Lying leg curl
The most common hamstring machine. It grew the hamstrings by about 9% in twelve weeks, though the seated version grew them more.
Why it's here
The lying leg curl isolates the hamstrings face down, and many gyms have it when they have no seated curl. In a twelve-week MRI trial it grew the hamstrings by about 9% and built strength as well as the seated curl did — but in the same people, the seated curl grew them more [1]. If you have both, the seated curl is the better-supported choice for muscle size.
The evidence
- Training study Twenty young adults with no structured resistance training in the previous year trained one leg on a lying curl (hips nearly straight, about 30° of bend) and the other on a seated curl, twice a week for twelve weeks, five sets of ten at 70% of their maximum. Hamstring volume rose about 9% in the lying leg and 14% in the seated leg; strength gains did not differ [1].
How to do it
- Lie face down with your knees just off the end of the bench, lined up with the machine's pivot, and the pad just above your heels.
- Keeping your hips on the bench, curl your heels toward your backside as far as the machine allows.
- Lower under control until your knees are nearly straight, then curl again.
Stop an exercise that causes significant or unusual pain and have it assessed. This page describes the movement; it is not rehabilitation advice.
Making it harder over time
This is a isolation exercise in the Progressive Overload Calculator, which adds weight in steps of 2%–5% once every set reaches the top of your rep range, and adds reps until then.
Alternatives
- Seated leg curl — Curls the knee with the hips bent, which stretches the hamstrings further. In the same people, it grew them more than the lying curl did.
- Nordic hamstring curl — Needs only something to hold your ankles. In trials with groups that did not train, it grew the hamstrings, most of all the semitendinosus.
References
- Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2021;53(4):825-837. doi.org
How we reviewed this page
Every claim is cited to research we opened and read, and labelled with the kind of evidence behind it. Training studies, which measure muscle or strength over weeks, carry the most weight; an exercise is listed only if at least one training study or review supports it. Studies of muscle activation (EMG) can add detail but are never the reason an exercise is here. Sources were last checked on October 15, 2026.
These are five well-supported choices we list for this muscle group, not a ranked "top five" — the research rarely supports one.
Drafted with AI assistance, then edited and fact-checked by a human.
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General information only. This is not medical advice.