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Lying Leg Curl
How to do the Lying Leg Curl with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (hamstrings), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Hamstrings
- Secondary
- Calves
How to do it
- Adjust the machine so the padded roller rests comfortably on the back of your ankles, just above the heels.
- Lie face down on the machine, keeping your hips and stomach pressed firmly into the angled support pads.
- Grip the handles at the front of the machine tightly to anchor your upper body.
- Contract your hamstrings to pull the padded roller upward, bending your knees to bring your heels as close to your glutes as possible.
- Hold the peak contraction at the top for a distinct one-second squeeze.
- Lower the weight smoothly and deliberately until your legs are fully straight.
Coaching cues
- Keep the hips glued to the pad
- Squeeze heels to your glutes
- Control the weight down
Common mistakes
- Lifting the hips high off the bench as the weight comes up, relying on momentum and the lower back
- Dorsiflexing the toes (pulling toes toward the shins) too much, shifting the work to the calves
- Rushing the negative phase and letting the weight drop
Equipment and setup
Lying leg curl machine
Lying face down on the machine with the back of the ankles hooked securely under the roller pad.
Also known as: Machine Hamstring Curl
Track your Lying Leg Curl in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
