|
Local Fitness Search
Help & Info
|
|
|
|
| Primary
Muscles Worked: |
Description: |
| Biceps
Femoris |
Part
of the hamstring muscle group that flexes the
knee. |
| Semimembranosus |
| Semitendinosus |
| |
|
| Secondary
Muscles Worked: |
Description: |
| Gastrocnemius |
One
of the muscles of the calf that crosses the
knee joint, involving it in the knee flexion
movement. |
The Leg
Curl exercise is the most common
hamstring (the muscles along the rear of
your thighs) exercise you will see in the
gym, though the hamstrings are actually
one of the most neglected parts on the body
(this may be because you can't see them
in the mirror) even though they are extremely
important for lower body strength and power!
How
to Do Leg Curls:
- Lie
face down on a Leg Curl machine,
chest flat on it and hands gripping
on the handgrips.
- The
back of your ankles should be against
the pads and your knees should be
in line with the rotating cam of
the machine.
- Curl
your legs up, keeping your hips
down against the bench.
- Squeeze
at the top then lower slowly back
down.
- Do
not use momentum to swing the weight
up as this will reduce the effectiveness
of the exercise
|
 |
 |
- Do
not allow your hips to come up off
the bench as you curl up. This takes
tension off the hamstrings and can
place it on the lower back and glutes.
- A
good Leg Curl machine will not have
a flat bench but will be angled
slightly. You can accomplish this
on a flat-benched machine by placing
a towel under your hips.
|
Tricks
for Performing Leg Curls:
- If you
notice that you frequently lift your hips
up off the bench as you tire, try having
a training partner press down on your
lower back while you are doing the exercise.
This pressure will keep your hips from
rising up and will keep tension on the
hamstrings better.
Common
Errors in the Leg Curl Exercise:
- The
glutes come up during the exercise
- this takes some of the tension off the
hamstrings, using the glutes to assist
the movement. This can place undue pressure
on the lower back and reduces the effectiveness
of the exercise. Using too much weight
can force you to have to lift your glutes.
If this is the case, reduce the weight
and concentrate on keeping your hips down.
|
|
|
|
