Exercise · Legs and glutes
Seated leg curl machine
The seated leg curl is the machine where you bend your knees to work the back of your thighs. It targets mainly the hamstrings, with some help from the calves. It’s a good option if you want to strengthen the back of your legs without loading your lower back.
Doable at all 76 gyms GoSet follows
The essentials
- Lock the pad just above your knees.
- Bend your knees fully, then return slowly.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Hamstrings
- Secondary
- Calves
How to do it
- Adjust the seat so your knees line up with the machine’s pivot point and keep your back flat against the pad.
- Place your lower legs so the bottom pad sits just above your heels on the back of your legs, then lock the top pad just above your knees.
- Grab the handles, keep your chest open, your torso stable, and your toes pointing in the same direction as your knees.
- Inhale, then bend your knees fully to pull the pad down, keeping your thighs pressed into the seat.
- Hold a brief pause at the bottom and squeeze the back of your thighs.
- Control the way up over 2 to 3 seconds as you exhale, coming back close to the start position without dropping the weight.
Common mistakes
Letting your thighs lift off the seat
Instead : Set the pad firmly above your knees and focus on pressing your thighs into the seat the whole time. If they lift, lower the weight a bit.
Bouncing at the bottom
Instead : Lower the weight under control, pause for half a second at the bottom while you squeeze, then come back up smoothly instead of letting the stack pull you.
Moving too fast up and down
Instead : Use a simple rhythm: about 1 second to curl down, short pause at the bottom, then 2 to 3 seconds on the way up. This keeps the tension on the back of your thighs.
Cutting the range of motion short
Instead : Aim for a solid knee bend as long as it feels comfortable. If you get stuck early, lighten the load so you can curl through a larger range.
Coach tips
- Think about crushing the pad into the back of your lower legs the whole time to feel your hamstrings more.
- Keep slight tension at the top of the rep instead of fully resting the weight so the back of your thighs keeps working.
- Start with a moderate load so you can dial in your seat and pad settings before going heavier.
- Breathe steadily: inhale as the weight comes up, exhale as you curl down and it gets hardest.
Variations
- Add a 2‑second pause at the bottom of each rep to feel a stronger squeeze in the back of your thighs.
- Use a slow controlled tempo, like 3 seconds on the way up, to make the set harder without adding more weight.
Sets and reps
You’ll often see 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps on the seated leg curl, depending on load and experience. Many people place it after a bigger lift like a deadlift or a Romanian variation.
Equipment
Alternatives for the same muscles
Log your Seated leg curl sets with GoSet
GoSet remembers your last time, starts your rest on its own and notes your records. Even with no signal in the basement. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Common questions
What should I feel during seated leg curls?
You should mainly feel the back of your thighs working, and sometimes your calves a bit. If you mostly feel your knees, drop the weight and control the lowering phase more. If you feel pain, stop and talk to a professional.
Should I fully straighten my knees at the top?
You can come close to full extension, but keep a slight bend so you don’t lose all tension or slam the stack. Bring the weight up smoothly instead of locking out hard.
Does the seated leg curl replace deadlifts?
It trains your hamstrings well, but it’s not the same type of work as deadlifts or their variations. Think of them as complementary: the machine isolates the back of the thighs more, while deadlifts involve more of your whole body.
I only feel my calves, not my hamstrings. Is that normal?
That can happen if your setup is off or you’re pushing mostly with your feet. Reset the pad on the back of your lower legs, press your thighs into the seat, and focus on bending your knees instead of pushing with your ankles.