You may be wrong if you think that lying leg curls machine involve using only one group of muscles. To tell the truth, the muscles in the back or posterior of the leg are also used.
You may either lie down or sit for doing this exercise. It depends on the machine you use to knee flexion, or bending your knee.
- Hamstrings
The group of muscles which are on the back of the thigh should contract to bend your knee. The hamstrings consist of three muscles the biceps femoris (the largest), the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus.
- Quads
These muscles consist of the vastus lateralis, the rectus femoris, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus medialis. The rectus femoris is the most used muscle during the exercise. At the end of your exercising process, when the knee is almost straight, then the vastus medialis contracts.
- Calves
There are actually two muscles used – the soleus and the gastrocnemius. The last one is involved the most.
Caution!
Don’t use too much weight because you might injure your legs if you are a beginner.
Contents
Lying Leg Curl Machine Instructions:
- Make sure the machine level adjusts to your height. Lie face down on the lying curls machine.
- Keep your torso flat on the bench. Your legs are to be fully stretched. Take the side handles of the machine into your hands.
- When you exhale, curl your legs up as far as you can, but don’t lift the upper legs from the pad. When you reach the completely contracted position, hold it for a while.
- When you inhale, bring the legs into the first position. Repeat.
Here you may view the correct leg curl technique:
Lying Leg Curl without Machine
Sometimes if you don’t want to go to the gym, you may do the exercises at home. It might be rather unusual, but you can train your leg muscles even being far away from the gym.
Lying Leg Curl at Home
For that, you’ll need dumbbell hamstring curl. Just follow these steps:
- Step 1. Put a light dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
- Step 2. Curl your dumbbell up till your feet are above your knees.
- Step 3. Slowly lower your feet down two or three counts.
- Step 4. Touch the ground and then come back up slowly.
Tip: It is recommended to do this three sets.
Reverse Leg Curls
There is a number of advantages you might get when exercising with reverse leg curls. First of all, the muscles of the legs are being built. Secondly, the lower back muscles are worked out.
Caution (!):
Before you begin to train, stretch all your leg muscles not to get injured.
There are lying leg curl machine and seated leg curl machine.
Using these machines there might be done such common mistakes:
- The hamstring muscles are not adequately stimulated. Therefore, next time you train, start with the hamstrings.
- Don’t neglect quads as well because there is nothing worse than they lagging behind the hamstring muscles.
- Always stretch before the workout in order to prevent the injuries.
Prone Machine Leg Curl
Find the pad near the hamstring curl bench and set it right for yourself. Make sure you maintain the neutral spine and your feet are neither in or out, but straight.
Here is how to do a hamstring curl video:
How to Do a Lying Leg Curl
For stiff leg lying leg curls, you will need to lie your face down onto the thigh curls machine. Put the pad under your calves. Grab the handles and keep your body straight, and curl your legs up.
Hamstring Leg Curls Machine Workout Routine
In this video guide routine you may find out what does the leg curl work:
Have a great workout! Take care!