Hamstrings
Seated Leg Curl
The Seated Leg Curl is a strength exercise on a machine for your hamstrings. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: hamstrings (biceps femoris) 42%, hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) 40% and calves (gastrocnemius) 10%.
Also known as: beenbuiger zittend
How to do it
- Adjust the seat so your knees line up with the machine pivot and the lower roller sits just above the heels.
- Sit with your back against the pad and lower the thigh pad firmly onto the thighs, just above the knees.
- Hold the side handles and start with the legs nearly straight.
- Pull the heels down and back under the seat as far as you can.
- Pause, then let the legs return slowly to the start.
Tips
- Lean the torso slightly forward to stretch the hamstrings more at the start.
- Keep the thigh pad tight so the hips cannot lift.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the thigh pad loose so the body slides in the seat.
- Knees out of line with the pivot.
- Letting the roller fly back up to the top.
Muscles worked by the Seated 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.
Hip flexed: hamstrings lengthened, a larger stimulus (Maeo 2021). 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.
Seated Leg Curl alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
No equipment
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Seated Leg Curl work?
Mainly the hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus).
Is the Seated Leg Curl good for beginners?
Yes. The Seated 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 Seated Leg Curl?
For example the Single Leg Seated Leg Curl, Kneeling Leg Curl and Band Leg Curl. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Seated 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)
Log your sets in Zulta
Zulta tracks your sets, weights and muscle load next to your running, riding or Hyrox training. The app opens soon.