Lying leg curl: isolated hamstring workout. We study the intricacies of bending the legs while lying. The work of muscles and joints

Lying leg curls- This is an isolating exercise aimed at working out the back of the thigh, namely hamstrings. In principle, there are not many exercises that can be worked out in isolation. rear surface hips. If you take, for example, the triceps muscles, there are a large number of isolated exercises and several basic ones. We have a different situation with the hips, 1-2 exercises immediately come to mind: lying leg curls and sitting leg curls. Now we’ll talk about how you understood about the first option, when the exercise is performed in a lying position.

Why are isolation exercises good? They help to work out a separate muscle group and focus most of the load on the target muscle. Actually from the name itself isolated exercises You can already understand the meaning of such exercises. Their main feature is that they turn off the rest of the muscle groups from work. For example, if we do deadlift on straight legs, the back of the thighs is well included in the load, while a bunch of secondary muscle groups are involved in the work: back, buttocks, and so on. Therefore, such exercises are called basic or "multi-joint".

What is the peculiarity of bending the legs lying down? Peculiarity this exercise is that it is very difficult to break the execution technique and do something wrong. The only thing you should pay attention to is the position settings of the machine. You need to set it up so that it would be convenient for you to perform movements. So that the roller, under which you will put and rest your legs, is at the right distance so that you are comfortable, and it rests on the surface, just above our heels. Also, you need to adjust the distance between the platform on which your quadriceps will lie and the roller so that it is optimal. This is done so that your knee hangs slightly off the platform that your quads are on so that nothing prevents you from bending your legs.

TECHNIQUE FOR PERFORMING THE EXERCISE "LYING LEGS BEND"

1. Customize the bench for you to make it convenient for you to practice. As mentioned earlier, you should lie on the bench so that your knees are slightly forward, over the edges of the bench. And the points just above your heels (ankles) rested against the rollers. Grasp the handles, thereby fixing the body in a motionless state. This will be your starting position.

2. On an effort, inhale, then bend your knees, pulling the rollers to the biceps of the thighs. When the rollers touch the upper surface of the thigh, stay in this position for 2 seconds. At the highest point, try to strain the biceps of the thigh as much as possible, thereby increasing muscle contraction.

3. As you exhale, slowly straighten your legs and return them to their original position. IN lowest point do not lower your legs to the very end, constantly keep them in a tense state throughout the entire exercise. The movements themselves should be smooth and without jerks.

EXERCISE TECHNIQUE ADVICE

In principle, this exercise is quite simple, and it is very difficult to break the technique. But there are exceptions, so I will tell you a few mistakes that beginners sometimes make, as well as give useful tips.

1. As mentioned above, you need to properly set up the simulator.

2. If you take your knees off the bench at the top, you will increase the effectiveness of the exercise by increasing the contraction of the biceps of the thighs, as well as by engaging the gluteal muscles in the work.

3. There is an option to perform lying leg curl, performing it with each leg in turn. So you can better work out each leg individually.

The target muscles during the exercise are the hips. This exercise is insulating. Like any other strength exercise it should also be done correctly to avoid injury and discomfort.

Why do the exerciseleg curl lying on the simulator

Performing the leg curl exercise while lying on the simulator

The leg bending exercise lying on the simulator is isolated and is aimed at working out the hip flexor muscle group. This makes it possible to make the contours of the hips more prominent, to highlight and delimit the thigh from the gluteal muscles.

The main muscles that are involved in this exercise are the biceps femoris, as well as the semitendinosus and semimembranosus. In addition, the gluteal and calf muscles are also loaded.

To perform this exercise, the most optimal would be to use a simulator with the ability to adjust the weight. It can be cable or conventional, in which the load is strengthened behind its moving part. If there is no such simulator, then weights can be attached to the lower third of the lower leg or to the foot.

1. When performing the exercise, bending the legs in the simulator, it is necessary to lie with your stomach on horizontal bench. For comfort, you can put a soft roller or a tightly folded towel under the lower abdomen, which, in addition to convenience, will help to avoid injury.

2. Then it is necessary to insert the legs under the support so that its lower edge is at a distance of approximately 3 transverse fingers from the heel, while the knee area extends beyond the bench.

3. After that, you should focus on your elbows, raise your chest and head so that you look straight ahead.

4. Start bending your legs. The pace should not be slow, but not hasty, without jerks. Control the position of the pelvis - it should not come off the bench, otherwise the load is partially removed from the biceps of the thighs and unnecessary tension arises in the spine.

The exercise is done on inhalation-exhalation - inhalation during extension, exhalation during flexion. To reduce unwanted stress on the ligamentous apparatus of the knee, it is not necessary to fully straighten the legs at the bottom of the movement. In the upper phase, bend your legs as much as possible, try to touch your buttocks with your heels.

To include the medial side of the thigh in the workout, during the exercise, you need to move your socks towards each other. To train the outer thighs, you need to spread your socks to the sides.

To train the calf muscles, it is necessary to straighten the feet in ankle joints to the maximum while bending the legs, and extend them so that they are approximately in line with the shins.

Leg curls lying on the stomach are a formative exercise for working on the back of the thigh and gluteal muscles. Lying leg curls are re-ko-men-du-et-xia to be used by athletes of any level of training and the goals of being in the gym. With its help, girls can train the gluteal muscle, men can train the biceps of the thigh, the adductor muscle, the lateral broad muscle and other muscles of the back of the thigh, thereby strengthening the knee joint -tav. This exercise is not re-to-men-du-et-xia to apply to those people who came to the gym to improve their health and, first of all , improve the condition of the back. The fact is that the biceps of the thigh is one of those muscles that is involved in the sta-bi-li-za-tion of the pose-at-night-no-ka, about which you can learn more read .

Lying leg curls can be performed to develop strength indicators, functional qualities, gain muscle mass and work out the relief. The results to which the performance of this exercise will lead depends on the mode in which and for how many repetitions you “work”. The advantage of the exercise is that the athlete is lying down, which allows you to level the load on the night-time posture, as well as the con-tsen-tri-ro-va-sya on the ra-bo -te target muscle group. The key moments in the bend-ba-ni-yah of the legs are la-yut-sya: work in a useful range and turn the feet away from each other. A useful range is the range in which the target muscle group takes on the load, and the turn of the feet to the sides, when turning due to the legs, in-ra-chi-va-et and kos-ti pelvis, which provides the best innervation of the gluteal muscles.

Work of muscles and joints

The main working muscle masses are the muscles of the back of the thigh and the gluteal muscles, which work iso-li-ro-va-no in bending the legs while lying on the stomach. Of course, many other adjacent muscle groups are also innervated, but their function in this case is limited to stabilizing the position of the body. In many ways, this is also pre-determined by the “work” mode in leg curls, since such isolation of the working muscle group does not allow reaching its max-si-mal- Noah in-ner-va-tion. The bottom line is that in isolation exercises, the ligaments, joints and skeleton as a whole are in a vulnerable position, therefore nervous system does not give off such powerful nerve impulses as are able to "digest" the muscle. Accordingly, it is impossible to achieve the same innervation of the muscles as it is possible to achieve in the “base”, in the “iso-la-tion” it is impossible, in connection with which, it is necessary to work thief in more voluminous mode.

The risk of injury is also affected by the fact that during the execution of leg curls lying down, the main load falls only on hip joint, although mechanically ra-bo-ta and co-ver-sha-et-xia in co-le-not. The point is that the load is always received by that joint, which is on top of the working muscle group. And, in general, you can be sure of this by touching your gluteal muscle, although you can touch someone else’s, if it is -yes-tel-ni-tsa is not against, or if you are ready to take a risk. When bending the legs, the yago-dich muscle will be tense, which indicates that it is involved in bending the legs, and since the buttocks are attached to the hip su-ta-vu, and not to the co-len-no-mu, then it is logical to suspect that he receives the load, and not the knees. So be careful, keeping in mind that your pelvis does not insure anything, and in case of something, it can get hurt .

Bending the legs lying on the stomach - scheme

1) Lie down in the simulator, firmly fixing the body so that the fasteners for which you will pull the weight fit snugly on the ankle.
2) Turn the legs a little to the sides, but it is the legs, and not just the socks, in order to turn the pelvic bones from each other, for this purpose, the socks need to be spread apart, and the heels should be swung towards each other.
3) The head looks forward, and hands should be held on special handles, after which, a little, pull the cable of the simulator so that the weight "lies" on the muscles.
4) With the toes pointing as close as possible to the body, and not protruding forward, bend the leg at the knee joint by 90⁰ and fix the leg in this position for a second.
5) Under control, return the legs to their original position, i.e. to the position where the cable is tre-on-the-same-ra not-much-on-pu-chute.

Lying leg curls - notes

1) Do not hold your breath, be sure to exhale on effort and inhale in the negative phase of the exercise.
2) Perform the exercise under control, do not pull the projectile, so you don’t need to lower it to the end, otherwise you won’t be able to do the exercise with such a weight, with whom you could do it if you didn’t “leave” in “ dead center."
3) The number of repetitions in the exercise should not be less than 6 repetitions, since, most likely, a smaller number of repetitions will not allow you to perform the exercise correctly. If you are already a big boy, then you can do at least « from-breath-pause-zu » , but this is for more experienced athletes.
4) Do not throw your legs behind your ass, bend your knees to the level of 90⁰, because beyond this point the “useful amplitude” is beyond this point, the muscles relax and the load goes into the ligaments.
5) Try to concentrate on the work of the target muscle group, but, first of all, make sure that it is easy to innervate it physiologically, so remember the rule with breeding socks to the sides.

Anatomy

The muscles of the back of the thigh are represented by a wide range of muscles, which, for some reason, are collectively called the “biceps of the thigh” for some reason, although, in fact, the biceps occupies a very small part of the space there. But from the point of view of practice, we are interested in the fact that these muscles form a silhouette from behind, which is especially important for de-vush-kam, and you-do the main work in the lower phase such exercises as hundred-no-vaya traction and squats with a barbell on the shoulders, which is especially important for guys. It should be remembered that the muscles of the back of the thigh are attached to the knee joint, so its safety depends on how proportionally the quadri-ceps and muscles are developed -tsy back-to-top-nose-ti thighs. Also, the development of these muscles plays an important role in sta-bi-li-za-tion in the position of the post-night-no-ka.

Summing up, we can say that lying leg curls in the simulator are an effective formative exercise that athletes of different levels of training can use. Novice-kam should be used to strengthen the muscular skeleton, de-vush-kam for pumping the most important muscle in the female orga-bottom-me, and experienced at-le-tam for “pumping” muscles of the back of the thigh and the prevention of injuries to the knee-no-go su-ta-va. For those who go in for sports for the sake of health, and not for the sake of dos-ti-the-same, this exercise should generally be used on a permanent basis, since it it is extremely difficult to pump those muscles that are somehow extremely difficult in the city-ri-zone-tal-nom in the same way. Be careful and exercise wisely!

The back of the thigh is often overlooked. Yes, basic squats work out all the muscle groups located on the legs.

However, if you want to achieve high results in the formation of a beautiful and proportional body, then without bending the legs while lying down, this is quite difficult to do.

After all, it belongs to the class of isolating exercises that allow you to isolate and work out a separate muscle group.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the lying leg curl, the correct technique for performing them, and common mistakes.

A popular exercise for bending the legs in the prone position allows you to effectively work out, unlike others, exactly the biceps (back surface) of the thigh.

Lying leg curl, being a formative exercise, does not build muscle mass, but only strengthens it and emphasizes the relief.

Therefore, it is worth performing it after the main set of exercises as the final stage of training.

What muscles work

The main work of the muscles in the exercise is to flex / extend the legs at the knee.

The muscles most involved are:

Double-headed (located on the outer side of the back of the thigh - biceps).
Semimembranous (located on the inside of the back of the thigh).
Semitendinosus (located on the inside of the back of the thigh, covers the semimembranosus muscle).
Gastrocnemius (upper and middle part of the back surface of the lower leg).

The muscles of the upper body act as stabilizers (lower and middle parts of the trapezius and anterior serratus muscles, biceps).

Thanks to regular implementation exercises, the relief of the back of the thigh is manifested, visual proportions are aligned (especially at the back), and the risk of injury to this muscle group when performing other exercises is also reduced.

Exercise options

The prone leg curl does not have any variations to perform, however, there are related isolation exercises for leg flexion and leg extension that differ only in body position.

These include sitting leg curls and standing leg curls. The main (basic) exercise for building the biceps of the thigh is deadlift on straight legs.

Exercise technique

Preparation for execution and starting position

Before starting the exercise, it is necessary to adjust the position of the roller depending on the length of the legs. It should rest on the back of the ankles about three fingers across the leg from the heel.

In the starting position, you need to lie face down and grab the handles of the simulator to ensure stability.

An important point: at the same time, the knees should slightly go beyond the edges of the bench, and not rest against it. Buttocks and abs should be kept tense.

Performing an exercise

On inspiration, you need to quickly raise the roller with your feet so that the shins make a right angle with the hips (at least). In this peak position, linger for a couple of seconds and tighten the hamstrings to increase muscle work.

As you exhale, slowly straighten your legs and immediately begin the next repetition.

You should start with 12-15 reps for 2-4 sets.
The body should be firmly pressed against the bench for good support during the exercise.
It is better to give preference to simulators with a curved bench, which provides greater stretching of the trained muscles.
You can try to perform the exercise separately for each leg in turn in order to better concentrate on working out the muscles.

Do not lift or move the pelvis, or use other muscles (for example, the back or arms resting on the handles), as this reduces the effectiveness of the exercise for the biceps femoris, increases the risk of injury to other muscles. However, if the bench is straight, the hips can rise slightly in natural movement, so you don't need to ask someone to press them down during the exercise.

Do not perform jerky exercises using inertia, as this reduces the load on the hamstrings and increases the likelihood of injury to other muscles and joints.
It is better to lower the legs at the end of the exercise smoothly and not to the end - this maintains tension and elasticity of the muscles, protects the knee joints from damage.
Legs and feet should be parallel to each other, however, sometimes you can slightly change their location. To increase the load on outer part back of the thigh, keep the heels together, on inner part- socks.
It is necessary to choose the right weight individually. Do not choose too much load, especially if you have back problems.
After completing each approach, you need to stretch the muscles.
After the end of the exercise, the muscles of the thigh, and not the back, should be tired. If the opposite is felt, then the exercise is performed incorrectly.

Summing up

The calf curl is a simple hamstring isolation exercise. The person brings the heel to the buttock by contracting the biceps femoris and lowers the leg to its original position. This exercise is performed by both beginners and those who have been engaged in bodybuilding for a long time. The movement exists in a variant where the lifter lies face down on the bench and when he performs a standing curl bringing the heel of one foot to the buttock. In classical training, there is a replacement - bending both legs with a lying dumbbell.

Initial position

Much depends on the height of the athlete and the length of the simulator bench, as well as on the position of the retainer cushion. It must be set so that you can start with “soft”, slightly bent knees, and so that the athlete can bring the heels to the buttocks without any problems;
The cushion-fixator should not roll onto the heel itself during movement, but be on the fold, in the region of the Achilles tendon;
Weight is set depending on the experience and strength of the athlete, do not set too much big weight, this is not a movement for the development of strength;
To take the starting position, you need to lie face down on the bench and rest your feet on the pillow of the simulator

Movement

It is enough to bend the legs at the knees so that the heels begin to move towards the buttocks, and bend the legs at the knees;
The movement continues exactly until the moment when the heels rest against the buttocks, or until the volume of the hips and shins allows;
In the peak part of the amplitude, the biceps of the thigh are slightly strained, and then the thigh is unbent and the legs are lowered;
The number of repetitions of the movement is from 10 to 20 or more, if necessary according to the athlete's training plan.

Attention

Some lifters let their hamstrings rest during this exercise by fully extending their legs and "inserting" their knees in a position that is typical of a deadlift. It is necessary to ensure that the tiles of the safety stops do not touch each other and the exercise is performed with an almost constant tone of the working muscle;
The knee can and should be protected from injury if the athlete does not rest kneecap in the pillow of the simulator itself;
There is no need to create a "swing" of the pelvis, an inertial movement that will contribute to overstretching of the knee ligaments and injuries, as well as take part of the load from the biceps of the thigh;
It is not recommended to actively move the ankles along and across the cushion of the simulator. Such movements will contribute to injuries to the Achilles tendon;
Activation of the biceps femoris is possible without unnecessary movements that many make, as if straightening their knees. This version of the exercise is quite traumatic for the ligaments, so you do not need to perform it.

Watch the position of the body on the bench. It is most convenient to bend your legs if the hip joint falls on the “high” part of the bench, that is, on the place where it is highest;
Do not push the pillow with your heels, and do not fidget on the bench;
Try not to "insert" your knees before overextension;
Do not struggle with weights, and do not overload yourself with isolating exercises in principle;
If you use drop sets, make sure that the technique does not change with fatigue, and that the knees do not rest on the bench;
Do not “drop” the weight so that the tiles of the simulator hit each other;
Do not push the weight with your back, avoid excessive inclusion of the buttocks, this is not an exercise for them

Lying single leg curl. This variation is needed purely for variety, if, for example, the client gets tired of doing the same program all the time, and he needs something that would make his life more interesting. One-leg curl is not very helpful, although it can help with injuries when one leg needs to be loaded;
Standing Curl. It can be performed in a special simulator or in a standard one. It is believed that this way the biceps of the thigh contracts more;
Bending the toes in and out. Some bodybuilders believe that moving the toes in and out shifts the emphasis from the outer to the inner segment of the biceps femoris. In fact, the knees do not allow this “operation” to be performed efficiently.

Analysis of the exercise

Anatomy exercises

The main mover is the biceps of the thigh;
Help the movement of the popliteal, calf, gluteal muscles. But in the variant of work in simulators, the help of non-main muscle groups is minimal;

Benefits of exercise

Allows you to form a beautiful back surface of the thigh, works out not only the biceps of the thigh as a whole, but also forms a beautiful “biceps peak”;
Allows you to work with both one leg and two legs, ideal for those who have imbalances in muscle development;
Hamstring training is essential for those bodybuilders who avoid deadlifts and concentrate on squats. Flexion will help these protect the knees from injury due to uneven muscle development;
It is convenient to swing the biceps of the thigh on a bench with a “kink”, it allows you to get into a more stretched position and increase the amplitude without increasing the load on the knee, and without overloading the cruciate ligament;
The simulator allows you to achieve perfectly symmetrical muscle development

Flaws

Sometimes athletes get their heels too “low” on the pad of the machine, and then their hamstrings are not isolated enough. In such a situation, it turns out that the calf muscles “clog” and fail earlier than the hamstrings.

Some athletes are very fond of writing about preparing for this exercise, they include in the program stretching the biceps of the thigh, some kind of “warming up” exercises, and so on. In practice, all this is not necessary. Isolation movements are performed after basic exercises. Usually the muscles are already sufficiently filled with blood and elastic so that the movement can be performed efficiently.

In fact, if this is the first exercise in the plan for some reason, it is worth turning on the stepper during the cardio warm-up, and start with light weight during work. Most bending machines have an adjustable pad that we rest on with our feet. It should be adjusted carefully enough so that the calves do not clog during movement. This problem is the main reason why most athletes fail to benefit from movement.

Proper execution

It is not allowed to bend the legs at the knee by lifting the pelvis. This option will be quite harmful, as it can lead to lower back injury if the angle in the joint is violated. Usually, with a strong pelvic lift, it is recommended to reduce the load and remove excess weight;
Do not sharply push the pillow of the simulator up and lift the weight due to inertia. Untrained knee ligaments can be injured if you work unevenly, in addition, many machines are designed to transfer the load from an unevenly moving cable to the knee;
You should slowly bend your legs, linger in peak contraction, and also smoothly unbend your legs in order to get a load and not be injured;
If it is not possible to work smoothly, concentrating the flexion on exhalation, it is recommended to remove the load and work with less resistance of the simulator;
It is better not to rest the kneecap on the simulator bench, if there is such a constructive possibility;
The feet must be kept parallel to each other, and the toes must not be rotated during the exercise. Ideally, if the athlete does not keep the distance between the knees during the exercise

Mistakes

You can not rest your knees on the bench;
It is not allowed to push the weight in jerks;
If this is not provided for by the training plan, movement in a reduced amplitude is not recommended;
It is better to avoid the active involvement of hands in the work, do not “cling” them to the handles of the simulator;
Do not tilt your pelvis while working

Avoid the "ballet foot", that is, stretching the toe forward, and, as it were, pushing it away from the center of the arch of the foot;
It is not recommended to perform work by overstretching the biceps femoris and “reverse” extension in knee joint. But if possible, it is better to work on a simulator with a bench with a “kink”, on which you should lie down with your hip joint;
The toes are heading towards the foot

Inclusion in the program

This movement should not be a leg day exercise on its own, and should not replace the base, as well as some deadlifts performed with overextension of the biceps femoris. The movement should be done after basic hamstring exercises on the appropriate day if the athlete shares leg day.

The exercise can be performed both for 10-12 repetitions, and for more of them. It all depends on the individual response of the muscles. In strength disciplines, this movement is not performed in more than 3-4 sets of 10 repetitions. In bodybuilding, other options are possible. Some athletes do the movement in the style of "overload", use drop sets and various other methodological techniques to increase the intensity of the load.

Contraindications

For some athletes, this movement is not suitable due to anthropometry. They can only do it with their knees on the bench due to their small stature. So it’s worth switching to standing bending;
You should not perform the exercise if you have recently injured your knees, or there is a high risk that they will become inflamed. soft tissues around the joint due to overload;
This exercise should not be performed with cramps. piriformis muscle(this is a condition where the pain in the buttock radiates to the leg after doing the deadlift), then the movement will almost certainly be due to the rise of the pelvis, and the athlete will not receive the necessary load on the hamstrings;
Movement is not recommended for injuries to the Achilles tendon and ankle;
Best avoided if there are injuries in lumbar spine.

According to scientific research, it turns out that the turn of the socks still matters

When turning the socks to the side, it turns out that outer sides hips get more load;
If you put your socks together inner side hips will get more load

Ronnie Coleman thought this move was great for developing massive hips. But you need to perform it not with the first movement, but only after lunges, squats, and Romanian pulls. You need to do this exercise only at the end of the workout.

Coleman advised doing this movement at the end of a workout, for 12-15 reps in 3-4 sets.

Alternatives

If you go to the gym without a leg curl machine, you can act like an old-school athlete. You need to use a leg curl with a dumbbell lying face down;
The load can be simulated on the lower block of the crossover, then the leg can be fastened alternately to lower block with a cuff;
The third option, which is suitable for beginners and people who do not have to overload their hips, is working with a fitness rubber band. It is fixed to a furniture leg, or some other vertical support, and is thrown over the foot of the foot so that it does not slip off. Next, you need to perform bending with an elastic band while standing in order to get the active involvement of the thigh muscles in the work;
The easiest option is to bend the leg with ankle weights while standing. It is performed standing on a step or other support. It is suitable only for completely novice athletes who will have enough of this weight;
Beginner training also involves doing a lying face down bend with weighted cuffs. You can do this movement alternately, one leg at a time, wearing several fitness weights on each leg.

The leg curl is a good isolation exercise for the hamstrings. For most people, a simple rule works - you need to perform as many flexions as extensions. But if the athlete has too developed quadriceps, he should focus on bending the legs.