Single-Leg Lying Leg Curl
The single-leg lying leg curl is a face-down knee flexion with one leg under the roller, working the hamstrings and revealing strength differences between sides.
HAMSTRINGS · LOWER BODY
How it is executed
- Lie face down on the lying leg curl machine and position one ankle under the roller pad with your leg fully extended.
- Keep your hips pressed firmly into the bench so they don't rise as you curl your heel toward your glute.
- Flex only at the knee and squeeze the hamstring hard at the top of the rep.
- Lower the weight under control until your leg is almost straight, resisting on the way down.
- Training one leg at a time exposes and corrects strength imbalances.
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings
- Primary muscle
- Hamstrings
- Equipment
- Leg curl machine
- Movement pattern
- Lower body
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- What it is for
- Hypertrophy
- Also known as
- Single leg lying hamstring curlUnilateral prone leg curl
Common mistakes
- Lifting the hips off the bench as you curl. It is the classic compensation: the hip flexes so the heel gets closer to the glute. Keep the pelvis on the pad and end the rep where the knee stops flexing.
- Arching the lower back and hanging off the handles. The handles are there to steady you, not to pull with. Brace the abs, keep the ribs down and use a load that does not force the arch.
- Stopping halfway at the top. Working one leg makes it easy to cut the rep short. Bring the heel as close to the glute as you can without moving the hip, and only then return.
Frequently asked questions
- What muscles does the single-leg lying leg curl work?
- It works the three hamstrings of the curling leg: biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The calves help at the start of the movement and the glute keeps the hip pinned to the bench. Done with one leg, that side takes the whole load and cannot lean on the other, which is what makes an imbalance visible.
- Lying or seated leg curl: which one is better?
- In the seated version the hip is flexed and the hamstring starts from a longer position, which usually allows more load and a stronger stimulus in the stretch. Lying down the hip is extended, the squeeze at the top feels more intense, and there is less strain on the lower back as long as the pelvis stays on the bench. Many coaches include both across the week rather than choosing one.
- Why do the hips lift on the lying leg curl and how do you stop it?
- The hips lift when the load exceeds what the hamstring can flex on its own, and the body compensates by flexing the hip to bring the heel closer to the glute. Brace the abs, keep the hip bone in contact with the bench and end the rep where the knee stops flexing. If it still lifts, drop one plate on the stack.
- How much weight should you use on the single-leg lying leg curl?
- A common reference is a little more than half of what you use with both legs, not exactly half, because one leg on its own tends to produce slightly more than its proportional share. Aim for sets of 8 to 12 reps per side with a controlled lowering phase and no hip lift. Start with the weaker leg and let it set the weight for both.
