Don’t get me wrong: I love a good squat.
But if you’re looking for a machine at the gym that will focus JUST on your hammies and give them a run for their money, look no further than the lying leg curl machine.
In fact, the lying leg curl even stimulates higher muscle activity in a shorter period of time than the infamous Nordic hamstring curl. [2]
The great news is: this machine is easy to use if you have one at the gym. Plus, there are loads of lying leg curl alternatives you can add in to your leg day if your gym doesn’t have a lying leg curl machine.
Back when my personal trainer first added the lying leg curl in to my routine, I thought this move was easy. But come to find out, I just wasn’t using the lying leg curl machine correctly and really lighting up my hamstrings.
Today, I’ll teach you what I learned from my experience of mastering the lying leg curl.
I’ll cover:
How to Identify a Lying Leg Curl Machine
How to Do a Lying Leg Curl
Lying Leg Curl: Muscles Worked
Lying Leg Curl Alternatives
Lying Leg Curl: 8 Pro Tips
Our Best Hamstring Resources
Lying Leg Curl: FAQs
Here at Back Muscle Solutions, we believe hamstring health is closely connected to lower back health. Our founder, Ben, made it his mission to provide the BEST resources on all things back health after he suffered from 4 years of crippling back pain.
Learn more about Ben’s story HERE, and check out the lower back massage device that he created called the QL Claw.
Now, let’s get to the lying leg curl.
How to Identify a Lying Leg Curl Machine
Here’s what a lying leg curl machine looks like:
This specialty machine is literally just designed to help you perform the lying leg curl. Let’s get familiar with some terminology about the machine.
Leg Pad: Just like a seated leg curl machine, you won’t miss the padded leg support or roller at the far end of the lying leg curl machine.
Padded Bench: Also similar to a seated leg curl machine, you’ll see a padded bench on the lying leg curl machine; however, this bench is not designed for you to sit on. Instead, you’ll be lying down on your stomach.
The bench for a lying leg curl machine has a longer section for your stomach and abdomen. Then, the bench bends slightly, providing a smaller section for your thighs.
Handles: Most lying leg curl machines have handles that you can grip toward the front of the machine. And believe it or not–the way you grab these handles changes the level of hamstring activation. More about this in the Pro Tips section!
How to Do a Lying Leg Curl
Now that you’re familiar with the lying leg curl machine, let’s review the basic steps of how to complete a lying leg curl–also known as the lying hamstring curl OR the prone leg curl.
1) Lie face down on the bench–on your stomach.
2) Check your leg positioning: your knees should be just BELOW the smaller bench for your thighs–NOT ON the bench.
3) Now, hook your feet under the roller pad–just ABOVE your ankles.
4) Before you even get started, you’ll want to engage your hamstrings–tensing them up slightly, so the weight is off the stack.
5) Curl the weight up towards your butt–as far as possible. Squeeze your hamstrings as you perform this motion.
6) In a slow, controlled motion, lower the weight back down–keeping your hamstrings squeezed super tight as you return to the starting position.
7) Repeat till exhaustion: 6-10 reps is ideal.
Lying Leg Curl: Muscles Worked
The lying leg curl is an isolation exercise, meaning it focuses on a singular muscle group and a single joint. This is different than compound exercises, which tend to engage multiple muscle groups and joints at the same time.
I like to view isolation exercises kind of like add-ons to a workout set of compound exercises. While compound exercises are generally better because you get more bang for your buck with the exercise, isolation exercises can really give you that extra push with a specific muscle you’re targeting.
In the case of the lying leg curl, the muscle you’re working is the hamstring–fondly known as the hammy. So, if you want that extra push for your hamstrings during leg day, the lying hamastring curl should be a top pick.
Hamstrings help you:
- Bend your knees
- And decelerate when you’re booking it at a fast speed
Strong hamstrings can help with:
- Better sports performance
- Injury prevention
- And even reducing lower back pain
Lying Leg Curl Alternatives
In the off chance that your gym doesn’t have a lying leg curl machine, there are some lying leg curl alternatives that you can easily use to still get a good hamstring workout in–even without a lying leg curl machine.
Lying Leg Curl Alternative #1: Seated vs. Lying Leg Curl
When it comes to seated vs lying leg curl, I’ve tried BOTH in my workout routine, and I honestly don't have a preference. Here are the slight differences I noticed between the two.
Seated Leg Curl Machine: The seated leg curl machine provides a little extra back support and stability because you literally have a pad right behind your back. I like how the back support feels while I perform a seated leg curl, but I also don't necessarily miss it during a lying leg curl.
Lying Leg Curl Machine: Personally, I feel a little more hamstring activation when I use a lying leg curl machine. Some people complain that this machine causes pain in their lower backs or necks, and if that’s the case, I recommend using a seated vs lying leg curl.
Lying Leg Curl Alternative #2: Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
Since the lying leg curl machine is such a specialty machine, you might think you can only do the prone leg curl at a gym that has one of these machines. But the good news is that you can actually perform a lying leg curl at home with a single dumbbell.
Here’s how you do it:
1) Lie down on a yoga mat.
2) Place a dumbbell between your feet, and bring both feet together to hold the dumbbell in place.
3) Curl the dumbbell up to your glutes–just like you would when using a lying leg curl machine.
4) Slowly lower the dumbbell back down–and you just performed a lying leg curl alternative from your own home!
Lying Leg Curl Alternative #3: Nordic Hamstring Curl
And finally, our last lying leg curl alternative of the day–the dreaded Nordic hamstring curl. This is famed as one of the most difficult hamstring exercises, so definitely not for the faint of heart or the exercise beginner.
That said, the Nordic hamstring curl is supposedly a safe option for anyone dealing with a hamstring injury.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Kneel down on a yoga mat.
2) Have a partner or friend hold down your ankles.
3) Then, lean forward slowly, forming a 100-degree angle between your legs and back–allowing your hamstrings to take the heat.
4) Then, return back to the starting position.
Lying Leg Curl: 8 Pro Tips
As I shared, I definitely committed my fair share of form mistakes when first trying out the lying leg curl, but these prompts helped me go from beginner to pro.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #1: Knee Positioning
Try not to just lie face down on the lying leg curl machine and hope for the best! That’s what I did, and my form was WAY off–specifically my knees.
Here are some tips for knee positioning that helped me out a ton:
- Make sure your knee is in line with the pivot joint on the machine.
- Your knees should be JUST below the pad–NOT on it.
- Avoid flaring out your knees during the lying leg curl. Instead, keep them pointed straight down to the ground the entire time.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #2: Leg Pad Positioning
Next, you’ll want to make sure the leg pad is positioned properly.
- There’s usually a lever to adjust how HIGH the leg pad is. And for this one, I recommend lining the leg pad up so your legs can naturally lie flat without tension up or down.
- Then, there should be a lever to determine how far up the leg pad hits your legs. And for this, you want it just above your ankle and below your calf. Place that pad too high up on your calves, and it’ll put too much pressure on your Achilles tendon.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #3: Flex Your Feet
Once you have your legs securely tucked under the pad, you’ll want to flex your feet UP toward your calves. This position ensures that you bias your hamstrings during the lying leg curl.
When you point your feet OUT instead, it actually extends your calves, enabling you to use them instead of your hamstrings. Think of this as a cheat. And your hamstrings won’t get nearly the same workout.
By the way, you can mess around with foot positioning a bit during the lying leg curl. For example:
Bring your feet closer in to work the INNER hamstring.
Position your feet further out to work the OUTER hamstring.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #4: Don’t Lift Your Pelvis Off the Pad
The easiest way to cheat when performing a lying leg curl is by allowing your pelvis to lift off the padded bench slightly, sticking your butt up in the air. This causes lumbar extension and potential lower back injuries. And it looks something like this:
I remember committing this mistake myself, and my personal trainer gave me this helpful hint:
Imagine pushing your thighs into the bench: If, as you lift the weight, you envision your thighs pushing straight down into the bench, this helps prevent your pelvis from rising up and off the bench. This visual helped me switch up my form, avoiding any injury to my lower back.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #5: Engage Your Lats as You Grab the Handles
One other helpful tip to stabilize your pelvis during the lying leg curl is to really grip the handles of the lying leg curl machine like you mean it. When you grip the handles with that extra umph, you’ll start to feel your lats engaged.
This continuous lat engagement throughout the exercise helps to keep your hips stable, your pelvis from lifting, and your lower back from rounding.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #6: Go Light(ish) With the Weight
You can go heavy with the weight on a lying leg curl, but not so heavy that you cannot bring your feet as far up towards your butt as they can go. As soon as you start going lower, you no longer optimize the full muscle contraction of the hamstrings.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #7: Don’t Be Too Explosive At the Start
Lots of people like to go fast in general when it comes to the lying hamstring curl–but you’ll want to ensure you start slooow with this one.
Think of it as going slow for the 1/4 of the movement up. This slower start helps you engage your hamstrings instead of your calves right from the start.
You’ll feel that tension in your hamstrings. Then, when the tension lightens, you can go a bit faster with the rest of the lift.
Lying Leg Curl Pro Tip #8: Lower the Weight Slowly
A lot of people allow the weight to come down way too fast during a prone leg curl. With a slower, more controlled motion, you’re allowing the hamstrings to engage during a lying leg press.
Our Best Hamstring Resources
Healthy hamstrings are closely connected to having a healthy lower back. And at Back Muscle Solutions, lower back health is our specialty. That’s why we provide all THE BEST resources on lower back health AND hamstring health.
Check out some other great resources on hamstring exercises and stretches.
Articles
“Glute And Hamstring Stretches For Lower Back Pressure Relief”
“Elephant Walk Exercise for Extreme Hamstring And Back Flexibility”
“6 Best Hamstring Exercises to Bulk Up Those Legs”
Videos
“FIX Tight Hamstrings With Just 3 Exercises”
“2 Of The Best Stretches For Back & Hamstring Flexibility”
“Elephant Walk Exercise - The BEST Low Back & Hamstring Stretch”
Work Out Without the Back Pain
And now for our lower back resources, specifically.
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The QL Claw System offers more than just temporary relief—it’s a full back healing solution that includes targeted deep tissue massage and step-by-step programs designed to stretch, strengthen, and correct bad habits for long-term results.
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Lying Leg Curl FAQs
What does the lying leg curl work?
The lying leg curl primarily works the hamstring muscle.
How to lying leg curl without a machine?
You can do a lying leg curl alternative without a machine with this easy at-home variation: 1) Lie down on a yoga mat, 2) Hold a dumbbell between your feet, and 3) lift the dumbbell up towards your glutes.
Is lying leg curl better than seated?
When it comes to seated vs lying leg curl, not one is better! The seated leg curl provides a bit more back support if that’s what you’re needing.
Should you curl your hamstrings light or heavy?
Typically, you’ll want to keep the weight that you curl during a lying leg curl moderately light.
Should you flex your feet on hamstring curls?
Yes! Flexing your feet during a hamstring curl helps you bias your hamstrings instead of your calves.
Is it better to have tight or loose hamstrings?
Loose hamstrings will help you feel more flexible. If you have tight hamstrings, definitely give them, a stretch, and check out this video:
“FIX Tight Hamstrings With Just 3 Exercises”
How to do hamstring curls correctly?
To do hamstring curls correctly: 1) Press your quads into the pad, and 2) grab the handles of the machine to engage your lats. This will help keep your pelvis pressed against the pad and stable during the exercise.
[2] https://www.sportedu.org.ua/index.php/PES/article/view/1505
[2] https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2021/12000/different_knee_and_ankle_positions_affect_force.7.aspx