

This may be due to their composition because type II or fast-twitch muscle fibers are typically more susceptible to injury.ĭepending on the severity, hamstring injuries could put an athlete out for quite some time.
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Hamstring injuries are the most common in sports where sprinting is involved, such as football or track. Like with any exercise, the benefits are worth the burn.īefore working out, consider trying a pre-workout like PUMPED-AF to feel essential nutrients shuttle in and out of your muscle bellies resulting in skin-bursting pumps and increased training capacity. Ultimately, this can help improve daily function, stability, and injury prevention.Īs simple as it may seem, the lying leg curl is harder than it looks. Using the lying curl machine can help control your movement and help your hamstrings move through a greater range of motion. You may have seen this machine in the gym and thought, what kind of exercise makes you lie down? There are different variations to the lying leg curl, like the seated leg curl and resistance band or dumbbell hamstring curl. This term means that the quadriceps are stronger than hamstrings and it can cause imbalances in the anterior and posterior of the body, putting you at a greater risk of injury and less efficient workouts. You may have heard of, or experienced yourself, athletes having 'quad dominance'. The Importance of the Lying Leg Curl Machine Pro Tip: Want to grow your calves and hamstrings? Get the free Blueprint for Massive Calves & Hamstrings here! The lying leg curl isn't just for bodybuilders trying to build muscle, it can be helpful for athletes of all fitness levels as it helps to isolate your hamstrings without letting your quads or glutes overcompensate for any imbalances. Activities that require sprinting or jumping can be improved by strengthening the hamstring muscles, and the lying leg curl is an effective way to do it. Together, they help you bend your knees and hinge at your hips. They're located in the back of your leg and are composed of three muscles, the biceps femoris, the semimembranosus, and the semitendinosus. One of these big muscles, helping make up the posterior chain, is the hamstrings.

Finally, it is also possible to just use one leg at a time for better isolation.Your lower body is made up of several big muscles to help you lift heavier, run faster, and simply be able to function. This latter exercise though is only suitable for advanced trainees. The movement can also be performed with a dumbbell held in between your feet (a partner needs to place it properly). Variations: Since you have three foot positions you have in reality three exercises. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.Ĭaution: Do not ever use so much weight on the exercise that you start using swinging and jerking as you can risk both lower back injury and also a hamstring injury. As you inhale, bring the legs back to the initial position.Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second. As you exhale, curl your legs up as far as possible without lifting the upper legs from the pad.Position your toes straight (or you can also use any of the other two stances described on the foot positioning section). Keeping the torso flat on the bench, ensure your legs are fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine.Tip: Preferably use a leg curl machine that is angled as opposed to flat since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment. Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie face down on the leg curl machine with the pad of the lever on the back of your legs (just a few inches under the calves).
