Standing Leg Curl

Execution
1. Hook one heel under the roller pad, and support your weight with the other leg.
2. Curl the weight by bending your knee, raising your heel toward your buttock.
3. Lower the weight back down to the start position.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Hamstrings.
Secondary: Gluteals, calf muscles.
Anatomic Focus
Foot position: Pointing your toes straight down (a) targetsall three hamstring muscles. Pointing the toes inward (b) tends to emphasize the inner hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus), whereas pointing the toesoutward (c) focuses effort on the outer hamstrings (biceps femoris). Keeping your ankles bent at 90 degrees (dorsiflexed) minimizes contribution from the calf muscles and thereby helps isolate the hamstrings.

Body position: The padded surface of most machines is angled at hip level, bending your torso forward slightly. This body position tilts your pelvis and stretches the hamstrings, thereby helping to isolate the muscles. Depending on the machine design, your supporting leg may take a standing or kneeling position (see the Variation section).
Range of motion: Bend your knees as full as possible during the upward phase. Stop a few degrees short of full extension at the bottom to keep tension on the hamstrings and minimize stress across the knee joint
Resistance: In contrast to the lying leg curl, the standing leg curl is performed one leg at a time, which helps muscle isolation and focus. Resistance is fairly uniform, but on many new machines the resistance Is lower at the start position when the hamstrings are fully stretched and most vulnerable to injury.
Kneeling leg curl: Using this machine, your nonworking leg is supported by kneeling on a pad, and your torso is supported on your elbows. Because your torso is bent forward at the waist, the hamstrings are stretched-an advantage over the exercise on the standing leg curl machine.