Standing Single-Leg Leg Curl
The standing single-leg curl isolates one hamstring through pure knee flexion while your torso stays supported and vertical. Training one side at a time exposes and evens out left-to-right strength gaps that a two-leg machine can hide. It is a great accessory for lifters who want direct hamstring volume without loading the spine.
- 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
- Tertiary
- Gluteus Medius
How to do it
- 1
Set the machine pad just above the back of your ankle and grip the front support.
- 2
Stand tall on the working leg with a slight bend in the planted knee.
- 3
Curl your heel up toward your glute by bending only at the knee.
- 4
Squeeze the hamstring hard at the top of the range.
- 5
Lower the pad under control until the leg is nearly straight.
- 6
Finish all reps on one side before switching legs.
Tips
- Keep your hips pressed into the pad so the movement stays at the knee, not the hip.
- Avoid swinging the whole leg; the thigh should stay fairly still.
- Control the lowering phase rather than letting the pad drop back down.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Rising onto the toes of your standing foot to help the heel reach the top adds height instead of range. Keep the standing heel down for the whole set.
- Leaning your chest into the machine as the set gets hard pulls the pelvis into flexion and shortens the curl. Stand tall against the support with your ribs down.
- Leaving the hip pad low so it crosses your thighs lets the whole hip lift with the working leg. Raise it until it meets the crease of your hips and the pelvis has something to press against.
- Locking the standing knee hard lets the pelvis rotate open toward the working side. Keep a soft bend in the planted leg and both hip bones facing the machine.
- Racing the reps because a single-leg load feels light means the pad drops faster than you curled it. The return is where the hamstring does most of its work, so take it slowly.
Frequently asked
- How many reps of the standing single-leg leg curl should a beginner do?
- Two or three sets of 10 to 12 per leg. Standing on one foot means balance usually fails before the hamstring does, so hold the support and keep the reps smooth instead of chasing a heavy stack. Work the weaker side first and match its reps on the other. When 12 feel controlled on both legs with no forward lean, add one plate. It sits well after your main hinge, twice a week.
- What can I do instead of the standing single-leg leg curl if there is no standing curl station?
- An ankle cuff on a low cable gives almost the same movement with adjustable load. A band anchored low and looped around one ankle does it at home, and its tension rises just as the hamstring shortens. On a lying or seated curl machine you can run the same one-leg pattern by loading a single ankle. All three keep the one-sided element, which is the whole point of this version.
- What is the standing single-leg leg curl for and when should I choose something else?
- It gives one hamstring direct knee-flexion work with your spine upright and unloaded, which makes it useful for evening out side-to-side differences, for adding hamstring volume on a heavy back day, and for lifters returning from a lay-off. Choose something else when you want to move real load, since balance limits you long before the muscle does, or when you only have time for one hamstring exercise, where a two-leg curl or a Romanian deadlift buys more per minute.
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