10 Best Assisted Prone Hamstring Alternatives for Any Setup

The Assisted Prone Hamstring is done lying face down with a machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Lying Femoral, the Seated Leg Curl and the Lever Kneeling Leg Curl. Two harder versions, the Reverse Hyperextension and Lying Leg Curls, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Assisted Prone HamstringWatch the Assisted Prone Hamstring

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Assisted Prone Hamstring

The steps for the Assisted Prone Hamstring itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Hamstrings, with glutes, lower back · Machine · Beginner · Isolation

  1. Lie face down on a mat or bench with your legs fully extended.
  2. Have a partner or use a resistance band to secure your ankles.
  3. Engage your hamstrings and lift your legs towards your glutes, keeping your knees straight.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Assisted Prone Hamstring Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Assisted Prone Hamstring on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Dumbbell Lying FemoralPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Lying Femoral

    89% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Isolation

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the hamstrings.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and a dumbbell resting on your lower abdomen.
    2. Bend your knees and bring the dumbbell towards your glutes, keeping your feet flat on the ground.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
  2. Reverse Hyperextension

    Progression

    2. Reverse Hyperextension

    90% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the hamstrings.

    • Machine
    How to perform it
    1. Place your feet between the pads after loading an appropriate weight. Lay on the top pad, allowing your hips to hang off the back, while grasping the handles to hold your position.
    2. To begin the movement, flex the hips, pulling the legs forward.
    3. Reverse the motion by extending the hips, kicking the leg back. It is very important not to over-extend the hip on this movement, stopping short of your full range of motion.
    4. Return by again flexing the hip, pulling the carriage forward as far as you can.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
  3. Seated Leg Curl

    3. Seated Leg Curl

    87% match

    Hamstrings · Beginner · Isolation

    The same equipment, done seated instead.

    • Machine
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and sit on the machine with your back against the back support pad.
    2. Place the back of lower leg on top of padded lever (just a few inches under the calves) and secure the lap pad against your thighs, just above the knees. Then grasp the side handles on the machine as you point your toes straight (or you can also use any of the other two stances) and ensure that the legs are fully straight right in front of you. This will be your starting position.
    3. As you exhale, pull the machine lever as far as possible to the back of your thighs by flexing at the knees. Keep your torso stationary at all times. Hold the contracted position for a second.
    4. Slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Body position: seated, not lying face down
  4. Lever Kneeling Leg CurlPlay demonstration

    4. Lever Kneeling Leg Curl

    87% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a lever machine to work with, and it still works the hamstrings.

    • Lever
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the machine to fit your body and select the desired weight.
    2. Kneel on the machine facing downwards, with your knees resting on the pad and your feet secured under the footpads.
    3. Grasp the handles or the sides of the machine for stability.
    4. Keeping your upper body stationary, exhale and curl your legs up towards your glutes by flexing your knees.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your hamstrings.
    6. Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position, fully extending your knees.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Body position: kneeling, not lying face down
  7. Cable Assisted Inverse Leg CurlPlay demonstration

    7. Cable Assisted Inverse Leg Curl

    85% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a cable machine to work with, and it still works the hamstrings.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the cable machine so that the ankle attachment is at the lowest setting.
    2. Lie face down on the bench with your legs straight and the ankle attachment secured to your ankles.
    3. Hold onto the handles of the bench for stability.
    4. Keeping your upper body stationary, exhale and curl your legs up towards your glutes by flexing your knees.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your hamstrings.
    6. Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring
    • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Assisted Prone Hamstring

Why You Might Need an Assisted Prone Hamstring Alternative

You may substitute Assisted Prone Hamstring for several practical reasons: lack of machine access, knee or back pain, or a desire for greater hip‑hinge emphasis. Machines isolate knee flexion; hip‑hinge moves like RDLs emphasize the hamstrings' long head via hip extension and place different length‑tension demands on muscle fibers. For injury concerns, choose options that reduce lumbar shear, brace your core and hinge at the hips rather than hyperextending the spine. For progression or unilateral work, use single‑leg RDLs to correct asymmetries while keeping the hamstrings under tension through a full range.

How to Choose the Right Assisted Prone Hamstring Substitute

Match the substitute to the movement pattern and your limitation. If you need pure knee‑flexion isolation, pick a lying or seated leg curl and focus on full knee flexion with controlled eccentrics (slow 2–3 second lowering). If you want posterior chain development, choose RDLs or single‑leg RDLs and cue a soft knee, hinge at the hips, and drive the hips forward to emphasize the hamstrings' hip extension role. For rehab or high eccentric loading, use Nordic curls and emphasize slow lowering to overload eccentric strength. Consider equipment, pain, unilateral needs, and how each option shifts activation between knee flexors and hip extensors.

Assisted Prone Hamstring FAQ

What muscles does Assisted Prone Hamstring work?

Assisted Prone Hamstring primarily targets the hamstrings: biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus, via knee flexion. It also recruits the gastrocnemius and stabilizers in the posterior chain; brace your core and keep the pelvis stable to maximize hamstring isolation.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Assisted Prone Hamstring?

The Nordic hamstring curl is the top bodyweight alternative because it creates high eccentric hamstring load. Anchor your feet, keep hips aligned with the torso, and lower slowly with hands ready to catch, this maximizes eccentric strength and hypertrophic stimulus.

Can I build muscle without doing Assisted Prone Hamstring?

Yes. You can build hamstring mass through a combination of hip‑hinge exercises (RDLs, single‑leg RDLs) and high‑tension knee flexion work (lying or seated leg curls, Nordic curls). Progress by increasing load, adding slow eccentrics, and manipulating volume to target both long‑head and short‑head activation.

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