Hamstrings
Standing Leg Curl
The Standing 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: cable leg curl standing
How to do it
- Adjust the machine so the front of your working thigh rests against the thigh pad and the roller sits just above the heel.
- Stand on the platform with the other leg, chest against the upper pad and hands on the handles.
- Line up the working knee with the pivot of the machine.
- Curl the heel toward your glute until the knee is fully bent.
- Lower slowly to a nearly straight leg, finish the set and switch sides.
Tips
- Press the thigh into the pad so the hip does not help.
- Keep the standing knee soft and the hips square.
Common mistakes
- Leaning the torso back to jerk the weight up.
- Letting the working thigh move away from the pad.
- Stopping each rep well short of full bend.
Muscles worked by the Standing 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.
Standing Leg Curl alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
No equipment
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Standing Leg Curl work?
Mainly the hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus). The calves (gastrocnemius) assist.
Is the Standing Leg Curl good for beginners?
Yes. The Standing 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 Standing 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 Standing 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
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