Standing Leg Curl
Trains the Hamstrings.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Set the machine so the ankle pad rests just above the heel of the working leg and the thigh pad supports the front of that thigh.
- Stand on the supporting leg, hold the handles, and keep your torso upright.
- Brace your stomach so the pelvis stays still and the lower back does not arch.
- Curl the working heel up toward your backside by bending the knee.
- Squeeze briefly at the top, then lower under control until the leg is almost straight.
- Complete the set, then swap legs and match the repetitions.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back or swinging the hip forward to gain range. The thigh should stay against the pad — if the hip moves, the movement is coming from somewhere other than the knee.
- Rushing the return. As with any leg curl, the lowering half deserves at least two seconds.
- Ignoring the difference between sides. Unilateral work is where a strength difference becomes visible, and matching the weaker side is what makes it useful.
- Treating it as inferior to the lying version. Working one leg at a time removes the stronger leg's compensation, which is exactly what a bilateral machine hides.