DOSE & LIFT
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Lying Leg Curl

Equipment: Machine ★★★☆☆ 3/5 effectiveness

Movement demo

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Muscles worked

Primary:Hamstrings
Secondary:None listed

Effectiveness

★★★☆☆ 3/5

Acute EMG studies report strong hamstring activation during the leg curl, with knee-flexion exercises recruiting the hamstring heads differently than hip-extension exercises. No longitudinal hypertrophy trials specific to the lying leg curl were identified, and EMG amplitude does not establish growth.

Note on this rating: it leans on EMG studies, which measure muscle activation during the movement. EMG amplitude does not establish muscle growth.

How to perform

Lying prone on a leg curl machine, the lifter flexes the knees against resistance to draw the heels toward the glutes. The hamstrings are the primary movers through knee flexion. It is a single-joint isolation movement that loads the hamstrings with the hips in a neutral position.

References

  1. McAllister et al., J Strength Cond Res (2014) - hamstring activation across exercises including the leg curl
  2. Yanagisawa and Fukutani, J Hum Kinet (2020) - hamstring recruitment in hip-extension and knee-flexion exercises