Beginner

Seated Leg Curl

The seated leg curl works the same knee-flexion action as the lying version but with the hips bent, which lengthens the hamstrings and has shown strong growth in the lengthened position. The braced torso lets you focus purely on the working muscle. A high-value isolation choice for hamstring size.

Equipment
Machine
Body part
Hamstring
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Knee Flexion
Muscles worked
Target
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
Secondary
Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit with your back against the pad and thighs under the lap restraint.

  2. 2

    Set the ankle pad against the back of your lower calves.

  3. 3

    Curl your heels down and under toward the seat.

  4. 4

    Squeeze hard at the bottom of the range.

  5. 5

    Return the pad slowly until the knees are nearly straight.

  6. 6

    Keep your torso still and pinned to the backrest throughout.

Tips

  • Let the hamstrings stretch fully at the top for the best growth stimulus.
  • Lock the lap pad snug so your hips cannot rise during the curl.
  • Avoid jerking; a two-second lowering keeps tension where you want it.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Sliding your hips forward so your back leaves the seat opens the hip angle and quietly turns this into a lying curl. Sit all the way back before the first rep and stay there.
  • Clamping the lap pad down across your kneecaps rather than low on the thighs presses on the joint for the whole set. Slide it onto the meat of the thigh, above the knee, before you load it.
  • Hauling on the handles to lift your chest as the weight gets heavy adds trunk drive to a knee movement. Hold them just firmly enough to keep your shoulders down.
  • Letting the knees drift apart under the lap pad shifts the work toward the outer hamstring and lets the hips help. Keep the thighs parallel from the first rep to the last.
  • Cramping is common in the deeply flexed bottom position. If the hamstring grips, extend the leg slowly, let it settle, and restart the set lighter rather than fighting through it.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the seated leg curl should a beginner do?
Three sets of 10 to 12 with a controlled return. Because the hamstrings work in a stretched position here, expect real soreness after the first couple of sessions, so start with two sets in week one. Pick a weight that still lets you reach the near-straight top position on the final rep. Add reps before load. Two sessions a week, a couple of days apart, covers a beginner's direct hamstring work when a hinge is also in the program.
What can I do instead of the seated leg curl if my gym only has a lying one?
A seated banded leg curl on a bench reproduces the bent-hip position with a band anchored in front of you, one leg at a time, and you can do the same sitting on the floor. Otherwise use the lying machine for the knee flexion and add a Romanian deadlift, which loads the hamstring in the stretched, hip-bent position the seated curl otherwise covers. At home, a swiss-ball curl plus an RDL with a loaded backpack fills the same slot.
What is the seated leg curl for and when is another version better?
The bent-hip position holds the hamstrings long while they work, which is a productive place to build size, and the braced torso means almost nothing but the target muscle moves. It suits anyone adding hamstring volume, particularly lifters whose hamstrings only ever get worked through hinges. Another version is better when sitting in the deep hip bend is uncomfortable, when you want the hamstrings trained with the hips flat, or when time is short and the lying machine is free.

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