Hamstrings
Kneeling Leg Curl
The Kneeling Leg Curl is a strength exercise on a machine for your hamstrings. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: hamstrings (biceps femoris) 40%, hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) 38% and calves (gastrocnemius) 14%.
Also known as: prone kneeling curl
How to do it
- Adjust the machine so the knee of your working leg rests on the knee pad and the roller sits just above the heel.
- Kneel on the other leg's pad, rest your forearms on the arm pads and hold the handles.
- Keep the hips level and the back flat, the working thigh angled down under the hip.
- Curl the heel up toward your glute until the knee is fully bent.
- Lower slowly until the leg is almost straight, then repeat.
Tips
- Press the working knee into the pad so the thigh does not lift.
- Keep the hips square to the machine, do not twist to get the last few centimetres.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the thigh off the pad as the heel comes up.
- Rounding or arching the back to throw the weight.
- Letting the weight stack touch down between reps.
Muscles worked by the Kneeling Leg Curl
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Knee flexion with the thigh fixed isolates the hamstrings, with gastrocnemius assisting; a flexed hip (seated) lengthens the hamstrings and grew them more than lying curls.
Kneeling Leg Curl alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
No equipment
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Kneeling Leg Curl work?
Mainly the hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus). The calves (gastrocnemius) assist.
Is the Kneeling Leg Curl good for beginners?
Yes. The Kneeling Leg Curl is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Kneeling Leg Curl?
For example the Band Leg Curl, Cable Hamstring Curl and Dumbbell Single Leg Curl. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Kneeling Leg Curl harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Cable Hamstring Curl and Dumbbell Single Leg Curl.
Sources
- Maeo et al. 2021, MSSE 53(4):825-837 (seated vs prone leg curl)
- Bourne et al. 2017, Br J Sports Med 51(13):1021-1028 (Nordic curl biases semitendinosus)
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