Hamstrings exercise
Lying Leg Curl (Machine)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Hamstrings
- Also works
- Calves
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Lying Leg Curl?
- Lie face down with your kneecaps just off the end of the bench.
- Hook the roller just above your heels and hold the handles.
- Curl your heels towards your backside.
- Pause, then lower slowly until your legs are nearly straight.
Cues
- Keep your hips pressed into the pad.
- Pull your heels up, not your hips.
- Slow on the way down.
Common mistakes
- Lifting your hips to help the curl.
- Swinging the weight up with momentum.
- Letting the weight drop back down.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Selectorised lying (prone) leg curl machine. The bench has a raised section under the hips, so the hips sit a little bent (about 25°) while the chest rests lower. Lie face down with the hips on the hip pad and the kneecaps just off the end of the bench, so the knee joints line up with the machine's pivot. The roller sits on the back of the lower legs just above the heels, over the Achilles tendons. Hold the handles under the front of the bench, chin resting or head neutral, gaze down. Start with the legs almost straight and the stack lifted just off its rest.
The movement
Only the knees move. Bend both knees together, pulling the roller up in an arc towards the backside, until the shins are past vertical. Pause briefly, then lower slowly back to the start. The hips stay pressed into the pad the whole time; the low back does not arch and the backside does not lift. The feet stay relaxed with the toes pulled a little towards the shins.
End position
Start: knees about 5° short of straight.
Tempo
1.5 s curl, 0.5 s pause, 2.5 s lowering, about 0.5 s with the legs out (stack still off its rest).
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip flexion on the angled pad, held | 25° | 0–35° (machine) | [1][2] |
| Roller above the ankle joint | 7 cm | 5–10 cm | [2] |
| Knee flexion at the start | 5° | 0–10° | [1][2] |
| Knee flexion at the end of the curl | 100° | 90–110° | [1] |
| Hip lift off the pad | 0 cm | ≤ 1 cm | [2] |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Lying Leg Curl is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
