Learn how to Do the Leg Curl: Muscle mass Labored, Kind & Alternate options

The leg curl is a hamstring train, usually carried out on a leg curl machine.

It’s distinctive amongst hamstring workouts as a result of it trains your hamstrings by a full vary of movement whereas absolutely stretched, which makes it best for constructing muscle.

On this article, you’ll be taught what the leg curl is, its advantages, which muscle tissue it really works, the way to do it with correct kind, one of the best seated leg curl options, and extra.

What Is the Leg Curl?

Seated Leg Curl vs. Mendacity Leg Curl: Which Is Higher?

That’s as a result of sitting upright together with your legs straight in entrance of you locations your hamstrings in a totally stretched place, whereas mendacity down doesn’t. That is noteworthy as a result of research shows that relating to constructing muscle, coaching a muscle whereas it’s stretched is superior to coaching it whereas it’s relaxed.

And that’s why studies show doing the seated leg curl results in extra muscle development than doing the mendacity hamstring curl. Thus, most individuals will profit extra from the seated leg curl than the mendacity leg curl, which is why the seated leg curl is the variation we’ll concentrate on on this article. 

That stated, the mendacity leg curl continues to be an efficient train. In the event you choose the way it feels or it’s the one machine you have got entry to, it’s a viable various.

Leg Curl: Advantages

The hamstrings have two major features: knee flexion (bending your knee) and hip extension (shifting your torso away out of your thighs).

One of many principal advantages of the leg curl is it trains knee flexion, one thing most different hamstring workouts (all types of the deadlift, the hip thrust, and the glute bridge, for instance) neglect.

Moreover, the seated leg curl trains knee flexion whereas the three largest “components” of the hamstrings—the lengthy head of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus—are absolutely lengthened. This makes it notably efficient for creating the areas of the hamstrings which have the most important affect on upper-leg dimension.

One other advantage of the leg curl is that it means that you can practice your hamstrings when your again is drained.

That is vital as a result of throughout most workouts that practice the hamstrings, such because the deadlift, Romanian deadlift, and squat, your again muscle tissue should work arduous to maintain your higher physique in a secure and protected place. 

In case your lower-body exercises solely include free-weight workouts like these, your again muscle tissue (and notably your lower-back muscle tissue) could fatigue quicker than your hamstrings. Whereas your again could also be bushed after 6 units of those workouts, your hamstrings might be able to deal with just a few extra.

The leg curl is a useful workaround on this situation. It means that you can practice your hamstrings after your again is fried, guaranteeing you possibly can practice your hammies with the quantity they should develop and turn out to be stronger with out your decrease again changing into a limiting issue.

For these causes, I at all times embrace the leg curl in my very own coaching and my health applications for women and men, Larger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger. 

And if you happen to’d like extra particular recommendation about what workouts to incorporate in your coaching program to succeed in your well being and health objectives, take the Legion Power Coaching Quiz, and in lower than a minute, you’ll know the right power coaching program for you. Click on right here to test it out.

Seated Leg Curl: Muscle mass Labored

The leg curl primarily trains the hamstrings, although it also trains the glutes and calves to a small diploma, too.

Right here’s how the principle muscle tissue labored by the leg curl look in your physique:

Seated Leg Curl: Kind

One of the simplest ways to discover ways to do the leg curl is to separate the train into three components: arrange, curl, and lengthen.

Step 1: Set Up

Step 2: Curl

Step 3: Prolong

The Best Seated Leg Curl Alternatives

1. Lying Leg Curl

2. Nordic Leg Curl

Research shows that the Nordic leg curl is a unbelievable body weight train for coaching your hamstrings, which can additionally reduce your threat of struggling a hamstring harm. Whereas it isn’t precisely the identical because the seated leg curl, you should use it as an alternative choice to the seated leg curl at dwelling.

3. Dumbbell Leg Curl

The dumbbell leg curl is much like the mendacity leg curl, besides you grasp a dumbbell between your toes as a substitute of utilizing a leg curl machine. The dumbbell leg curl generally is a helpful seated leg curl various in a bind, however most individuals discover it awkward to arrange and carry out. Thus, it’s not a variation I’d suggest until you don’t have entry to a leg curl machine (whereas working out at home or traveling, for example).

4. Swiss Ball Leg Curl