Exercise
PRONE (LYING) HAMSTRINGS CURL
Form cues
About
A hamstring isolation exercise performed face-down on a machine or bench, flexing the knees against resistance from a prone position. The prone position provides a full range of knee flexion and hamstring recruitment through both the stretched and shortened positions.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Secure your anchor and strap
Lie face down on the mat with your legs fully extended. Attach the resistance band cuff securely just above your ankle and ensure the anchor point is positioned at a low height directly in line with your feet.
keep legs straightPrepare your starting position
Maintain a neutral spine and ensure your hips remain pressed firmly into the floor throughout the entire movement. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your lower back and prevent any excessive arching as you begin the curl.
hips glued downCurl heel toward glutes
Initiate the movement by bending your knee and pulling your heel toward your glute in a smooth, controlled arc. Focus on using only your hamstring muscles to overcome the resistance rather than swinging your lower leg.
smooth controlled arcSqueeze at peak contraction
Once your heel reaches the top of the range of motion, hold the position for a brief second. Perform a firm squeeze with your hamstring at this shortened position to maximize muscle fiber recruitment before beginning the descent.
squeeze the muscleLower slowly with control
Slowly extend your leg back toward the starting position, taking approximately two to three seconds to complete the eccentric phase. Maintaining tension during this downward movement is essential for building strength and preventing injury.
resist the tensionCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Hips rising off the pad during the curl
Hip flexion assists the curl and reduces hamstring isolation.
Press the hips firmly into the pad throughout; only the lower legs should move.
Swinging through the range with momentum
Rapid curls use elastic tendon recoil rather than muscular contraction.
Use a controlled 2-second curl up and 3-second lowering for every rep; feel the hamstrings doing the work.
Incomplete extension at the bottom
Not fully lowering the legs removes the full hamstring stretch.
Lower the weight all the way to near-full leg extension before the next rep.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Standing Hamstring Curl (cable)
Develop hamstring curl strength standing with a cable attachment before using the prone machine.
Seated Leg Curl
Use a seated leg curl machine for a different hip angle that increases stretch on the short head of the biceps femoris.
Single-Leg Prone Hamstring Curl
Curl one leg at a time to correct bilateral strength imbalances and increase per-leg demand.