Lying vs. Seated Hamstring Curls: Which One Is Better?

Hamstring curls are a staple exercise for strengthening the back of your legs, improving athletic performance, and enhancing overall lower body strength. When it comes to hamstring curl machines, you generally have two options: the seated hamstring curl machine and the lying hamstring curl machine. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the best choice depends on your fitness goals, physical condition, and personal preferences.

Seated Hamstring Curls

The seated hamstring curl machine offers excellent back support, making it ideal for people with lower back issues or those who need extra stability. The backrest helps maintain proper posture, reducing the risk of lower back strain.

When performing seated hamstring curls, the primary focus is on the long head of the biceps femoris, the outer portion of the hamstring. This exercise often involves a greater range of motion, stretching the muscle more effectively. This can lead to increased muscle growth and definition.

Lying Hamstring Curls

Lying hamstring curls tend to emphasize the short head of the biceps femoris and the gracilis muscle, which are located closer to the knee. Lying hamstring curl machines are generally more widely available in commercial gyms, and while you can still take the hamstrings through a full range of motion, the exercise can be more difficult to execute well than the seated variant.

Which is Better?

Ideally, incorporating both exercises (along with heavy compound movements like Romanian Deadlifts) into your routine is best for overall hamstring development. However, if you had to choose one, the seated leg curl tends to be slightly more comfortable and better for hypertrophy. Also, if you have both machines available but only have the time to prioritize one, it’s a good idea to rotate between them every few training cycles.

Sample Routine for Incorporating Both Lying and Seated Hamstring Curls

Assuming you train your lower body twice a week with at least one compound movement per session:

Workout A:

Seated Hamstring Curls, 3 sets of 15 reps

Barbell Squat, 3 sets of 8 reps

Workout B:

Romanian Deadlifts, 3 sets of 8 reps

Lying Hamstring Curls. 3 sets of 10 reps

This setup will result in complete hamstring development due to the mix of direct isolation work and heavier compound movements.

How to Perform Seated Hamstring Curls if You Don’t Have the Machine

If you’re like me and strongly prefer seated hamstring curls but your gym doesn’t have the machine, you can still do them using an adjustable cable machine, a bench/seat, and some ankle/wrist cuffs.

Bring the cable machine pulley all the way down and attach the carabiner to your cuffs. Make sure the seat is far enough away that you can fully straighten out your leg while the weight stack is still suspended in the air.

Theoretically, you could also do lying hamstring curls with a similar setup by lying on a bench, but in practice, it’s much more awkward to set up and perform with a meaningful amount of weight.