Lying Dumbbell Leg Curl
Also known as: dumbbell hamstring curl, prone dumbbell leg curl, dumbbell lying leg curl, lying leg curl with dumbbell
In SetGrip: Prone Dumbbell Leg Curl
- Primary muscleHamstrings
- EquipmentDumbbell
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeIsolation · Hip-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Lying
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Gripping a dumbbell between your feet while lying face down turns any flat bench into a leg curl station. The bell forces strict control, since a sloppy rep drops the weight, but it also caps the load and makes changing weights awkward; treat it as the home and travel substitute for the Lying Machine Leg Curl.
How to do the Lying Dumbbell Leg Curl
- Lie face down on a flat bench with your knees just past the end and a dumbbell held securely between your feet. A partner can place it there.
- Hold the bench for support and keep your hips pressed into the pad.
- Bend your knees to curl the dumbbell toward your glutes, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower the dumbbell under control until your legs are almost straight.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Point the toes through the curl to take the calves out of it and force the hamstrings to do all the work.
Muscles worked
Primary
Hamstrings · Legs
The hamstrings bend the knee against the pad and should feel a hard squeeze at the top and a controlled stretch at the bottom.
Secondary
- Glutes — The glutes contract to keep the hips down on lying curls and to hold the hip open on Nordics.
Common mistakes
- Hips lifting off the pad — on lying curls keep the hips pressed down; if they rise, the range is too long or the weight too heavy.
- Yanking the weight up — drive the heels toward the backside under control and squeeze at the top for a count.
- Dropping the weight down — the lowering half is where the hamstrings grow, so take three seconds to come back.
- Skipping the stretch on Nordics — on Nordic curls lower as far as you can control and use the hands to push back up rather than cutting the range.
Where it fits in a workout
Leg curls go after squats and deadlifts as a hamstring accessory. Superset them with leg extensions on the neighboring machine or with a back extension.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without dumbbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.