Lying Leg Curl
A machine curl done face down on a bench, bending the knees against a pad behind the ankles to isolate the hamstrings. Choose it as a stable hamstring isolation when your gym has no seated curl, or to add knee-flexion work alongside your hinges.
Updated
Primary muscles: Hamstrings. Supporting muscles: Calves. Equipment: Machine.
Muscles worked
Primary
Secondary
Equipment
How to do it
- Lie face down on the bench with your knees just past the pad's edge and the roller just above your heels.
- Grip the handles and press your hips into the pad.
- Curl your heels toward your glutes by bending the knees.
- Squeeze the hamstrings for a moment at the top.
- Lower under control until the legs are nearly straight.
Watch for
- Hips lifting off the pad as the weight gets heavy.
- Swinging the weight up instead of curling it.
- Dropping the roller fast on the way down.
Breathing
Exhale as you curl up, inhale as you lower.
Tip
Line your knees up with the machine's pivot point before the first rep so the roller stays put.
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