Hamstrings · Isolation movement
Slider Leg Curl
An isolation exercise for the hamstrings, with the glutes working too. No equipment needed.
Primary muscle
Hamstrings
Secondary muscles
Glutes
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Slider Leg Curl
- Lie on your back with the heels on furniture sliders or a towel and the knees bent.
- Bridge the hips up so the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Slide the heels out by extending the knees while keeping the hips lifted, feeling the hamstrings load.
- Resist hard through the eccentric as the legs straighten, since this is where the overload lives.
- Pull the heels back in by flexing the knees to return to the bridged start without dropping the hips.
- Keep the hips up the entire set so the hamstrings stay under continuous tension.
Suggested working range: 8–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Dropping the hips as the heels slide out, which dumps the tension off the hamstrings.
- •Rushing the eccentric because it is hard, wasting the eccentric-overload benefit.
- •Ignoring the strong cramp risk and pushing to failure before the hamstrings adapt.
- •Sliding out only a short distance instead of extending the knees through a full range.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Slider Leg Curl fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize hamstrings volume.
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