Your hamstrings are located on the back of your upper leg. This muscle group pulls your foot behind your body as your knee bends. This motion is considered a leg, or hamstring, curl. You can perform hamstring curls with a variety of exercise equipment to strengthen and tone the backs of your legs. As long as you use proper safety techniques, you should be able to enjoy these exercises without risk of injury.
Prone
One hamstring curl machine positions your body in a prone position. You lie on your stomach with the backs of your legs behind a roller. The roller is attached to the stack of weights that provide resistance for your exercise. As you curl your legs in toward your body against the roller, your hamstrings contract. When you repeat this exercise 10 to 12 times, your hamstring muscle fibers strengthen. A prone curl allows you to fully contract your hamstring muscles.
Seated
Another hamstring curl machine places you in a seated position. This machine is beneficial if you have back pain that is aggravated from a prone lying position. You sit in the exercise machine and place your legs on top of a roller pad that is attached to a weight stack. As you bend your knees and lower your feet underneath your body, your hamstrings are strengthened.
Standing
If either the seated curl machine or the prone hamstring curl cause you discomfort in your back or knees, you have a third option. A standing hamstring curl exercises one leg at a time. You stand with the roller behind your ankle and bend your knee as you lift your foot behind you against the resistance. This single-leg exercise helps to equally develop strength in both legs.
Supine
You can also strengthen your hamstrings from a supine, or face-up position. This hamstring curl requires the use of an exercise stability ball and your body weight provides the resistance. The American Council on Exercise recommends a stability ball curl to improve the strength in your hamstrings. You begin lying on the floor with your legs straight and your feet on top of a ball. Perform the curl by lifting your hips off the floor and then bending your knees to roll the ball toward your body.
Member Comments