I am a creative. What I do is alchemy. It is a mystery. I do not so much do it, as let it be done through me.
I am a creative. Not all creative people like this label. Not all see themselves this way. Some creative people see science in what they do. That is their truth, and I respect it. Maybe I even envy them, a little. But my process is different—my being is different.
Apologizing and qualifying in advance is a distraction. That’s what my brain does to sabotage me. I set it aside for now. I can come back later to apologize and qualify. After I’ve said what I came to say. Which is hard enough.
Except when it is easy and flows like a river of wine.
Sometimes it does come that way. Sometimes what I need to create comes in an instant. I have learned not to say it at that moment, because if you admit that sometimes the idea just comes and it is the best idea and you know it is the best idea, they think you don’t work hard enough.
Sometimes I work and work and work until the idea comes. Sometimes it comes instantly and I don’t tell anyone for three days. Sometimes I’m so excited by the idea that came instantly that I blurt it out, can’t help myself. Like a boy who found a prize in his Cracker Jacks. Sometimes I get away with this. Sometimes other people agree: yes, that is the best idea. Most times they don’t and I regret having given way to enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is best saved for the meeting where it will make a difference. Not the casual get-together that precedes that meeting by two other meetings. Nobody knows why we have all these meetings. We keep saying we’re doing away with them, but then just finding other ways to have them. Sometimes they are even good. But other times they are a distraction from the actual work. The proportion between when meetings are useful, and when they are a pitiful distraction, varies, depending on what you do and where you do it. And who you are and how you do it. Again I digress. I am a creative. That is the theme.
Sometimes many hours of hard and patient work produce something that is barely serviceable. Sometimes I have to accept that and move on to the next project.
I am a creative. I don’t control my dreams. And I don’t control my best ideas.
I can hammer away, surround myself with facts or images, and sometimes that works. I can go for a walk, and sometimes that works. I can be making dinner and there’s a Eureka having nothing to do with sizzling oil and bubbling pots. Often I know what to do the instant I wake up. And then, almost as often, as I become conscious and part of the world again, the idea that would have saved me turns to vanishing dust in a mindless wind of oblivion. For creativity, I believe, comes from that other world. The one we enter in dreams, and perhaps, before birth and after death. But that’s for poets to wonder, and I am not a poet. I am a creative. And it’s for theologians to mass armies about in their creative world that they insist is real. But that is another digression. And a depressing one. Maybe on a much more important topic than whether I am a creative or not. But still a digression from what I came here to say.
Sometimes the process is avoidance. And agony. You know the cliché about the tortured artist? It’s true, even when the artist (and let’s put that noun in quotes) is trying to write a soft drink jingle, a callback in a tired sitcom, a budget request.
Some people who hate being called creative may be closeted creatives, but that’s between them and their gods. No offense meant. Your truth is true, too. But mine is for me.
Creatives recognize creatives like queers recognize queers, like real rappers recognize real rappers, like cons know cons. Creatives feel massive respect for creatives. We love, honor, emulate, and practically deify the great ones. To deify any human is, of course, a tragic mistake. We have been warned. We know better. We know people are just people. They squabble, they are lonely, they regret their most important decisions, they are poor and hungry, they can be cruel, they can be just as stupid as we can, because, like us, they are clay. But. But. But they make this amazing thing. They birth something that did not exist before them, and could not exist without them. They are the mothers of ideas. And I suppose, since it’s just lying there, I have to add that they are the mothers of invention. Ba dum bum! OK, that’s done. Continue.
Creatives belittle our own small achievements, because we compare them to those of the great ones. Beautiful animation! Well, I’m no Miyazaki. Now THAT is greatness. That is greatness straight from the mind of God. This half-starved little thing that I made? It more or less fell off the back of the turnip truck. And the turnips weren’t even fresh.
Creatives knows that, at best, they are Salieri. Even the creatives who are Mozart believe that.
I am a creative. I haven’t worked in advertising in 30 years, but in my nightmares, it’s my former creative directors who judge me. And they are right to do so. I am too lazy, too facile, and when it really counts, my mind goes blank. There is no pill for creative dysfunction.
I am a creative. Every deadline I make is an adventure that makes Indiana Jones look like a pensioner snoring in a deck chair. The longer I remain a creative, the faster I am when I do my work and the longer I brood and walk in circles and stare blankly before I do that work.
I am still 10 times faster than people who are not creative, or people who have only been creative a short while, or people who have only been professionally creative a short while. It’s just that, before I work 10 times as fast as they do, I spend twice as long as they do putting the work off. I am that confident in my ability to do a great job when I put my mind to it. I am that addicted to the adrenaline rush of postponement. I am still that afraid of the jump.
I am a creative. Not an artist. Though I dreamed, as a lad, of someday being that. Some of us belittle our gifts and dislike ourselves because we are not Michelangelos and Warhols. That is narcissism—but at least we aren’t in politics.
I am a creative. Though I believe in reason and science, I decide by intuition and impulse. And live with what follows—the catastrophes as well as the triumphs.
I am a creative. Every word I’ve said here will annoy other creatives, who see things differently. Ask two creatives a question, get three opinions. Our disagreement, our passion about it, and our commitment to our own truth are, at least to me, the proofs that we are creatives, no matter how we may feel about it.
I am a creative. I lament my lack of taste in the areas about which I know very little, which is to say almost all areas of human knowledge. And I trust my taste above all other things in the areas closest to my heart, or perhaps, more accurately, to my obsessions. Without my obsessions, I would probably have to spend my time looking life in the eye, and almost none of us can do that for long. Not honestly. Not really. Because much in life, if you really look at it, is unbearable.
I am a creative. I believe, as a parent believes, that when I am gone, some small good part of me will carry on in the mind of at least one other person.
I am a creative. I live in dread of my small gift suddenly going away.
I am a creative. I am too busy making the next thing to spend too much time deeply considering that almost nothing I make will come anywhere near the greatness I comically aspire to.
I am a creative. I believe in the ultimate mystery of process. I believe in it so much, I am even fool enough to publish an essay I dictated into a tiny machine and didn’t take time to review or revise. I won’t do this often, I promise. But I did it just now, because, as afraid as I might be of your seeing through my pitiful gestures toward the beautiful, I was even more afraid of forgetting what I came to say.
There. I think I’ve said it.
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been fascinated with movies. I loved the characters and the excitement—but most of all the stories. I wanted to be an actor. And I believed that I’d get to do the things that Indiana Jones did and go on exciting adventures. I even dreamed up ideas for movies that my friends and I could make and star in. But they never went any further. I did, however, end up working in user experience (UX). Now, I realize that there’s an element of theater to UX—I hadn’t really considered it before, but user research is storytelling. And to get the most out of user research, you need to tell a good story where you bring stakeholders—the product team and decision makers—along and get them interested in learning more.
Think of your favorite movie. More than likely it follows a three-act structure that’s commonly seen in storytelling: the setup, the conflict, and the resolution. The first act shows what exists today, and it helps you get to know the characters and the challenges and problems that they face. Act two introduces the conflict, where the action is. Here, problems grow or get worse. And the third and final act is the resolution. This is where the issues are resolved and the characters learn and change. I believe that this structure is also a great way to think about user research, and I think that it can be especially helpful in explaining user research to others.
It’s sad to say, but many have come to see research as being expendable. If budgets or timelines are tight, research tends to be one of the first things to go. Instead of investing in research, some product managers rely on designers or—worse—their own opinion to make the “right” choices for users based on their experience or accepted best practices. That may get teams some of the way, but that approach can so easily miss out on solving users’ real problems. To remain user-centered, this is something we should avoid. User research elevates design. It keeps it on track, pointing to problems and opportunities. Being aware of the issues with your product and reacting to them can help you stay ahead of your competitors.
In the three-act structure, each act corresponds to a part of the process, and each part is critical to telling the whole story. Let’s look at the different acts and how they align with user research.
The setup is all about understanding the background, and that’s where foundational research comes in. Foundational research (also called generative, discovery, or initial research) helps you understand users and identify their problems. You’re learning about what exists today, the challenges users have, and how the challenges affect them—just like in the movies. To do foundational research, you can conduct contextual inquiries or diary studies (or both!), which can help you start to identify problems as well as opportunities. It doesn’t need to be a huge investment in time or money.
Erika Hall writes about minimum viable ethnography, which can be as simple as spending 15 minutes with a user and asking them one thing: “‘Walk me through your day yesterday.’ That’s it. Present that one request. Shut up and listen to them for 15 minutes. Do your damndest to keep yourself and your interests out of it. Bam, you’re doing ethnography.” According to Hall, “[This] will probably prove quite illuminating. In the highly unlikely case that you didn’t learn anything new or useful, carry on with enhanced confidence in your direction.”
This makes total sense to me. And I love that this makes user research so accessible. You don’t need to prepare a lot of documentation; you can just recruit participants and do it! This can yield a wealth of information about your users, and it’ll help you better understand them and what’s going on in their lives. That’s really what act one is all about: understanding where users are coming from.
Jared Spool talks about the importance of foundational research and how it should form the bulk of your research. If you can draw from any additional user data that you can get your hands on, such as surveys or analytics, that can supplement what you’ve heard in the foundational studies or even point to areas that need further investigation. Together, all this data paints a clearer picture of the state of things and all its shortcomings. And that’s the beginning of a compelling story. It’s the point in the plot where you realize that the main characters—or the users in this case—are facing challenges that they need to overcome. Like in the movies, this is where you start to build empathy for the characters and root for them to succeed. And hopefully stakeholders are now doing the same. Their sympathy may be with their business, which could be losing money because users can’t complete certain tasks. Or maybe they do empathize with users’ struggles. Either way, act one is your initial hook to get the stakeholders interested and invested.
Once stakeholders begin to understand the value of foundational research, that can open doors to more opportunities that involve users in the decision-making process. And that can guide product teams toward being more user-centered. This benefits everyone—users, the product, and stakeholders. It’s like winning an Oscar in movie terms—it often leads to your product being well received and successful. And this can be an incentive for stakeholders to repeat this process with other products. Storytelling is the key to this process, and knowing how to tell a good story is the only way to get stakeholders to really care about doing more research.
This brings us to act two, where you iteratively evaluate a design or concept to see whether it addresses the issues.
Act two is all about digging deeper into the problems that you identified in act one. This usually involves directional research, such as usability tests, where you assess a potential solution (such as a design) to see whether it addresses the issues that you found. The issues could include unmet needs or problems with a flow or process that’s tripping users up. Like act two in a movie, more issues will crop up along the way. It’s here that you learn more about the characters as they grow and develop through this act.
Usability tests should typically include around five participants according to Jakob Nielsen, who found that that number of users can usually identify most of the problems: “As you add more and more users, you learn less and less because you will keep seeing the same things again and again… After the fifth user, you are wasting your time by observing the same findings repeatedly but not learning much new.”
There are parallels with storytelling here too; if you try to tell a story with too many characters, the plot may get lost. Having fewer participants means that each user’s struggles will be more memorable and easier to relay to other stakeholders when talking about the research. This can help convey the issues that need to be addressed while also highlighting the value of doing the research in the first place.
Researchers have run usability tests in person for decades, but you can also conduct usability tests remotely using tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other teleconferencing software. This approach has become increasingly popular since the beginning of the pandemic, and it works well. You can think of in-person usability tests like going to a play and remote sessions as more like watching a movie. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. In-person usability research is a much richer experience. Stakeholders can experience the sessions with other stakeholders. You also get real-time reactions—including surprise, agreement, disagreement, and discussions about what they’re seeing. Much like going to a play, where audiences get to take in the stage, the costumes, the lighting, and the actors’ interactions, in-person research lets you see users up close, including their body language, how they interact with the moderator, and how the scene is set up.
If in-person usability testing is like watching a play—staged and controlled—then conducting usability testing in the field is like immersive theater where any two sessions might be very different from one another. You can take usability testing into the field by creating a replica of the space where users interact with the product and then conduct your research there. Or you can go out to meet users at their location to do your research. With either option, you get to see how things work in context, things come up that wouldn’t have in a lab environment—and conversion can shift in entirely different directions. As researchers, you have less control over how these sessions go, but this can sometimes help you understand users even better. Meeting users where they are can provide clues to the external forces that could be affecting how they use your product. In-person usability tests provide another level of detail that’s often missing from remote usability tests.
That’s not to say that the “movies”—remote sessions—aren’t a good option. Remote sessions can reach a wider audience. They allow a lot more stakeholders to be involved in the research and to see what’s going on. And they open the doors to a much wider geographical pool of users. But with any remote session there is the potential of time wasted if participants can’t log in or get their microphone working.
The benefit of usability testing, whether remote or in person, is that you get to see real users interact with the designs in real time, and you can ask them questions to understand their thought processes and grasp of the solution. This can help you not only identify problems but also glean why they’re problems in the first place. Furthermore, you can test hypotheses and gauge whether your thinking is correct. By the end of the sessions, you’ll have a much clearer picture of how usable the designs are and whether they work for their intended purposes. Act two is the heart of the story—where the excitement is—but there can be surprises too. This is equally true of usability tests. Often, participants will say unexpected things, which change the way that you look at things—and these twists in the story can move things in new directions.
Unfortunately, user research is sometimes seen as expendable. And too often usability testing is the only research process that some stakeholders think that they ever need. In fact, if the designs that you’re evaluating in the usability test aren’t grounded in a solid understanding of your users (foundational research), there’s not much to be gained by doing usability testing in the first place. That’s because you’re narrowing the focus of what you’re getting feedback on, without understanding the users’ needs. As a result, there’s no way of knowing whether the designs might solve a problem that users have. It’s only feedback on a particular design in the context of a usability test.
On the other hand, if you only do foundational research, while you might have set out to solve the right problem, you won’t know whether the thing that you’re building will actually solve that. This illustrates the importance of doing both foundational and directional research.
In act two, stakeholders will—hopefully—get to watch the story unfold in the user sessions, which creates the conflict and tension in the current design by surfacing their highs and lows. And in turn, this can help motivate stakeholders to address the issues that come up.
While the first two acts are about understanding the background and the tensions that can propel stakeholders into action, the third part is about resolving the problems from the first two acts. While it’s important to have an audience for the first two acts, it’s crucial that they stick around for the final act. That means the whole product team, including developers, UX practitioners, business analysts, delivery managers, product managers, and any other stakeholders that have a say in the next steps. It allows the whole team to hear users’ feedback together, ask questions, and discuss what’s possible within the project’s constraints. And it lets the UX research and design teams clarify, suggest alternatives, or give more context behind their decisions. So you can get everyone on the same page and get agreement on the way forward.
This act is mostly told in voiceover with some audience participation. The researcher is the narrator, who paints a picture of the issues and what the future of the product could look like given the things that the team has learned. They give the stakeholders their recommendations and their guidance on creating this vision.
Nancy Duarte in the Harvard Business Review offers an approach to structuring presentations that follow a persuasive story. “The most effective presenters use the same techniques as great storytellers: By reminding people of the status quo and then revealing the path to a better way, they set up a conflict that needs to be resolved,” writes Duarte. “That tension helps them persuade the audience to adopt a new mindset or behave differently.”
This type of structure aligns well with research results, and particularly results from usability tests. It provides evidence for “what is”—the problems that you’ve identified. And “what could be”—your recommendations on how to address them. And so on and so forth.
You can reinforce your recommendations with examples of things that competitors are doing that could address these issues or with examples where competitors are gaining an edge. Or they can be visual, like quick mockups of how a new design could look that solves a problem. These can help generate conversation and momentum. And this continues until the end of the session when you’ve wrapped everything up in the conclusion by summarizing the main issues and suggesting a way forward. This is the part where you reiterate the main themes or problems and what they mean for the product—the denouement of the story. This stage gives stakeholders the next steps and hopefully the momentum to take those steps!
While we are nearly at the end of this story, let’s reflect on the idea that user research is storytelling. All the elements of a good story are there in the three-act structure of user research:
The researcher has multiple roles: they’re the storyteller, the director, and the producer. The participants have a small role, but they are significant characters (in the research). And the stakeholders are the audience. But the most important thing is to get the story right and to use storytelling to tell users’ stories through research. By the end, the stakeholders should walk away with a purpose and an eagerness to resolve the product’s ills.
So the next time that you’re planning research with clients or you’re speaking to stakeholders about research that you’ve done, think about how you can weave in some storytelling. Ultimately, user research is a win-win for everyone, and you just need to get stakeholders interested in how the story ends.
Mental healthcare is healthcare—and insurers need to get with the program.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
Chemicals produced by gas stoves can be hazardous to your health.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
Outside, the temperatures are dropping. Your scarves and sweaters will soon be taking center stage. Your coffee shop order’s officially transitioned from a chilled matcha latte to a hot cappuccino (unless you’re one of those people who drinks iced coffee year-round). Get those fingertips ready: It’s finally fall 2024, and fresh trends are on the […]
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
Pro tip: Come prepared.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
An endocrinologist says we don’t have to panic, but there are small changes we can make every day to reduce exposure.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
Time to give that inner child some love.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
Yes and no, says an allergist.
If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris:
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If your leg days are all about squats (and other quad-dominant exercises), listen up: You might be setting yourself up for an injury. Many of us pay too much attention to the muscles on the front of our legs while ignoring the backs of our thighs (aka our hamstrings). Problem is, this can lead to crappy stuff like muscle imbalances, compensations, and, eventually injury (especially because weak hamstrings can make you more prone to knee and hip problems). The solve? More lying hamstring curls.
It’s in your best interest to keep your leg muscles in proportion. To do that, you need to show your hammies some special TLC, and hamstring isolation exercises are the way to go. Arguably, there’s no better way to target these muscles than the lying hamstring curl.
We know it’s a bit old school, but trust us: it works. Here’s how lying leg curls can level up your lagging hamstrings (and your overall fitness).
To really hit your hamstrings, flex your feet during the movement, curling them toward your shins.
As the name implies, the lying hamstring curl primarily strengthens the hamstrings, the group of muscles that run along back of your thigh from your hip to your knee, says Julianne Lane, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego.
But they also work other big muscle groups in the posterior chain, says Brooke Van Paris, CPT, a personal trainer at Life Time Boca Raton. These include the:
Lying hamstring curls are for you if you’re looking to improve:
In other words, just about anyone—from strength athletes to body builders and weekend warriors—could benefit from repping out lying leg curls, Dr. Lane and Van Paris agree.
That said, lying hamstring curls can be tricky (or even a tad troublesome) for certain people, according to Dr. Lane and Van Paris. Steer clear of the curl machine if you fall into any of these groups:
Still not sure whether it’s safe for you to crank out lying leg curls? Consult a professional. “Talking with your doctor before starting a weight training program is best,” Dr. Lane says. Likewise, “if you work with a physical therapist or trainer, check with them for guidance on using the lying hamstring curl machine.”
If lying leg curls aren’t already part of your weekly workout routine, here are five solid reasons to put them into rotation.
This one’s pretty obvious given the name of the exercise. Still, it bears mentioning because, honestly, you can’t overstate the importance of healthy hamstrings. You need them to walk, climb stairs, do squats, and execute countless other movements.
Lying hamstring curls put your hamstrings under constant load, targeting these muscles in two ways. First, “the concentric contraction (pull) helps promote muscle hypertrophy,” meaning it makes the muscle bigger, Dr. Lane says. Secondly, “the eccentric contraction (stretch) helps promote tissue lengthening,” she says. In other words, it builds long, limber, flexible muscles.
Van Paris agrees: The lying hamstring curl is a great way to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, as it takes the muscles through their full range of motion. By improving flexibility, you also enable your hammies to activate through their entire range, she says.
That’s a big bonus: Most people struggle with “chronically shortened” hamstrings thanks to “prolonged sitting and lack of movement in our day-to-day lives,” Van Paris says. And when your hamstring muscles stay in a tightened, short position, it can lead to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and, down the line, injury.
Want more speed and agility on the field or the court? Start cranking out lying hamstring curls.
“The hamstring muscles are crucial for explosive strength,” Dr. Lane says. That’s because they “help with sprinting acceleration, jumping, change of direction, and deceleration,” she says. Pretty much all the things you need to up your game whether you run, cycle, play tennis, soccer, pickleball, or any other sport.
Hamstring strength is also crucial to keep you sidelined from a sports injury. “Having strong and flexible hamstrings helps to prevent injury by slowing the leg in its eccentric movement phase of walking and running,” Van Paris says. Essentially, this “prepares the joints for contact with the ground,” she says. So whenever you need to pivot on a dime or stop short, you can do it without stressing out your joints or muscles.
Facts: If you want to stay steady on your feet, you need strong, healthy hamstrings.
Balance may not be super sexy, but it is super important, especially as you get older and falls become more likely (every year, one in four older folks will take a tumble, and one-fifth of these falls will cause a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head trauma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
So what’s the link between balance and hammies? “Hamstring strength aids in stabilizing the lower-body joints and improves reaction to quick changes in the environment,” Van Paris says.
Specifically, “the hamstrings help to improve balance by working synergistically with the quadricep muscles,” Dr. Lane says. By building your hammies with lying leg curls, you can “create more limb symmetry and stability” and “complement popular quad-dominant exercises such as leg presses and squats,” she says.
If you sit at a desk all day, odds are your posture needs a little love (no judgment, we’re in the same boat). Sitting for extended periods (especially if slouched or slumped) tends to put strain on your neck and back. Plus, it shortens your hip flexors. All of this is bad news for posture (not to contributes mention aches and pains).
Having healthy hamstrings can help offset some of these postural problems. Hamstring strength “aids in improving posture by increasing the alignment of the pelvis and spine,” Van Paris says.
For better posture (and less pain), it’s also a wise idea to stand, stretch, and take a quick stroll every half hour—your body will thank you.
As we mentioned, strong, limber hammies can help prevent you from getting hurt. Together with the quadriceps, the hamstrings work to “help significantly stabilize the hip and knee joints,” Van Paris says.
By protecting your joints in this way, you “reduce the risk of soft tissue injury while accelerating, running, and decelerating at higher speeds,” Dr. Lane says. “In particular, the lateral hamstring, [the] biceps femoris, helps to reduce the risk of ACL injuries, knee shearing forces, and twisting,” Van Paris adds.
Old knee and hip pain and injuries can crop up as we get older, so you might want to start strengthening those hamstrings now by doing lying leg curls to nip future issues in the bud. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lying leg curls can help you build long, strong hamstrings, but only if you perform them with proper form. If you don’t do the exercise correctly, it won’t be as effective. “Without good form, you could be working a completely different muscle group than intended,” Van Paris says. Plus, you can end up in pain (or even injured).
Avoid these common mistakes when you use the lying hamstring curl machine.
When the machine’s ankle pad or roller is too high on your calves, “it will increase pressure on the Achilles tendon and reduce your range of motion,” Dr. Lane says. In other words, it will feel uncomfortable and won’t work your muscles in their full range. A double no-no.
So what’s the optimal place for the ankle pad? It should be “resting on the calf muscles a few inches above the heels,” she says.
To be sure you have the right positioning, you can always ask a fitness pro like a trainer or physical therapist at your gym. They can help adjust the pad if needed.
If you trained in ballet or often do barre classes, you probably have a tendency to point your toes. But this habit won’t help you during lying leg curls. While pointed toes aren’t a bad thing, per se, this toe position will work your calves more than your hamstrings, Van Paris says. For the full hamstring effect, keep your toes flexed, she says.
“One of the most common mistakes people make is using too heavy of a weight,” Dr. Lane says. “This will cause the person to compensate by lifting their hips and potentially arching their back under load.” It might even lead to lower back pain.
“If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy.”—Brooke Van Paris, CPT
So how heavy is too heavy? Van Paris recommends choosing a weight that you can lift for 8 to 12 reps per set. “If you cannot reach 8 reps with good, controlled form, then you have gone way too heavy,” she says.
On the other hand, “if you reach 12 to 15 reps, and you feel like it was pretty easy, and you have more gas still in the tank, you have gone too light with the weight,” Van Paris says.
While the lying hamstring curl is a truly excellent hamstring exercise, it’s not advisable for certain peeps (like those with knee, hip, back, or neck problems and pregnant people). Even if you don’t fall into these groups, you might not love lying hamstring curls (hey, different strokes, right) or maybe you simply don’t have access to a machine. Luckily, there are plenty other options that target your hammies just fine. Try one of these alternatives.
Balancing on a stability ball requires a lot of hip and core stability. Translation: Both your hammies and abs will be on fire.
Not only do RDLs hit your hamstrings, they also build back, core, and grip strength.
In this position, also known as a single-leg deadlift, you can isolate one leg at a time, which improves strength and balance.
Got back issues? The seated hamstring curl machine supports your lumbar spine and core much better than lying leg curls, Dr. Lane says.
“No option is better or worse than another—both isolate the hamstrings and allow for knee flexion—but each have their benefits,” Van Paris says. It just depends on your goals. For example, if your aim is to build muscle, you may prefer seated leg curls.
“Research shows that for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), the seated hamstring curl reigns king,” Van Paris says. Dr. Lane agrees, citing an April 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: The researchers “compared 20 healthy adults, who completed seated leg curls with one leg and lying leg curls with the other leg. The individuals performed 5 sets of 10 reps, twice a week for 12 weeks.” After the 12 weeks, they concluded that seated leg curls produced greater increases in muscle volume.
OK, but why are seated curls superior for muscle growth? “The seated hamstring curl machine trains the hamstring in a [more] lengthened position,” Dr. Lane says. “This puts the hamstring on stretch, which allows the muscle to contract through a larger range of motion.” The greater the range of motion, the greater the muscle activation, recruitment, and growth.
Still, Van Paris points to a few drawbacks of sitting: “In the seated position, the hip flexors are in that same chronically shortened position that we see in day-to-day life.” Whereas with lying leg curls, “the muscles and body can move more freely and naturally,” she says. Lying hamstring curls also offer more trunk stability and support, so they’re a better choice for people with low back issues, Dr. Lane adds.
Sure do. While prone leg curls primarily strengthen the hammies, they also put your butt muscles to work. Specifically, your gluteus maximus kicks in during the eccentric phase of the movement (when you lower the weight), Van Paris says.
This “will vary drastically depending on your athletic history, type of sport you are training for, and your body composition,” Dr. Lane says. For instance, if you’re a gym newbie, you might start with a lighter load. But if you already have baseline strength in your legs, you might go heavier. Either way, finding the right weight may “take some trial and error,” she says.
While everyone’s sweet spot will be different, here are a few guidelines to help you calculate how much you should lift on the lying leg curl machine, per Dr. Lane:
But how much you lift is only part of the equation. “No matter what the weight,” the key is “keeping good form the entire way through” the exercise, Van Paris says. “If you cannot maintain good form and mind-to-muscle connection,” you need to drop a few plates, she says.
Here’s a quick way to assess whether you’re lifting the right amount, per Van Paris: