A Simple Guide to Lying Leg Curls

Lying leg curls are a staple if you want to grow your hamstrings.

Lying leg curls also train the outer calves as well as the sartorius and gracilis (which all bend the knee) as added bonuses.

But many people have trouble setting up lying leg curls appropriately, and much of the advice people give about them I find to be problematic.

Here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to set them up:

1. Lie down on the machine and align your lower leg so that the lowermost quads are on the edge of the pad.

2. Adjust the shin pad so that it falls somewhere on the bottom third of the shin. I typically like to place the pad just below the belly of my calves.

3. Place both hands on the handles above your head and pull on them like you’re doing a pull-down motion. This will secure you into the machine.

4. When you initiate the curl, make sure that all of the pressure feels like it’s being applied to the lower quad. Your should feel like your leg is getting smushed into the pad as you begin to curl. The lower leg should not move from this position at any point. To do this, you should imagine moving your foot upward, toward the ceiling.

5. As you move into the top position, you need to change the direction that you’re intending to move the foot. The foot now needs to move horizontally, toward the head. You should also pay special attention to your hands now, which should still be applying that “pull-down” intent I mentioned earlier.

6. During your warm up sets, make sure that the pad isn’t rolling or sliding upward and downward on your leg substantially. If you feel like the pad is shifting your shin around or pulling the hairs on your leg at all, it likely needs to be adjusted slightly upward or downward. Play around with moving it up or down and find the position where the pad rolls minimally.

Below is a detailed exercise tutorial guide of me going through these concepts on a lying leg curl machine.

In this video, you’ll learn:

• How to set up and execute lying leg curls from first principles.

• How to troubleshoot pad placement, technique errors, and feeling “the wrong stuff” when you do them.

• Simple cues to maximize muscle tension and minimize joint discomfort during lying leg curls.

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