Your hamstrings, composed of the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris muscles, are responsible for performing both hip extension, along with your glutes, and knee flexion. While hip extension involves all three hamstrings muscles but only one of the biceps femoris's two heads, knee flexion involves all three muscles and both heads of the biceps femoris, making it the ideal joint motion for a complete hamstring workout.
Leg Curl Machine
Both varieties of leg curl machine you're likely to encounter in the gym, seated and prone, are designed to isolate your hamstrings.
To do seated leg curls, sit down in the machine, position your knees beneath the knee pad and your ankles in front of the padded ankle bar, and bend your knees against the machine's resistance. Slowly return to the starting position.
To do prone leg curls, lie face-down across the machine's padding, place your ankles beneath the padded ankle bar, and bend your knees against the machine's resistance. Slowly return to the starting position.
Standing Resistance Band Leg Curls
If you don't have access to a leg curl machine, you can perform the same exercise on your own. All you need is a resistance band.
To do standing resistance band leg curls, tie one end of the resistance band around your left ankle. Tie the other end in a knot and shut it in a door, between ankle- and knee-high. Stand facing the door and step away from it until you feel tension on the band. Shift your weight to your right leg as you bend your left knee against the band's resistance. Imagine that both knees are pinned together; don't let your left knee swing. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat, completing a full set with your left leg before switching to your right.
You can also do this exercise while seated, with the resistance band anchored to a high anchor, like a sturdy bedpost.
Prone Resistance Band Leg Curls
You can mimic the motion of the prone leg curl machine with resistance bands, too. Tie one end of the band to your left ankle and anchor the other end in a door, as described above, or by attaching it to something sturdy between ankle- and knee-height.
Lie face-down, feet pointing toward the anchored end of the band, then scoot forward until you feel resistance in the band. Bend your left knee, curling your leg up against the band's resistance, then slowly return to the starting position. Complete a full set of leg curls with your left leg before switching the band to your right leg.
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