FAST-ATTACH FITNESS

EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS

SEATED LEG CURL

Primary Muscle Targeted:

Hamstrings

Learning Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Setup Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Performance Difficulty Level: Intermediate

DEMONSTRATION VIDEO

EQUIPMENT & ATTACHMENTS

Equipment Needed To Perform This Exercise

• Adjustable-height single or adjacent dual cable machine

• Adjustable bench

• Seatbelt Extender

• Fast-Attach All In 1 Fitness Strap

Equipment Shown Here

BODY MASTERS ADJUSTABLE-HEIGHT SINGLE CABLE MACHINE

Body Masters Adjustable-Height Single Cable Machine

Prime Fitness Adjustable Bench

Amazon Seatbelt Extender

Fast-Attach All In 1 Fitness Strap

• Click the links above to purchase

Choose One Attachment Option To Perform This Exercise

• Ankle straps

• Thigh straps adjusted to fit around your ankles

Attachments Shown Here

Schiek Ankle Straps

• Click the link above to purchase.

SETUP

Equipment Setup

**• 15* decline bench**

Equipment Distance From The Cable Pulley

• Approximately 4 feet

Attachment Setup

• Connect the All In 1 Fitness Strap to an adjustable-height single or adjacent dual cable machine.

• If you are using a single cable machine, connect the center anchor ring to the cable pulley.

• If you are using an adjacent dual cable machine, connect the side anchor rings to the adjacent dual cable pulleys.

• Attach the ankle straps to the All In 1 Fitness Strap after you sit on the bench.

All In 1 Fitness Strap Attachment Setting Shown Here

• Loop 4

Angle Of Resistance

**• Approximately 45* downward**

EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS

Getting Into Starting Position

• Sit close to the edge of the bench pad and wrap the ankle straps around the area just above your ankles and just below your calves.

• You may choose to hold onto the seatbelt extender or place it on the bench.

• Grab the all in 1 fitness strap and lift one leg up with your knee bent to attach one ankle strap to the all in 1 fitness strap.

• Repeat with the opposite leg.

• Place your hands behind you on the bench pad to help you scoot back on the bench to straighten your legs and position your knees closer to the bench.

• Wrap the seatbelt extender tightly around thighs and the underside of the bench. This may not work for some benches depending on how your bench is designed.

• If you are using heavy resistance, position the seatbelt extender as close to your knees as possible with your knees as close to the bench as possible.

Starting Position

• Seated on the top portion of the bench pad with knees extending slightly past the edge of the bench pad

• Face the cable pulley

• Spine slightly rounded to allow you to grab the underside of the bench

• Torso angled slightly forward

• Legs horizontal or angled slightly above horizontal

• It is ok for your knees to be slightly bent

• Toes point up

• Seatbelt extender wrapped tightly around thighs and the underside of the bench

• Use a seatbelt cover for additional comfort

• Hold the underside of the bench with your hands against the seatbelt extender to keep it from shifting or sliding off the bench

Performing The Concentric Portion Of The Movement

• Initiate the movement by pressing your hips and glutes into the bench pad while simultaneously bending your knees to pull the resistance down and back.

• Do not initiate the movement by pressing down with your heels as this creates poor leverage.

• Do not initiate the movement by hinging at your hips and lifting your lower back and pelvis.

• Use a slow-to-moderate, controlled tempo that works best for you.

• Your primary focus and concentration should be on using your mind-muscle connection to visualize your lower legs pulling the resistance as you feel your hamstring muscles contracting. You may count the number of seconds to control your rep speed as long as this doesn't interfere with your concentration on your technique.

**• Focus on contracting your hamstrings concentrically by bending your knees as much as you can to drive the ankle straps into you at approximately a 45* cable angle.**

• Maintain tension in your core throughout the entire movement.

Finish Position

• Legs bent at 90* or preferably angled slightly backward past 90*

• Toes point forward

Performing The Eccentric Portion Of The Movement

• Initiate the eccentric by slowly straightening your legs.

• Do not initiate the eccentric by letting your legs quickly straighten out.

• Maintain constant control of your legs throughout the entire eccentric movement as you feel the tension in your hamstring muscles. Do not relax and let the resistance do the work during the eccentric portion of the movement, as this reduces the work on your hamstring muscles and decreases the effectiveness of the exercise.

Getting Out Of Position And Returning The Attachment

• Place your hands behind you on the bench pad to help you scoot up on the bench far enough to bend one leg slightly and remove one ankle strap.

• You will now be in a position to scoot up even further to remove the other ankle strap.

Safety And Injury Prevention

• Do not lock your knees out. Locking your knees out may cause your knees to hyperextend during the eccentric and may result in a pulled hamstring muscle as you initiate the concentric.

• Do not use too much resistance, as this can result in a pulled muscle or even a torn muscle, especially for exercises like this where you start in a stretched position.

• Do not use momentum, especially performing a fast eccentric to build momentum for the next concentric rep as this could result in a pulled hamstring muscle.

• Do not angle your feet inward or outward in an attempt to target the inner or outer hamstrings as this puts rotational strain on the knee joint.

• Maintain good form, and do not use an excessive amount of resistance that may cause you to neglect proper posture and lose control.

• To avoid muscle tightening and cramping, do not begin the movement with your toes pointing forward and do not finish the movement with your toes pointing down.

• Stop immediately if you feel any significant pain beyond normal muscle burn, fatigue, and soreness, such as a sharp pain, joint pain, and pain that increases with movement and/or limits movement.

Exercise Setup Limitations

• This exercise may be difficult to attach the ankle straps to the all in 1 fitness strap and get into starting position for some people and may take some practice to do this.

• This exercise may be difficult to get out of position and detach the ankle straps from the all in 1 fitness strap for some people and may take some practice to do this.

• The seatbelt extender may not work for some benches depending on how your bench is designed.

• If the seatbelt extender does not work for your bench, you have the option to place a long bar with a pad attachment on top of your thighs and grab the underside of the bench with your upper arms supporting the long bar.

• If you use heavy resistance, you will need a heavy-duty bench to prevent shifting or tipping.

Common Mistakes

• Do not initiate the movement by pressing down with your heels as this creates poor leverage.

• Do not initiate the movement by hinging at your hips and lifting your lower back and pelvis. Initiate the movement by pressing your hips and glutes into the bench pad while simultaneously bending your knees to pull the resistance down and back.

• Do not finish with your lower legs angled forward. Finish with your lower legs at least vertical and preferably angled back.

• Do not lock your knees out at the top of the movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees.

• Do not allow your legs to quickly straighten out or use momentum on the way up. Maintain constant control of your legs throughout the entire eccentric movement.

• Do not use momentum in an attempt to move the resistance, as this will reduce the work on the target muscle and shift the work to your joints and other body parts and may result in injury. Control the resistance at a steady pace that is comfortable for you.

Tips

• Use a seatbelt cover for additional comfort.

• Use attachments that have thick padding for the most comfort.

• For the most leverage, position the seatbelt extender as close to your knees as possible with your knees as close to the bench as possible.

• Use your mind-muscle connection to visualize your upper hamstrings contracting and expanding rather than just bending your knees up and down.

Set Extenders And Exercise Progressions

• Once you reach the point of muscular failure, you can extend the set further to increase the intensity by pausing and resting long enough to perform at least 1 more rep.

Progress by:

• adding more resistance while maintaining good form.

• performing glute-ham raise or assisted nordic curl variations.

Benefits Of This Exercise

• This exercise has been shown scientifically to be the superior choice over lying leg curls.

• Simulates commercial seated leg curl machines.