Hamstrings · Isolation movement
Standing Leg Curl
An isolation exercise for the hamstrings. You need a leg curl machine.
Looping the start and end of the movement.
Primary muscle
Hamstrings
Secondary muscles
–
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Standing Leg Curl
- Stand in the standing curl machine with one thigh against the pad and hold the supports for balance.
- Place the working ankle behind the roller with the hip in a roughly neutral, extended position.
- Curl the heel up toward the glute by flexing the knee, keeping the thigh still against the pad.
- Squeeze the hamstring at the top where the knee is fully bent and the roller is near the glute.
- Lower the roller under control to a straight knee without swinging the thigh forward.
- Finish all reps on one leg, then switch, keeping the torso upright throughout.
Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Swinging the whole thigh forward and back to heave the roller up with momentum.
- •Arching the lower back to assist the curl instead of isolating the knee flexion.
- •Using a partial range that never reaches full knee flexion at the top.
- •Leaning the torso far forward, which changes the hip angle and reduces isolation.
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 Standing Leg Curl fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize hamstrings volume.
Browse training programs →Track your sets and reps automatically with MuscleBuddy
Free workout logging and auto-progression, with coaching that adjusts to the sets and weigh-ins you log.
Create your free account