Leg curling

No, it’s not a new sport on TSN after the Christmas holidays. Leg curls are the most underrated of the leg exercises. There are as many as 50+ ways to make a leg curling exercise. Toes in, toes out, “uni” and “bi” lateral, standing, lying, kneeling and add those plantar, dorsiflexed variety and let your imagination go.

One of the most beneficial and rewarding leg curl variations is the accentuated leg curl. The hamstrings are in majority fast-twitch for most people, meaning that they respond best with strength training, in the lower spectrum of the rep range, like 6 and below. It doesn’t mean that you can’t go higher in reps, but its best if you spend more time training them for strength, especially for knee stability purposes.

The accentuated leg curl provides a unique way of increasing hamstring strength in record times. Curl the weight up with both legs, let’s say 60 pounds, which is split between both legs at 30 pounds. But on the way down, use only one leg, which brings the weight up to 60 pounds instantly on that leg for the eccentric lowering portion. We already know that muscles are usually 30-40% stronger on the eccentric part of the movement, so this method is a great way to improve the overall strength of the hamstring and posterior chain.

N.B.: Bonus tip for ya. Do you know the Scott bench machine for biceps or the triceps extension machine? You can use the same method with those machines. Try it out, it does wonders for the arms.

Coach Eric