The lying leg curl isolates your hamstrings: they work apart from the glutes, which deadlift variations don't give you.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Lie face down with your knees just past the bench edge, lined up with the pivot. Roller above your heels. Hold the handles and keep your hips on the bench.
Execution
Lie face-down, the pad just below your calves, legs straight — starting position.
Exhale and curl your legs up as far as you can without lifting your thighs off the pad.
Inhale and lower them back down slowly.
Common mistakes
Hips lifting — press them into the bench, or your lower back takes over.
Swinging your legs — curl smoothly and pause at the top.
Partial range — curl until the roller nearly touches your glutes.
Dropping the weight — lower slowly, it's half the work.
