How to do a leg curl
Lie face down on the machine with your knees just past the edge of the bench, lined up with the pivot.
Set the ankle pad so it rests just above your heels, on the back of your lower legs.
Hold the handles and press your hips into the bench.
Curl your heels toward your glutes as far as you can, and squeeze for a moment.
Lower under control until your legs are almost straight.
These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.
Common leg curl mistakes
Hips lifting off the bench
Press them down. When the hips rise, your lower back takes over.
Short reps
Curl all the way up and lower until your legs are nearly straight, every rep.
Dropping the weight
Take at least as long lowering as lifting.
Pointing your toes hard
Keep your feet relaxed or pulled slightly toward your shins, the same way every session.
How to track your leg curl
Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.
Estimated 1RM, Epley formula
40 kg × (1 + 12 ÷ 30) ≈ 56 kg
A set of 12 at 40 kg estimates a one-rep max of about 56 kg.
