Leg Curl

Muscles Leg Curl Works

Main muscleLie face down on the machine and curl the ankle pad toward your glutes by bending your knees. The main muscle driving this movement is your hamstrings. Your hamstrings contract to bend your knees and pull the pad toward your body.

Supporting musclesYour gastrocnemius helps a little with knee bending, and your glutes help keep your hips pressed into the pad instead of lifting.

How it should feelAs you curl the pad toward your glutes, the back of your thighs should shorten and squeeze. As you lower, your hamstrings should lengthen under control.

Signs you're offIf your hips lift off the pad or your lower back arches, you are using hip and lower-back momentum instead of isolating your hamstrings. If only your calves burn, your ankles may be too tense.

Remember thisKeep your hips pressed into the pad and curl the ankle pad by squeezing the backs of your thighs.

Muscles used

• Hamstringsback of the thigh from the glutes to behind the knee
• Gastrocnemiusbulky calf muscle running behind the knee down toward the heel
• Glutesthe large muscles that make up your butt

Setting Up for Leg Curl

Setup orderAdjust your body position so your knees rest on the edge of the seat → Position the Ankle pad behind your ankles

• knee position

  Set it like thisFirst, adjust your body position so that both knees naturally rest on the edges of the seat when lying face down.

  How to checkMake sure your knees aren't pushed too far up on the seat or sticking out too much.

• Ankle pad

  Set it like thisAfter aligning your body, adjust the pad position so that it touches the back of both ankles.

  How to checkThe pad should be placed right behind the ankle, not in the middle of the calf or near the knee.

Watch out forAvoid starting with knee position does not align with the edge of the seat, or the pad starts in the middle of the calf.

Stance for Leg Curl

Foot widthLie face down with your knees near the edge of the bench.

Where your weight goesKeep your pelvis and chest against the pads, and place your legs under the pad.

Upper body positionAdjust the ankle pad so it rests comfortably behind your ankles.

Why it mattersIf your body position is off, your hips may lift as you curl your legs.

How to Grip for Leg Curl

Grip typeHold the machine handles with both hands.

Grip widthHold the same position on both handles, so one hand is not higher or lower than the other.

How hard to gripPlace the handles in the middle of your palms and wrap your thumbs around them.

The Key Point for Leg Curl

With your hips and pelvis pressed against the pad, slowly pull the ankle pad towards your hips.

Think of it like thisThe feeling of folding the back of the thigh

Before the fixThe hips lift off the pad, or the momentum is used with the waist.

After the fixI feel tension in the back of my thighs, and my body is firmly attached to the pad.