variations
Like the leg curl on the previous pages, all of these variations target the hamstrings and the gastrocnemius. Being able to perform such exercises standing up or sitting down opens up possibilities for an at-home variation or utilizing different machines at the gym.
SEATED UNILATERAL BANDED LEG CURL
Choose an appropriate resistance band and find a stable anchor point to fix it to; the anchor point should be at about eye level. This exercise focuses on one leg at a time, so be sure to alternate your legs.
preparatory stage
Fix the resistance band. Sit tall with a wide stance and your feet flat on the floor. Position the band just above the back of your shoe on an outstretched leg.
STAGE ONE
Inhale, then breathe out as you curl your lower leg back toward your seat, keeping your foot off the floor. Feel the resistance of the band increase.
STAGE TWO
Keeping your abs engaged and ankle dorsiflexed, breathe in as you extend your leg to the starting position, with control. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
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SEATED LEG CURL
This seated machine-based variation increases the stabilization of the pelvis while still challenging knee flexion and the hamstrings in their lengthened position. You can use this exercise to effectively train the hamstrings and gastrocnemius via a different gym machine.
preparatory stage
Set up the machine. Sit back against the pad with your knees bent around the end of the seat. Place your ankles on top of the lower pad and grip the handles.
STAGE ONE
Slowly flex at the knee with control while breathing out. Continue to flex until you reach the end of your knee flexion; be sure to dorsiflex your ankles.
STAGE TWO
Breathe in as you extend your legs in a controlled manner; imagine lengthening your hamstrings as you do so. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
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STANDING UNILATERAL LEG CURL
You perform this gym-machine-based variation standing up. Because this movement trains one leg at a time, it’s key to keep track of reps so that you can work each leg equally. Actively pulling on the handles stabilizes the latissimus dorsi (in the back), which offers further stability to the pelvis.
preparatory stage
Set up the machine. Stand with your thighs pressed tight to the pad with one leg pushed against the lower leg pad. Maintain a forward gaze.
STAGE ONE
Inhale, engage your abs, and breathe out while flexing your knee fully in its range of motion. Tense the muscles of your shin to dorsiflex your ankle.
STAGE TWO
Breathe in to return to the starting position by extending your working leg completely, resisting the weight as you go. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
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“Knee flexion variations are great for challenging the hamstrings and other knee flexors in a safe and controlled environment.”
Role of the gastrocnemius in knee flexion
The integration of the gastrocnemius and other knee flexors (such as hamstrings) allows the knee to have good stability throughout the range of motion where the hamstrings lack leverage (between 0 and 15°). To avoid the common mistake of generating a lot of momentum at the start of a knee-flexion exercise, it’s better to integrate both calf and hamstrings in a controlled way, so that flexing your knee puts tension in all the right muscles.
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LATERAL VIEW