Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
Reviewed by Dylan Maurick, Physiotherapist
The Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl is a simple hamstring exercise that builds strength and control using a bench and a single dumbbell.
Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
Muscles Worked: Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
The dumbbell lying leg curl mainly works your legs, especially the hamstrings, because they bend your knees to lift and hold the dumbbell. Your calves, particularly the gastrocnemius and soleus, help grip and stabilize the dumbbell between your feet, while your glutes keep your hips steady on the bench so the work stays on the back of your thighs instead of shifting into your lower back. Hamstring-focused exercises that bend the knee show high hamstring involvement (Schoenfeld et al., 2015).
Technique and form
How to perform the Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
- Position yourself face down on a bench or exercise mat with your legs extended straight behind you and your hips resting on the bench.
- Place a dumbbell securely between your feet, gripping it firmly by squeezing your feet together around the dumbbell handle.
- Keep your upper body stabilized by placing your hands on the floor or gripping the sides of the bench, maintaining a neutral spine position throughout the movement.
- Engage your core muscles and slightly tuck your pelvis to protect your lower back from excessive arching.
- Inhale, then as you exhale, bend your knees and curl the dumbbell toward your glutes by contracting your hamstrings.
- Continue the curling motion until your knees reach approximately a 90-degree angle, or until you feel a complete contraction in your hamstrings.
- Hold the contracted position briefly while maintaining tension in your hamstrings, keeping your feet flexed to secure the dumbbell.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position by extending your legs in a controlled manner, maintaining tension in your hamstrings throughout the entire range of motion.
Important information
- Make sure your hips remain in contact with the bench throughout the entire movement to properly isolate the hamstrings.
- Keep your ankles flexed (toes pointed toward your shins) to maximize hamstring engagement and secure the dumbbell.
- Select a weight that allows you to maintain proper form; using too heavy a dumbbell may cause you to swing or use momentum.
- If you experience any knee pain during the exercise, reduce the range of motion or switch to a machine-based leg curl alternative.
Is the Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl good for muscle growth?
Yes. The dumbbell lying leg curl is a solid muscle-building exercise for your hamstrings because it gives them direct work through knee bending, which is one of their main jobs (Schoenfeld et al., 2015). It is especially useful when you want more hamstring volume without the full-body fatigue that comes with heavy hip-hinge lifts.
- Direct hamstring tension — This exercise puts the back of your thighs in charge from the first inch of the rep to the last. That makes it a good choice when your hamstrings are not getting enough work from squats, split squats, or glute-focused moves.
- Useful with limited equipment — If you do not have access to a machine like the Lever Seated Leg Curl, this gives you a simple way to train knee flexion with one dumbbell and a bench. That matters because hamstring work should not depend only on hip-hinge exercises.
- Easy to pair with glute work — The movement hits the hamstrings hard while your glutes mainly help keep your hips from lifting. Pairing it with the Dumbbell Glute Bridge lets you train knee flexion here and add a bridge pattern that has been shown to involve both the hamstrings and gluteals (Youdas et al., 2015).
- Low overall fatigue — Because this is an isolation exercise, it is easier to recover from than heavy deadlift variations. That makes it useful at the end of a leg session when you still want quality hamstring work without beating up your whole body.
Programming for muscle growth
Do 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds rest, 1-3 times per week. Use a weight you can control without dropping the dumbbell or losing position, and lower it slowly so your hamstrings stay loaded for the full rep. Higher reps usually work best here because setup and control matter more than chasing heavy weight.
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FAQ - Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
The Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl primarily targets the hamstring muscle group (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris). It also engages the glutes as secondary movers and recruits stabilizing muscles throughout the posterior chain due to the free-weight nature of the movement.
The dumbbell variation introduces greater instability, which activates more stabilizing muscles throughout your posterior chain. Research suggests this free-weight approach can lead to higher overall muscle activation compared to fixed-path machines, allowing for a more natural range of motion that adapts to your individual body proportions.
A standard lying leg raise focuses on lifting the legs using the hip flexors and stabilizing with the core. Adding the hip lift shifts more tension to the abs by actively curling the pelvis off the floor, increasing abdominal contraction and reducing reliance on momentum.
Program this exercise later in your workout after compound movements like squats or deadlifts. For hypertrophy benefits, use moderate weight for 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions with 60-90 seconds rest between sets, emphasizing the eccentric phase for maximum hamstring development.
While classified as intermediate, beginners can perform this exercise safely by starting with very light weight to master proper form. Begin with a weight you can control through the full range of motion for 12-15 reps, focusing on hamstring engagement rather than weight lifted, and progress gradually to avoid strain injuries.
Scientific References
Regional differences in muscle activation during hamstrings exercise.
Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Tiryaki-Sonmez G et al. · Journal of strength and conditioning research (2015)
Youdas JW, Hartman JP, Murphy BA et al. · Physiotherapy theory and practice (2015)
Sources are peer-reviewed academic publications from PubMed.
Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
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