Lying leg curls to train hamstrings

Benefits of leg curl exercise

• Effectively trains the hamstrings.
• Forms muscle peak and relief.
• You can perform bending with one leg or with two. By the way, this opportunity allows you to refine the lagging muscle to correct asymmetry. And also the ability to work with one leg allows you to concentrate on performing the exercise without the help of the second leg. This method of training the hamstrings is used by professional athletes.
• This exercise relieves stress from the knee joints and ligaments.
• It is the exercise in a horizontal type machine with a bench with a bend that can stretch the muscles and increase the amplitude, without increasing the load on the knee joints and cruciate ligaments.
• As mentioned at the beginning, there are three versions of the leg curl machine, in which the exercise is performed while sitting, standing and lying down. There is a difference in the simulators. For example, a standing flexion machine allows for greater contraction of the hamstrings, while a lying down flexion machine is structurally more suitable for tall athletes.

Protruding buttocks[edit | edit code]

The most popular exercise for the biceps femoris (back of the thighs) is probably the leg curl. Unfortunately, doing it incorrectly is also very common. Generally speaking, when bending your legs, your buttocks should not stick out upward (of course, unless you are doing a “dog” exercise according to the yoga system). A sticking out butt during push-ups indicates that you're relying more on your legs than your abs to stabilize your torso. In the case of training on a special simulator, protruding buttocks mean that you have not isolated the necessary muscle group.

Incorrect use of the leg curl machine[edit | edit code]

Proper use of the leg curl machine.
Don't let your butt stick out over the support pad of the machine. Watch people who use the lying leg curl machine. You will see that during the exercise, the hips of many of them rise slightly above the support pad of the machine, and the buttocks stick out a few centimeters. Of course, such a mistake is insignificant, but it can insidiously interfere with your goals. Indeed, in this case, it is not the biceps femoris muscles that work, but the gluteal muscles, so your hips do not become stronger in any way (photo A in the figure).

Proper use of the leg curl machine[edit | edit code]

It is not that difficult to prevent your buttocks from rising above the exercise pad. To do this, lift your upper thighs literally a couple of millimeters before starting the exercise. By bending your knees from this position, you will feel much more stress on the biceps femoris muscles (photo B in the figure).

Technique for performing leg curls in a lying machine

Before performing a workout, you need to adjust the position of the simulator parts to the athlete’s proportions (height). It is very important that the pad of the roller is located in the center of the Achilles tendon.

1. So, having taken the starting position lying face down, you should fix the position by holding the handles for support and rest your feet on the pad of the exercise machine.
2. The main movement when performing the exercise will be bending your knees.
3. When bending your legs, you need to exhale, and return your legs to the starting position (straighten your knees) slowly and concentrated.
4. When pulling your heels towards your buttocks, it is important to perform a maximum contraction in the hamstrings, feeling their tension.
5. You should hold the peak of the contraction for a couple of seconds and then slowly straighten your knees.
6. It is when performing while lying down on the machine that the technique suffers the most, since it is possible to use the lower back to help, but this is prohibited.
7. At least twelve repetitions per set must be performed, since the exercise is performed with light weights.
8. It is very important to choose the number of repetitions based on the response of your muscles.
9. Straightening your legs completely is not always the best option. Try to keep the muscles constantly toned (in tension) and do not bring the roller to a position in which the working weights of the simulator would rest on the resting blocks of the simulator.

Inclusion in the program

This movement is not an independent type of activity; it does not replace basic training. It is advisable to do such exercises after the main exercises on the appropriate day, if the athlete has a work calendar.

10 to 12 repetitions are allowed, this number can be increased depending on the personal condition of the body. For strength disciplines, the best option is 3 or 4 approaches. Bodybuilding has separate standards. Professionals use drop sets and other unconventional techniques to ensure intense stretching.

Recommendations and mistakes when performing the exercise

• Before performing the exercise, you should stretch and warm up your muscles well.
• The first approach should be performed with light weight (if this exercise is performed at the beginning of the workout).
• When placing the roller too close to the heels, the isolation of the hamstrings is disrupted, and the calf muscles are involved in the work. This is a disadvantage. Because of this, the effectiveness of the exercise decreases. The calves tire faster and prevent the biceps femoris from being fully trained.
• When performing the exercise on a horizontal bench, the hip joints should be at the very “break” of the bench.
• You need to perform the exercise concentrated, without jerking.
• It is very important to ensure that the gluteal muscles and lower back are not involved in the work. To do this, do not lift your pelvis off the bench.

Physiology of legs and buttocks

The legs and part of the buttocks are involved almost every day in the normal rhythm of human life. Even when sitting at a desk, the gluteus maximus and minimus muscles are activated, but they are not trained at all. Even repeated repetitions of such static movements will not bring any benefit to the muscles of the buttocks. For significant results, it is not enough to sit; it will not help to pump up a girl’s butt; you need to strain your body in a different way.

Anatomy of the buttocks and legs

You can give your buttocks a little tone using various exercises, one of which is leg abduction and adduction in a standing position. But even a hundredfold repetition will not affect muscle growth at all. Temporary tone is achieved due to the rush of blood to this area and the accumulation of intercellular fluid here. In a few hours the blood will return to normal, the muscles will recover and everything will be as before. As you can see, you won’t be able to gain weight this way, only to maintain tone. You need to pump up your muscles with strength loads with heavy weights and a small number of repetitions. Any workout, of course, should begin with a warm-up.

Short course on the anatomy of the gluteal muscles

This initial stage of training is critical because it prepares the body for subsequent loads, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

In our case, the main attention should be paid to the lower body. In addition to muscles, training involves joints and tendons, which cannot be “exploited” without warming up.

Otherwise, for example, clicking, swelling after exercise, and pain may appear in the joints. So, if you don’t want to take risks, it’s better not to forget about warming up. The content of this stage includes 10-15 minutes of aerobic exercise in the form of jogging, exercise on an exercise bike, ellipse, etc. Then you should do a few lunges or squats to prepare your joints. Running on an incline is especially beneficial for the gluteal muscles. For this purpose, a special treadmill is used in the gym.

Warm up before any strength training

Standing leg curl techniques

The peculiarity of the simulator is that it allows you to work out each leg separately.

1. Set the required weight of the slabs, start with the minimum - approximately 5 kg.
2. To begin, take the starting position in the machine: place the Achilles tendons in front of the rollers to bring the heel towards the buttocks.
3. Press your thighs into the upper rollers so that the rollers are placed above your knees. Having previously adjusted the simulator to your own body proportions.
4. Rest your elbows on the pillows and grab the special handles.
5. Start with one leg, lift your foot off the floor and exhale, lift your heel towards your buttocks, contracting your hamstrings. If the working weight allows, take a short break at the peak of the contraction.
6. As you inhale, slowly straighten your knee, lowering your foot without touching the floor.
7. The upward movement can be faster, and the downward movement slower.
8. Complete the required number of repetitions and immediately begin performing on the second leg.

Exercises for the buttocks

The growth and intensive formation of the gluteal muscles is ensured by the use of free weights when performing exercises in the form of dumbbells and barbells. The best set of exercises for muscle hypertrophy consists of squats, deadlifts, swings, and lunges, naturally with weights.

Squats with dumbbells. Anatomy exercises

Squats

This is perhaps the most difficult exercise on the list; at first, you need to acquire the outside supervision of a partner. Throughout the entire set, from the first to the last repetition, you must keep your foot fully planted on the floor. There is disagreement about the level to which you should squat. They suggest squatting to the maximum, others - only to the level of parallelism between the thigh and the floor. It is known that the first option involves more joints, which is not entirely beneficial for them. However, only you can decide this dispute. As you push your torso up, try to focus the force more on the gluteal muscles than on the front of the thigh. To get results, regular training should be 2-3 times a week. Each time you should perform 5-6 sets of 10-15 repetitions. But if results have already been achieved, one workout per week of the same intensity is enough.

Correct body position during squats

Deadlift

Many people have heard about this exercise, but not everyone knows what it is in detail. Before starting to use a barbell, it is advisable for a beginner to learn the technique using dumbbells. They allow you to provide a natural arch in the lower back throughout the entire approach and keep your shoulder blades retracted longer.

Deadlift. Anatomy exercises

Take dumbbells in your arms extended along your body, squeeze your shoulder blades together, bend at the waist and direct your gaze straight ahead. In this position, move your butt back a little and begin to lower your body vertically down until you feel the muscles in the back of your thigh stretch. Once this is achieved, you can straighten up. The whole point of the exercise lies in these movements.

Deadlifts have a good effect on the buttocks and thighs, helping to quickly build muscles, which prepares them for leg training. The exercise should be performed twice a week with a 4-5X6-10 repetition pattern. To support the results, one-time classes according to the 3-4X10-12 scheme will be quite enough.

Performing deadlifts

There are quite a few variations of this exercise depending on the degree of load on a particular muscle group. As for the gluteal region, the most productive for the muscles will be backward lunges or lunges from a platform (static).

Lunges with dumbbells. Anatomy of exercises

Get a step or other handy elevation 15-20 cm high. Stand with your back to it and throw one leg back so that your toe rests on the edge of the platform. In this position, begin to bend the knee of the supporting leg until the deflection angle reaches 90 degrees, then, due to the tension in the gluteal muscle, return to the starting position, etc. First they work on one leg, then change orientation and start on the other. Training with lunges is carried out twice or thrice a week according to the scheme 2-3X13-15 repetitions

If the goal is to pay more attention to the legs and not the butt, then instead of lunges on the steppe it is better to practice the classic method of execution, which allows you to load the quadriceps more

Butt training. Lunges

Swings with weights

This variation of the swing is designed to load the small flexor muscles. If you work in a gym, then there are probably special machines there, but if not, it’s not scary at all, you can do without such equipment. This is done as follows: attach a weight to your ankle, get on all fours and begin to lift your legs one by one, first 12-15 repetitions for one leg, then for the second. The top point of the lift should be located where the thigh is parallel to the floor, and you need to stay there for a few seconds. The lowering of the leg occurs smoothly. Lift up as if you were driving a nail into the ceiling with your heel. Two classes per week following the 2X20-25 pattern are enough for a good load.

Features of the technique of bending legs in a sitting position

Exercise machines from different manufacturers differ slightly from each other: some have hip attachments located above the knees, while others have them below the knees. But overall the technology remains the same. The main thing is to set the simulator to your own proportions, that is, height.

1. To begin, set your working weight.
2. Sit on the seat with your lower back firmly pressed against the back of the machine.
3. Place your feet on the bottom roller, touching your Achilles tendons.
4. If it is intended to be secured above the knees, then press the thigh clamp at the desired level, without pressing too hard on the muscles, but also so that there is no looseness.
5. As you exhale, without bending your lower back, bring your heels under the seat of the exercise machine as much as possible—bringing them closer to your pelvis. Feel the peak of the contraction, try to hold for a second.
6. As you inhale, slowly straighten your knees, but not completely, the main thing is not to “slam” the plates.

How to replace the lying leg curl exercise in the simulator

Standing leg curl with weights

The simplest option, which can be an alternative to bending your legs in a machine, is to work with weights while standing. It is necessary to bend your legs, bringing your heels as close as possible to your buttocks.

Incline dumbbell leg curls

The option with a dumbbell on an incline bench is intended, rather, for the gym. With the abdominal bench set at 45 degrees, you need to lie on your stomach and place a dumbbell between your ankles. As with any curl, your heels should be brought toward your buttocks.

Lying dumbbell leg curl

This is more of a home option, in which you can also use a dumbbell between your ankles or leg weights. As usual, the heels are brought to the buttocks, only while lying on the floor or a horizontal bench.

Leg bending with a fitness band

The elastic band can be hooked onto a vertical support, for example, onto a furniture leg. This exercise is best performed while standing, similar to the first version of the exercise with weights.

Leg bending in the lower block of the crossover

You can perform this option only in the gym, but at the same time use two options, both standing at the support and lying on the mat.