Sit with your back against the machine and bend the knees to pull the lower leg pad toward your glutes, performing knee flexion that primarily works the hamstrings.
How to do the Seated Leg Curl (Machine)#
- Adjust the seat and lower-leg pad so your knee joint lines up with the machine's pivot and the pad contacts your lower shin.
- Sit tall with your back on the pad and grip the handles or seat edges for stability.
- Exhale and flex your knees to draw the pad toward your buttocks using your hamstrings.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement with the hamstrings engaged.
- Inhale and slowly extend the legs to return the pad to the starting position under control.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Hamstrings
- Secondary: Calves
Common mistakes#
- Lifting or bridging the hips off the seat during the curl.
- Using momentum or rapid reps instead of controlled knee flexion.
- Not aligning the knee with the machine pivot, causing poor tracking.
- Selecting too much weight and losing control on the return phase.
