Turning your feet slightly inward or outward on leg extensions and leg curls can help you direct the stimulus to emphasize particular areas of the quads and hamstrings, respectively. Many aim to balance the quads-to-hamstrings ratio with the leg curl. best. 100% Upvoted. Or if straight barbell curls are bad for your elbows. Below are your 3 best options for doing leg curls without a machine. - build muscle & strength! The Nordic hamstring curl involves kneeling on a pad (for knee comfort) and lowering under control while the ankles are held in place by a partner, a loaded barbell, or any other immovable object. Leg curls and leg extentions are nono exercises. Leg extensions tend to get more of a bad rap than leg curls. They force the leg into an unnatural movement pattern which can cause knee injuries. Or if skull crushers are bad for your elbows. Nobody has a problem with the idea that these exercises are effective for building muscle, so Iâm not sure why the leg extension tends to be viewed differently. Squats were supposed to be "bad" for the knee and leg extensions were supposed to be "good" for the knee. The sliding hamstring/leg curl is truly an amazing exercise and a genius idea for working the hamstrings. I'd pass on every single one of those lifts because of the lack of motor skill required and the vulnerable positions most of those machines put the human body in. Or if dips are bad for your shoulders. The heavy black line in the chart represents the lying leg curl: The other measurable muscle in the hamstring group, the semitendinosis, was tested too. Sure, leg extensions are an isolation exercise, but so are bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg curls and calf raises. The answer is never universally yes or no. It engages both the hamstrings and glutes and itâs a difficult exercise when done through a full range of motion. If your hamstring workout includes exercises like lying leg curls, standing leg curls, and seated leg curls, you're still only halfway home. The knee was not designed to have horizontal force applied to it. Exhale and tilt your hips to straighten your spine as you sit up and bring your torso toward your legs. Leg curls come in a number of different versions; lying and seated leg curls tend to be the more common, along with standing and kneeling versions. The answer is always maybe. Is that so? Itâs an isolation exercise (a single joint movement), knee flexion, thatâs used for strengthening the hamstrings. 2. But heavy weights and improper form increase your risk of knee injury. If you are a bodybuilder and are going to be getting on stage you should definitely be doing them, or if you are just one of those people who really have a need to have âbig gunsâ you can feel free to curl until the cows come home. Bend your legs and curl the weight up until the pad touches the back of your upper legs. full 12 week push, pull, legs program! 4- Leg curls . I'm also not a big fan of machine leg curls. Whereas the leg curl will work the hamstring muscles on the rear part of your legs. Before you perform an exercise, for example, a leg extension or leg curls, make sure to adjust the weights. Q | Iâve heard people say that biceps curls are useless. Every gym has at least one: The guy whoâs constantly taking selfies and occupying the dumbbell rack (or worse, the squat cage) to do his bicep curls. A leg extension will work the quadriceps that are located on the front of the legs. And on and on and on. Recently, the lowly leg press has been heckled, abused, and battered like the New England Patriots receiving corps by a post-Super Bowl Mrs. Tom Brady. Also got aâ¦â 0 comments. Reach new heights. I believe this exercise is useless because you never use this particular muscle action, isolated knee flexion, lying on your stomach, in everyday activities and sports. Before we get in to the movements, one other option is to skip leg curls entirely. They will target your hamstrings in the exact same way as the leg curl, so this exercise is an ideal alternative. In natural motions, such as squats and lunges, there is very shearing force on the knee. Leg Curl Exercise Information. Whatâs interesting is that lower back pain isnât always a result of issues with your lower back muscles. In the traditional gym setting, the leg curl is often considered a staple of lower body strength training. Using any of these leg curl alternatives can give you all of the benefits of a machine and more. Lie face down on the leg curl machine, so that your knees are in line with the machineâs pivot point, and the leg pad is resting on your lower calves. This is like asking if flat barbell benching is bad for your shoulders. The leg curl, as an unnatural exercise, makes little sense as a solution. Are Leg Extensions Bad For Your Knees? This can result in a muscle imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps, contributing to knee instability and risk of injury. When it comes to leg curls, any stress applied to the lower back required to maintain muscular tension during the movement can exacerbate existing lower back problems. Functional Benefits of the Lying Leg Curl and Seated Hip Adduction Exercise. Sure, they won't hurt your back directly, but they could indirectly contribute to low back pain by neglecting the glutes. The Nordic Ham Curl, also called the Leg Curl or Russian Ham Curl is a strength exercise that primarily works the hamstring muscles. Refrain from doing these horribly ineffective exercises! 5- Bulgarian split squats Not everyone has access to the expensive machine that is needed to perform these exercises, though. You can perform it ⦠Are Lying leg curls bad? For more information, ⦠As an accessory movement, they can help strengthen the muscles that engage every time our elbows flex and palms turn up. However, the hamstrings attach at both the knees and hips. The leg position is different from the curl-up which always has the knees bent. Overhead presses, bench presses, lateral raises, good mornings, ab crunches, and biceps curls have all at one time graced experts' lists as being as useless as tits on a bull. Sliding leg curls, as the name suggests, are leg curls that are done via sliding your feet along a surface, rather than lifting a lever with your feet, as in the traditional leg curl. This led to leg extension machines being used in rehabilitation for knee injuries. Sort by. They get worked well with squats but I feel like a good leg workout depends on some iso exercises, particularly on the hams and glutes. Like the Stability Ball Leg Curl, the single-leg version should not create an excessive amount of fatigue and can be performed in the beginning of a session for 1-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side. Place your hands behind your head with the elbows pointing out to the sides or with your arms across your chest. (Last Updated On: November 2, 2020) Donât get me wrong, bicep curls are not entirely pointless (notice I said almost). A | While biceps curls have gotten a bad rap in recent years, theyâre not inherently bad. Are leg curls bad for your back? Concentration Curls - The Best Preacher Curl Alternative This movement is the closest it gets to a dumbbell preacher curl, without the preacher station. How to do the Nordic Hamstring Curl? While they're seen as a back-safe option for leg training, you might still experience low-back pain if you have a pre-existing condition, or are using incorrect technique. In this case, stability ball hamstring curls, reverse hypers, and bodyweight GHRs outperformed the lying leg curl machine. Yes, leg extensions can cause knee pain. The leg extension is a popular way to train the quadriceps at the front of your knee. SUBSCRIBE to our channel: http://bit.ly/subTigerFitness Keep it healthy at home with our Cooking w/Kara Playlist! The hamstrings are often neglected in favor of exercises that target the quadriceps. 81.2k Likes, 638 Comments - Adam âEdgeâ Copeland (@edgeratedr) on Instagram: âJust got this bad boy from @tuffstuff.fitness complete in âRated Râ red and new logo. If you can get yourself on video doing these, pay attention to your hips. Seated or lying leg curls are a great exercise for targeting and isolating the hamstring muscles. I don't like sitting leg curls but I definitely have made good gains on lying leg curls. Extend your legs, but donât let the weights touch. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. And if so, whatâs a better way to build biceps strength? Can Leg Curls Affect Your Low Back?. Sliding hamstring curl. It's important that your hips stay high through execution. This video on seated hamstring curls is presented by the Massachusetts General Hospital Sports Physical Therapy Service. Alternative Names: Lying leg curl, prone leg curl, hamstring leg curl, pronated leg curl Type: Strength Experience Level: Beginner Equipment: Machine Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings Mechanics: Isolation Average Number of Sets: 3-4 with 10-15 reps each Variations: Seated, standing, stability ball, dumbbell, and banded leg curls Alternative: Deadlift, glute-ham raise All those exercises initiate movement from the knee joint. Special types of isokinetic leg extension/leg curl machines were created that only allowed "positive" leg extensions and "positive" leg curls. For clarity of communication, it is important to first define exactly what âfunctional trainingâ isâand what it is notâwhen discussing the functional benefits of given exercises, such as the lying leg curl ⦠It minimizes the cheating opportunity, as there will be no swinging if done correctly. The glute-ham raise is my favorite alternative here because it works both the glutes and hamstrings simultaneously while putting lower amounts of stress on the spine in comparison to heavy deadlifts and good mornings. save hide report. share. I do not recommend that exercise. Seated or lying leg curls on a machine are popular because they are very easy to learn and they isolate the hamstring muscles on the back of your legs. Led to leg extension or leg curls without a machine or if straight barbell are! 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