Beginner
Single-Leg Lying Leg Curl
Running the lying curl machine with a single leg forces each hamstring to complete the range on its own, so a dominant side cannot take over. The stronger leg often masks the weaker one during two-leg curls, and this fixes that. Use it as a corrective or a finisher after your main posterior-chain work.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Body part
- Hamstring
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
- Browse by movement
- Knee Flexion
- Target
- Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
- Secondary
- Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head
How to do it
- 1
Lie face down with the roller pad set against one Achilles.
- 2
Grip the handles and press your hips into the bench.
- 3
Curl the heel of the working leg toward your glute.
- 4
Pause and squeeze at the top without lifting your hips.
- 5
Lower slowly until the knee is almost straight.
- 6
Complete the set, then repeat with the other leg.
Tips
- Keep the non-working leg relaxed and out of the way of the pad.
- Point your toes to shift a touch more work onto the hamstring itself.
- Do not let your pelvis rock up; that turns it into a hip movement.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Pressing the free foot into the bench or the floor to steady yourself gives the working leg a push it did not earn. Let it hang or rest it flat and still.
- Doing the stronger leg first sets a rep target the weaker side then has to chase. Start with the weaker leg and repeat exactly its number on the other side.
- Letting the working foot turn outward as you curl brings the calf and the outer hamstring in and drags the pad off its track. Keep the toes pointing straight down the bench.
- Keeping the rep count and rest you use for two-leg curls means the second side gets whatever is left. Plan for double the sets and a little more rest between them.
- Skipping the second leg's set when the first one was hard leaves the imbalance exactly where you found it. Cut the number of sets rather than the number of legs.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the single-leg lying leg curl should a beginner do?
- Two or three sets of 8 to 12 per leg. Start with the weaker side and give the stronger one the same reps at the same weight. Expect to use around 40 percent of your two-leg load rather than half. If one side falls two or more reps short, keep the sets matched and let the gap close over a few weeks, because that closing gap is the progress you are after. Put it after your main hamstring work, once or twice a week.
- What can I do instead of the single-leg lying leg curl without a machine?
- A banded prone leg curl with the band looped around one ankle is the direct home version. A single-leg swiss-ball curl is considerably harder and adds a hip bridge, so treat it as a step up rather than a swap. A cable ankle cuff on a low pulley, standing or lying, gives smoother tension if the gym has one free. A one-legged version of the lying dumbbell curl is possible but the dumbbell is awkward to hold with a single foot.
- Who is the single-leg lying leg curl for, and when is it not worth it?
- It is for people who suspect one hamstring is carrying the other, which is common after a knee or hamstring lay-off or when the two-leg machine feels lopsided, and for anyone who wants a finisher that costs the spine nothing. Two-leg curls hide the gap, because the stronger side takes up whatever slack the weaker one leaves. It is not worth the extra time when both legs already match and your session is short, and it does nothing for the hamstring's hip-extension job.
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