Lower body · Hamstrings

Leg curl (seated or lying)

How to do the seated or lying leg curl machine: setup, range of motion, differences between versions and common mistakes when training the hamstrings.

Technique video

The leg curl is the isolation exercise for the back of the thigh. You bend your knees against a padded roller, either seated or lying face down depending on the machine. It complements hip-hinge exercises like the Romanian deadlift, because it trains the hamstrings from the knee.

Muscles worked

The hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) bend the knee. The calves assist, especially if you pull your toes toward you.

How to do it

1. Adjust the machine so your knee lines up with the pivot point.
2. Seated: the upper pad holds your thighs and the lower pad sits behind your ankles. Lying: the pad rests on the back of your ankles with your hips flat on the bench.
3. Bend your knees, bringing your heels toward your butt as far as you can.
4. Pause briefly in the contracted position.
5. Return slowly until your legs are almost straight, without letting the weight crash.

Common mistakes

• Lifting your hips off the bench (lying version) to help.
• Short range from too much weight.
• Lowering without control, losing half the stimulus.
• Knee not aligned with the machine's pivot.

Seated or lying

The seated version stretches the hamstrings more at the hip and tends to produce more muscle growth. The lying version is more common in gyms and is also effective. If you have both, alternate them between days.

Precautions

It only loads the knee. It is a good way to train the hamstrings without loading the lower back or the ankle, ideal for low-impact routines.

If you have an injury, pain or a medical condition, check with a professional before doing this exercise.