip.

The diamond plate isn't anything fancy, but my feet stay where I put them.

### The Isolateral Leg Press Is One of the Best Features

This might be my favorite feature on the leg press side of the machine.

You can disconnect the left and right sides and allow each sled to move independently.

That gives you a true single-leg leg press.

I've used this quite a bit with my personal training clients.

It's great for someone who has a strength imbalance between legs.

It prevents the stronger side from simply compensating for the weaker one.

It's also an easy way to make your legs work really hard without needing nearly as much total weight on the machine.

You can even do alternating presses.

And as I mentioned earlier, the independent movement can give you a little more range of motion.

For a machine around $800, this adds a lot of versatility.

[[TRAINER:One of the biggest advantages I have when testing equipment is that I'm not only using it myself. I'm also putting clients of different ages, sizes and strength levels on it. The Lionscool's isolateral function has been especially useful for clients with strength differences between legs, and using the machine with multiple people also exposed a few limitations I probably wouldn't have noticed training on it alone.]]

## Lionscool Hack Squat Review

The hack squat is probably the biggest surprise of the entire review.

I really like it.

I normally don't love hack squats.

I've used plenty of them where something about the angle just doesn't agree with my knees.

The Lionscool feels great.

I can get extremely deep.

My calves are basically reaching my hamstrings at the bottom, and I can get about as close to an ass-to-grass hack squat as I'm going to need.

More importantly, my knees feel good.

I don't know whether it's the angle of the machine, the adjustable footplate or a combination of both.

Whatever it is, it works for me.

If I were choosing between the leg press and hack squat functions, the hack squat is actually the better movement on this machine.

That wasn't what I expected going into the review.

If you're specifically trying to build out your lower-body equipment, I've also reviewed the [[LINK:Mikolo NOVA Leg Extension / Leg Curl Machine →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/mikolonova]]. That's another budget-oriented leg machine that impressed me in some areas while still having a few obvious compromises.

[[BTN:Check Current Lionscool Price →|https://www.lionscool.com/products/lionscool-lp01-3-in-1-leg-press-hack-squat-machine?ref=LIFTLAB]]

### The Hack Squat Can Be Heavy for Beginners

There is one problem I've run into when putting clients on the hack squat.

The starting resistance can be fairly heavy.

For me, that's not an issue.

But I've put some older clients and newer lifters into the machine who have a hard time getting themselves out of the bottom position.

That makes sense.

You're starting from a deep squat where your leverage isn't particularly good.

So I came up with a simple modification.

### My Band-Assisted Hack Squat Modification

I'll attach a resistance band from the top of the machine to the moving sled.

As the person descends, the band stretches.

That means they get the most assistance at the bottom of the movement, exactly where they're weakest.

As they stand up, the assistance decreases.

This has worked incredibly well with some clients.

They go from "I can't do this" to immediately being able to perform controlled reps through a deep range of motion.

Then I can actually start adding weight to the machine while keeping some band assistance.

[[NOTE:Trainer note: This sounds backwards, but it lets me modify the strength curve rather than simply limiting a client's range of motion. If multiple people of different strength levels are going to use the machine, it's a really useful trick.]]

### Switching Between Leg Press and Hack Squat

Changing between exercises is quick.

Once you know what you're doing, you can go from leg press to hack squat in under a minute.

You change the footplate position, reposition the back pad, and you're basically ready.

The back pad can occasionally be a little finicky when trying to line it up with the mounting holes.

Sometimes I get it immediately.

Other times I have to wiggle it around a little.

It's not a big deal.

The more important thing is remembering the safety position.

If you're switching from hack squat back to leg press, make sure you lower the safety first.

Otherwise, you can get into the leg press and realize the sled is sitting way too high.

Then you're awkwardly pressing it up just so you can move the safety down.

Again, more safety positions would make the entire machine better.

## The Calf Raise Is the Weakest Part

Lionscool calls this a 3-in-1 machine because you get a leg press, hack squat and calf raise.

Technically, that's accurate.

But the dedicated calf raise is easily my least favorite part.

The problem is the stretch.

When I use the included calf block, my heels hit before I can really drop down into the stretched position I want.

You can still get a decent contraction at the top.

But especially when I'm training calves, I want access to a deep stretch.

The dedicated setup just doesn't give me enough.

### There's a Better Way to Do Calf Raises

Fortunately, there's an easy solution.

I put the machine into leg press mode and position the balls of my feet along the lower edge of the platform.

Now my heels can drop below the platform.

This gives me a much deeper stretch and feels significantly better.

You can even unlock the isolateral mechanism and do one calf at a time.

So I still think the Lionscool works well for calf training.

I just don't think the actual calf raise attachment is particularly good.

If glute training is another major priority in your lower-body setup, I've also tested the [[LINK:HVO Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Machine →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/HVOhipthrustmachine]]. That machine takes a similar budget-first approach by focusing more on functionality than premium construction.

## Assembly

Assembly was actually pretty straightforward.

The instructions were decent.

Everything was relatively easy to identify.

And I had the machine completely built in a few hours.

For a piece of equipment this size, I really don't have any major complaints about the assembly process.

That's always nice because some home gym equipment feels like the manufacturer included assembly instructions as a personal challenge.

This wasn't one of those.

## Who Should Buy the Lionscool Leg Press / Hack Squat?

[[WHO:Home gym owners who want both a leg press and hack squat;People trying to stay around or below $1,000;Anyone who values functionality over premium finishes;Lifters who want true unilateral leg pressing;Home gym owners working with limited floor space;Most intermediate lifters who don't need extreme loading capacity]]

This machine is especially appealing if you're trying to build a capable home gym without spending premium money on every piece.

That's a similar buyer to the person I think would appreciate the [[LINK:FED Fitness SR2 Squat Rack →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/fed-fitness-sr2-squat-rack-review]]. In both cases, you're giving up some premium materials and finishing touches in exchange for a lot of functionality for the money.

## Who Should Skip It?

[[SKIP:Extremely strong leg pressers;Anyone expecting commercial-grade construction;People who hate visible equipment flex;Lifters who need maximum plate loading capacity;Someone building an all-out premium home gym;Anyone buying primarily for the calf raise function]]

There's nothing wrong with spending more for a heavier-duty machine.

You'll get better materials, more rigidity and potentially more loading capacity.

The question is whether those things are worth paying substantially more for in your gym.

## Alternatives to the Lionscool Leg Press / Hack Squat

[[ALT:Legion Leg Press Hack Squat|A more premium horizontal cable-driven leg press and hack squat with a very different feel and resistance system.|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/legionlegpresshacksquat]]

[[ALT:Mikolo NOVA Leg Extension / Leg Curl|A budget-friendly option if your main goal is adding dedicated quad and hamstring isolation instead of a leg press.|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/mikolonova]]

[[ALT:HVO Hip Thrust Machine|A compact plate-loaded option if you're more focused on glute training and dedicated hip thrusts.|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/HVOhipthrustmachine]]

## Final Verdict: Is the Lionscool Leg Press / Hack Squat Worth It?

After several weeks of using the Lionscool myself and putting my clients through workouts on it, I think this is a really good example of budget home gym equipment done right.

It's not perfect.

I'd add more safety positions, make the footplate taller, improve the handles, stiffen some of the components, redesign the calf raise attachment and give stronger lifters more loading space.

But none of those things prevent me from getting a really good workout.

The leg press is smooth.

The range of motion is good.

The isolateral function is legitimately useful.

And the hack squat is excellent.

You're getting all of that in a relatively compact machine for around $800.

If you care more about how your equipment functions than having the most premium-looking machine in your gym, I think the Lionscool is a very good value.

If you're extremely strong or you're building an all-out premium gym, I'd spend more.

For most home gym owners?

I'd have no problem recommending it.

[[VERDICT:8.5|Very good value for most home gyms|The Lionscool combines a smooth leg press, excellent hack squat and useful isolateral functionality in a compact package for around $800. The build quality and safety positions remind you that it's a budget machine, but the actual training experience punches well above the price.]]

[[BTN:Check Price + Save 5% →|https://www.lionscool.com/products/lionscool-lp01-3-in-1-leg-press-hack-squat-machine?ref=LIFTLAB]]

[[BTN2:See All My Partner Discounts →|https://liftlabreviews.com/affiliates]]

[[NOTE:Use code LIFTLAB for 5% off. Using my affiliate link helps support Lift Lab Reviews at no additional cost to you.]]

## Lionscool Leg Press FAQ

### Is the Lionscool leg press good?

Yes. The sled is smooth, the range of motion is good, and the isolateral function makes it more versatile than many traditional leg presses in this price range. My biggest complaint is the placement and number of safety positions.

### Is the Lionscool hack squat good?

I actually think the hack squat is one of the best parts of the machine. I can get a deep range of motion, and it feels significantly better on my knees than many hack squat machines I've used.

### Can you do single-leg presses on the Lionscool?

Yes. The left and right sides can be disconnected and moved independently, allowing you to perform true unilateral leg presses.

### How much weight can the Lionscool leg press hold?

Lionscool rates the machine for up to 600 pounds. Your practical loading capacity will depend on plate thickness. Thick bumper plates will use the available loading space more quickly than thinner iron or steel plates.

### Is the Lionscool good for beginners?

The leg press should work well for most beginners. The hack squat may be more challenging because the unloaded starting resistance can be difficult for weaker users coming out of a deep bottom position. I've successfully used resistance bands to provide assistance for some of my clients.

### Is the Lionscool good for shorter users?

Most users should have enough range of motion, although shorter lifters will bottom the leg press out sooner. I've used the machine with multiple clients and generally haven't found the ROM limiting.

### Can you do calf raises on the Lionscool?

Yes. I prefer performing them from the edge of the leg press platform rather than using the dedicated calf block because it allows me to get a significantly deeper stretch.

### How long does it take to switch between leg press and hack squat?

Once you're familiar with the machine, you can switch between the two movements in well under a minute.

## More Leg Machine Reviews

If you're comparing different ways to build out your lower-body training setup, check out the [[LINK:Legion Leg Press Hack Squat Review →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/legionlegpresshacksquat]], the [[LINK:Mikolo NOVA Leg Extension / Leg Curl Review →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/mikolonova]], or my [[LINK:HVO Hip Thrust Machine Review →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/HVOhipthrustmachine]].

You can also browse my [[LINK:FED Fitness SR2 Squat Rack Review →|https://liftlabreviews.com/post/fed-fitness-sr2-squat-rack-review]] if you're putting together a more complete budget home gym.