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Lying Leg Curl strength standards

What is a good Lying Leg Curl?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Lying Leg Curl is about 149 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 210 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Lying Leg Curl Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 26 53 92 142 199
120 31 60 101 153 213
130 35 67 110 164 225
140 40 73 118 174 237
150 45 79 126 183 248
160 50 86 134 193 259
170 54 92 141 202 269
180 59 97 149 210 279
190 63 103 156 219 289
200 68 109 162 227 298
210 72 114 169 235 307
220 76 119 175 242 316
230 80 125 182 250 324
240 84 130 188 257 332
250 88 135 194 264 340
260 92 139 200 270 348
270 96 144 205 277 355
280 100 149 211 283 363
290 104 153 216 290 370
300 107 158 221 296 377
310 111 162 227 302 383

The Lying Leg Curl standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Lying Leg Curl Standards by Age

How the Lying Leg Curl standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 43 76 120 175 237
20 49 87 138 201 272
25 50 89 141 206 279
30 50 89 141 206 279
35 50 89 141 206 279
40 50 89 141 206 279
45 48 84 134 195 264
50 45 79 126 183 248
55 41 73 116 170 230
60 38 67 106 155 210
65 34 60 96 140 189
70 31 54 86 125 170
75 27 48 77 112 152
80 24 43 69 100 136
85 22 39 62 90 122
90 20 35 56 81 110

The Lying Leg Curl standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Lying Leg Curl Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 149 lbs (0.83x bodyweight) on the Lying Leg Curl is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Lying Leg Curl Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning to isolate the target muscle during the Lying Leg Curl, focusing on controlled movement through the full range of motion without compensating with momentum.

Novice

You can execute the Lying Leg Curl with consistent form and a strong mind-muscle connection. You are adding resistance progressively and building the joint stability needed for heavier loads.

Intermediate

Your Lying Leg Curl shows solid control through the full range. You use tempo manipulation and RPE to drive adaptation, and this movement plays a defined role in your leg training program.

Advanced

You have developed significant strength on the Lying Leg Curl through years of targeted training. You program it strategically alongside compound movements for complete lower body development.

Elite

Your Lying Leg Curl strength is exceptional for an isolation movement. You have maximized the development of the target muscle through precise loading and years of consistent training.

How to Progress Your Lying Leg Curl

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Lying Leg Curl to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Lying Leg Curl 2x per week with controlled tempo (3 seconds up, 3 seconds down).
  • Focus on full range of motion before adding resistance.
  • Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to build joint resilience and movement quality.
  • Use this exercise to develop the mind-muscle connection with the target muscle.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Progressively increase load while maintaining strict form on the Lying Leg Curl.
  • Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
  • Place isolation work after compound movements in your training sessions.
  • Use tempo variations to increase time under tension without adding weight.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • Use drop sets, rest-pause, and mechanical advantage sets to push past plateaus on the Lying Leg Curl.
  • Program the movement at RPE 8-9 with a focus on peak contraction.
  • Pair with compound movements for pre-exhaust or post-exhaust protocols.
  • Manage isolation volume carefully - target 8-12 hard sets per muscle group per week.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize Lying Leg Curl performance through precise load selection and fatigue management.
  • Use periodized training blocks even for isolation movements.
  • Focus on the quality of each rep rather than chasing heavier loads.
  • Your development at this level requires advanced programming and recovery management.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Lying Leg Curl

Lying Leg Curl demonstration
Primary Muscles Calves, Hamstrings
Equipment Leg Curl Machine
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Isolation
  1. Adjust the leg curl machine so that the pad sits comfortably above your ankles.
  2. Lie face down on the machine with your legs fully extended and grab the handles for support.
  3. Exhale and curl your legs upward as far as possible, focusing on squeezing your hamstrings.
  4. Hold the contraction for a second at the top of the movement.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Ensure the machine pad is positioned just above your ankles for proper leverage.
  • Avoid lifting your hips off the bench during the curl to maintain focus on the hamstrings.
  • Control the movement and avoid using momentum to lift the weight.

Read the complete Lying Leg Curl guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Lying Leg Curl Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lying Leg Curl table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Lying Leg Curl itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Lying Leg Curl depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Lying Leg Curl after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lying Leg Curl table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.