Lying leg curl machine

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Pick a light to moderate weight on the selector stack so you can control the full range of motion.
2. Adjust the pad so it sits just above your ankles when your legs are straight.
3. Lie face down on the bench with your hips tight against the pad and your torso supported.
4. Grab the handles or sides of the bench so you stay stable during the set.
5. Make sure your knees are right at the edge of the bench, not too far on or off the pad.

How to do it

1. Straighten your legs almost fully with your feet under the pad, body relaxed but solid on the bench.
2. Breathe in, brace lightly, and keep your hips pressed into the bench before you move.
3. Bend your knees to bring the pad toward your glutes in about 1–2 seconds, without swinging your lower back.
4. Lift until you feel a strong contraction in the back of your thighs, without forcing full contact if it feels uncomfortable.
5. Lower the weight in 2–3 seconds with control, until your legs are almost straight without locking your knees hard.
6. Keep a smooth rhythm and stop the set if you lose control or feel pain that isn’t normal muscle effort.

Common mistakes

• Hips lifting off the bench

  Instead : Keep your hips glued to the bench the whole time. If they pop up, drop the weight and focus on control, especially at the top.

• Letting the weight drop too fast

  Instead : Control the way down, aiming for 2–3 seconds. If the plates slam together, the weight is falling instead of being controlled.

• Using the lower back to help

  Instead : Keep your chest heavy on the bench and think about moving only at the knees. If your lower back starts working hard, reduce the load.

• Very short range of motion

  Instead : Try to straighten your legs nearly all the way at the bottom and bend enough at the top to feel a solid contraction, as long as it stays comfortable.

Coach tips

• Breathe steadily: inhale as you straighten your legs, exhale as you curl your heels toward your glutes.
• To feel the muscles more, add a brief one‑second pause at the top before lowering the weight.
• Start with a weight you can fully control and only add load when you can keep the same technique.
• If the machine allows, adjust the pad or pivot point so your knees line up well with the machine’s moving arm.

Variations

• Single‑leg lying curl if your machine allows it, to address a weaker side or add a stability challenge.
• Partial reps at the top of the movement with a slightly heavier weight to emphasize the final contraction.

Exercises on this machine

• Lying leg curlHamstrings

Machine taken? Try instead

• 45° hyperextension benchBack · Glutes · Hamstrings
• Seated leg curlHamstrings

Common questions