Loose thigh pad
Snug the thigh pad down so your hips cannot lift and your hamstrings stay working.
Isolation · Machine
Seated Leg Curl
The seated leg curl isolates the hamstrings by bending the knee against resistance while your hips are flexed. That seated position stretches the hamstrings more than lying curls, making it one of the better machine choices for hamstring size, and it suits nearly everyone.
- Primary
- Hamstrings
- Starting rep range
- 10–15 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 5 kg / one stack step
Muscles worked
The hamstrings flex the knee, and sitting with hips bent puts them in a lengthened position. Calves assist slightly; pointing toes down reduces calf involvement a little.
How to set up
- Adjust the backrest so your knees line up with the machine's pivot point.
- Set the lower pad just above your heels, on the back of your lower legs.
- Lower the thigh pad so it presses firmly on your thighs just above the knees.
- Hold the handles and sit tall against the backrest.
How to do each rep
- Curl your heels down and back as far as the machine allows.
- Squeeze briefly at the bottom of the curl.
- Return slowly over 2-3 seconds until your knees are nearly straight.
- Keep your hips pinned to the seat throughout.
Common seated leg curl mistakes
Partial range
Use a full stretch at the top and a full curl at the bottom, reducing load if needed.
Fast eccentric
Control the return; letting the stack drop wastes the most productive part of the rep.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the seated leg curl at 10–15 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Work in a 8-15 rep range and add one plate on the stack once all sets reach the top. Small increments matter, so use add-on weights if the jumps are large.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Seated Leg Curl alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Programs that use it
Questions
Seated vs lying leg curl: which is better?
Seated curls train the hamstrings at a longer length because your hips are bent, which many lifters find more effective for growth. Both are useful, and using either consistently is what matters most.
How many sets of seated leg curls should I do?
Two to four hard sets per session, once or twice a week, is a solid starting point alongside a hip hinge like Romanian deadlifts.