10 Best Lying Leg Curls Alternatives for Limited Equipment

If you can’t access a lying leg curl machine, use alternatives that reproduce knee flexion or load the posterior chain. Top options: seated leg curl, standing cable curl, Swiss ball leg curl, Romanian deadlift, and Nordic hamstring curl. Cue: control the eccentric, drive through the heel, and feel the hamstrings lengthen under load.

Original Exercise: Lying Leg Curls

Lying Leg Curls
Primary Muscle
Hamstrings
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Lying Leg Curls
  1. Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie face down on the leg curl machine with the pad of the lever on the back of your legs (just a few inches under the calves). Tip: Preferably use a leg curl machine that is angled as opposed to flat since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment.
  2. Keeping the torso flat on the bench, ensure your legs are fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine. Position your toes straight (or you can also use any of the other two stances described on the foot positioning section). This will be your starting position.
  3. As you exhale, curl your legs up as far as possible without lifting the upper legs from the pad. Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second.
  4. As you inhale, bring the legs back to the initial position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Lying Leg Curls Alternatives

Best Match
Lever Lying Leg Curl

1. Lever Lying Leg Curl

99.4% Match
Hamstrings Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the machine to fit your body and select the desired weight.
  2. Lie face down on the machine with your legs straight and your heels against the padded lever.
  3. Grasp the handles or the sides of the machine for stability.
  4. Keeping your upper body stationary, exhale and curl your legs up as far as possible without lifting your hips off the pad.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your hamstrings.
Assisted Prone Hamstring

2. Assisted Prone Hamstring

86% Match
Hamstrings Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Reverse Hyperextension

3. Reverse Hyperextension

84.4% Match
Hamstrings Machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Standing Leg Curl

4. Standing Leg Curl

84.2% Match
Hamstrings Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie with your torso bent at the waist facing forward around 30-45 degrees (since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment) with the pad of the lever on the back of your right leg (just a few inches under the calves) and the front of the right leg on top of the machine pad.
  2. Keeping the torso bent forward, ensure your leg is fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine. Position your toes straight. This will be your starting position.
  3. As you exhale, curl your right leg up as far as possible without lifting the upper leg from the pad. Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second.
  4. As you inhale, bring the legs back to the initial position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
  5. Perform the same exercise now for the left leg.
Floor Glute-Ham Raise

5. Floor Glute-Ham Raise

82.4% Match
Hamstrings Machine Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. You can use a partner for this exercise or brace your feet under something stable.
  2. Begin on your knees with your upper legs and torso upright. If using a partner, they will firmly hold your feet to keep you in position. This will be your starting position.
  3. Lower yourself by extending at the knee, taking care to NOT flex the hips as you go forward.
  4. Place your hands in front of you as you reach the floor. This movement is very difficult and you may be unable to do it unaided. Use your arms to lightly push off the floor to aid your return to the starting position.
Seated Leg Curl

6. Seated Leg Curl

81.4% Match
Hamstrings Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Lever Kneeling Leg Curl

7. Lever Kneeling Leg Curl

81.2% Match
Hamstrings Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Lever Lying Two-one Leg Curl

8. Lever Lying Two-one Leg Curl

81% Match
Hamstrings Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the machine to fit your body and sit on it with your back against the backrest.
  2. Place your legs on the lever pad, just above your ankles.
  3. Grasp the handles on the sides of the machine for support.
  4. Keeping your upper body still, exhale and curl your legs up towards your glutes.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Inverse Leg Curl (on Pull-up Cable Machine)

9. Inverse Leg Curl (on Pull-up Cable Machine)

78.7% Match
Hamstrings Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the cable machine so that the ankle straps are at the lowest setting.
  2. Lie face down on the bench with your legs extended and the ankle straps attached to your feet.
  3. Hold onto the handles of the bench for stability.
  4. Bend your knees and curl your legs towards your glutes, squeezing your hamstrings.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift

10. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift

78.4% Match
Hamstrings Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, set the bar on the smith machine to a height that is around the middle of your thighs. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, grasp the bar using a pronated (palms forward) grip that is shoulder width apart. You may need some wrist wraps if using a significant amount of weight.
  2. Lift the bar up by fully extending your arms while keeping your back straight. Stand with your torso straight and your legs spaced using a shoulder width or narrower stance. The knees should be slightly bent. This is your starting position.
  3. Keeping the knees stationary, lower the barbell to over the top of your feet by bending at the waist while keeping your back straight. Keep moving forward as if you were going to pick something from the floor until you feel a stretch on the hamstrings. Exhale as you perform this movement
  4. Start bringing your torso up straight again as soon as you feel the hamstrings stretch by extending your hips and waist until you are back at the starting position. Inhale as you perform this movement.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Lying Leg Curls Alternative

You might substitute lying leg curls for equipment limits, knee or lumbar pain, or to vary stimulus. Lying curls isolate knee flexion and bias short-range hamstring fibers; hip-hinge movements like RDLs shift force to long-head hamstrings and glutes, useful when you want more posterior-chain integration. For tendinopathy or knee sensitivity, choose exercises with a slower eccentric and less terminal knee flexion, such as controlled Nordic lowers or cable curls with light load. Technique cues: keep a neutral spine during hip hinges and emphasize a slow 2–4 second lowering phase to increase eccentric hamstring activation.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal and constraints. If you need isolation for hypertrophy, pick seated leg curls or standing cable curls (cue: keep hips square and curl through the heels). If you want strength and hip extension, use Romanian deadlifts or single-leg RDLs (cue: hinge at the hips, maintain a neutral spine and a slight knee bend). For bodyweight or eccentric overload, use Nordic hamstring curls (cue: anchor the ankles and lower slowly). Consider equipment, joint pain, desired range of motion, and whether you need unilateral work for balance and injury prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Lying Leg Curls work?

Lying leg curls primarily target the hamstrings, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus, via knee flexion. They place less emphasis on the glutes because the hip remains extended; cue: pull the heels toward the glutes while keeping hips pressed to the pad to maximize hamstring contraction.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Lying Leg Curls?

The Nordic hamstring curl is the top bodyweight alternative because it forces high eccentric hamstring activation. Anchor your ankles, hinge from the knees, and lower slowly while resisting with your hamstrings; this emphasizes eccentric control and builds strength even without machines.

Can I build muscle without doing Lying Leg Curls?

Yes. Use progressive overload with other hamstring-focused movements like RDLs, single-leg RDLs, glute-ham raises, and cable curls. Emphasize tempo (slow eccentrics), full range of motion, and gradually increase load or volume to stimulate hypertrophy.

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