Hamstrings
Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl
The Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl is a strength exercise with no equipment for your hamstrings. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: hamstrings (biceps femoris) 34%, hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) 32% and gluteus maximus 14%.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with the heel of one foot on a slider or towel on a smooth floor and the other leg raised straight up.
- Press the working heel down and lift the hips into a bridge.
- Slide the heel away from you until the leg is almost straight, keeping the hips off the floor.
- Pull the heel back toward your glute by bending the knee, driving the hips up again.
- Finish the set on one side, then switch legs.
Tips
- Keep the pelvis level, do not let the raised side drop.
- Press down through the heel the whole time so the slider never loses contact.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag to the floor as the leg straightens.
- Rotating the pelvis toward the working side.
- Pushing through the toes instead of the heel.
Muscles worked by the Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring 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.
Curling the feet in while holding a bridge adds glutes. 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.
Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl alternatives
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl work?
Mainly the hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus). The gluteus maximus and calves (gastrocnemius) assist.
Is the Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl good for beginners?
The Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Hamstring Walkout first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Single Leg Glute Bridge Hamstring Curl?
For example the Hamstring Walkout, Sliding Leg Curl and Swiss Ball Leg Curl. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
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
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