Standing Leg Curl

How to do the Standing Leg Curl

1. Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie with your torso bent at the waist facing forward around 30-45 degrees (since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment) with the pad of the lever on the back of your right leg (just a few inches under the calves) and the front of the right leg on top of the machine pad.
2. Keeping the torso bent forward, ensure your leg is fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine. Position your toes straight. This will be your starting position.
3. As you exhale, curl your right leg up as far as possible without lifting the upper leg from the pad. Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second.
4. As you inhale, bring the legs back to the initial position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
5. Perform the same exercise now for the left leg.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	hamstrings
Equipment	machine
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

No machine? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Floor Glute-Ham Raise Bodyweight Natural Glute Ham Raise Bodyweight Ball Leg Curl Exercise Ball Prone Manual Hamstring Bodyweight Dumbbell Clean Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift Dumbbell

Harder than the Standing Leg Curl

Split Snatch expert · Barbell Reverse Band Sumo Deadlift expert · Barbell Power Snatch expert · Barbell

Superset the Standing Leg Curl with

Opposing quads work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Leg Extensions quads Single-Leg Leg Extension quads Chair Squat quads Hack Squat quads

Common questions

What muscles does the Standing Leg Curl work?

The Standing Leg Curl primarily works the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl, Floor Glute-Ham Raise, and Lying Leg Curls train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Standing Leg Curl?

A Machine. Without a machine, Floor Glute-Ham Raise, Natural Glute Ham Raise, and Ball Leg Curl train the same muscle, and 20 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Standing Leg Curl suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Standing Leg Curl is rated beginner. Split Snatch, Reverse Band Sumo Deadlift, and Power Snatch are the progressions from here.

Where should the Standing Leg Curl go in a workout?

Late — the Standing Leg Curl is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Leg Extensions and Single-Leg Leg Extension cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

Ball Leg Curl Exercise Ball Floor Glute-Ham Raise Bodyweight Lying Leg Curls Machine Platform Hamstring Slides Other Equipment Seated Band Hamstring Curl Other Equipment Seated Leg Curl Machine