Place the back of your torso against the back pad of the machine and hook your shoulders under the shoulder pads. Position your legs on the platform using a shoulder width stance with toes pointed out. Place your hands on the handles and disengage the safety bars. Now straighten your legs without locking the knees and then begin to slowly lower the unit by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and calves becomes slightly less than 90 degrees. Begin to raise the unit by pushing the floor with mainly the heel of your foot as straighten your legs again. Repeat for desired amount of reps.