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The Yukon Fitness HLS 2000 Leg Press is currently one of the highest rated leg press and hack squat machines we’ve come across, with an 1800 lb weight capacity.
In our review we look at the design features that enable this leg press machine to support so much weight, as well as the leg exercises this machine can add to your lower body workouts.
Design features
Despite their effectiveness as an exercise, squats are often an uncomfortable exercise to perform for many people, particularly when they start using heavier weights.
Whether it’s due to not warming up their hamstrings properly or simply that the movement of the exercise doesn’t suit their body type, the leg press is often the best alternative.
The Yukon Fitness HLS 2000 Leg Press is particularly well suited to both light commercial and home gyms, thanks mainly to its high weight capacity.
If you’ve already looked through some of the popular designs by well known fitness companies such as XMark and Body Solid, you might have noticed most machines tend to be rated to around 1,000 lbs.
In the case of the HLS 2000, the weight capacity is closer to one ton, at 1800 lbs.
With 3 weight plate pegs instead of the 2 provided with most other leg press machines, this means it can essentially support as many 45 lb weight plates as you can load on the pegs.
But as well as being incredibly strong, the design is also quite versatile, switching between a leg press and hack squat within just a few seconds when required.
When switching from a leg press, all you need to do is fold down the main foot plate, revealing the cushioned back support for the hack squat.
Whichever exercise you choose, the Yukon Fitness HLS 2000 also provides hand rails that run along the side of the track, which are always within easy reach.
This is a useful safety feature to have when working out at home, particularly when the sled is capable of supporting so much weight.
Yukon Fitness HLS 2000 – Features Summary
- Produced from 11 gauge, 2.5″ steel
- Weight capacity is almost one ton (1800 pounds)
- Durable powder coat finish
- Weights not included
Lower body workouts
Unless you have access to a power cage, squat rack with safety rails, or a spotter, it’s not particularly safe to attempt lower rep sets to failure when squatting.
In contrast, with the weight sled moving along a fixed track with a number of different locking points and support to prevent the sled moving below a certain point, the Yukon Fitness HLS 2000 makes this much safer.
As part of any effective lower body workout, it’s important to train your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and even hips.
Both the hack squat and leg press will achieve this to varying degrees, with the hack squat better for glutes and quads, and the leg press better for calves and hamstrings (dependant on foot positioning).
The fixed range of motion also allows you to isolate and train specific legs if required, to add an extra element of intensity to your workouts.
If you do intend to move heavier weights during your lower body workouts, body positioning can play a big part in targetting specific muscles effectively and safely.
This is why Yukon Fitness have also added a number of angle settings to the back support of the leg press, to ensure you are always well supported.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4.5 / 5
Designed as a heavy duty commercial leg press, it's the high weight capacity and sophisticated eight roller system that creates the smooth pressing motion, and makes this such an effective piece of weightlifting equipment.
Although it's not as compact as the vertical style of leg press, and doesn't include any weight plate storage pegs for the Olympic plates you use, it still manages to support a full range of lower body exercises.
With Yukon Fitness and a number of customer reviews reporting on how quiet the sled is to move along the rails, you can also be sure that the weight you load is the weight you are pressing.
Priced around the same range ($1500) as similar designs by Body Solid and XMark but with a higher weight capacity, we feel this is a machine that also represents excellent value for money.
Product dimensions:
68" (H) x 47" (W) x 79" (D)
Weight capacity: 1800 lbs
Product weight: 465 lbs
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
