Inverse Leg Curl with Bench Pads
- Zielmuskel
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Körperregion
- Thighs
- Typ
- Strength
The Inverse Leg Curl with Bench Pads is a bodyweight exercise performed by anchoring your ankles under bench pads and lowering your body toward the floor under hamstring control. It challenges the hamstrings through an eccentric-dominant range of motion and is widely used to build posterior-chain strength and reduce hamstring injury risk.
Inverse Leg Curl with Bench Pads: So führst du sie aus
- 1Kneel on a mat or folded towel and slide your heels under the bench pads so they are firmly anchored just above the ankle.
- 2Set your hips straight, squeeze your glutes, and brace your core so your body forms a straight line from knee to head throughout the movement.
- 3Cross your arms over your chest or hold them ready to catch yourself at the bottom.
- 4Slowly lower your torso toward the floor by allowing your knees to extend, resisting with your hamstrings the entire way down.
- 5Lower as far as hamstring control allows — typically until your torso is near parallel to the floor or just above it.
- 6When you can no longer resist with your hamstrings alone, place your hands on the floor to catch yourself gently.
- 7Push lightly off the floor with your hands to assist, then drive your hamstrings to pull your torso back up to the starting position.
- 8Lock out at the top with hips fully extended and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Technik-Tipps
- Keep your hips extended and glutes squeezed throughout — any hip flexion shortens the hamstrings and reduces the training stimulus.
- Control the descent as slowly as possible; the eccentric lowering phase is where most of the hamstring strength gains come from.
- Start with just two or three reps per set — this exercise is deceptively demanding and soreness is intense for beginners.
- Breathe in as you lower and breathe out as you pull back up to help maintain core tension.
- Ensure the bench pads are positioned just above the ankle, not the mid-calf, so the anchor is stable without cutting off circulation.
Häufige Fehler
- Allowing the hips to pike or flex on the way down, which shortens the hamstring lever arm and makes the exercise significantly easier than intended.
- Dropping too fast by not generating enough hamstring tension, which turns the descent into a free fall and removes the training effect.
- Using excessive arm push-off on the way up instead of leading with the hamstrings, which shifts the workload away from the target muscles.
- Anchoring the pads at the mid-calf rather than just above the ankle, which reduces leverage and can create instability at the joint.
- Progressing the volume too quickly — jumping to high reps before the hamstrings are adapted frequently causes severe delayed-onset muscle soreness or strain.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the Inverse Leg Curl with Bench Pads work?
It primarily challenges the hamstrings, which must resist the lowering of your body weight against gravity. The glutes and calves assist in stabilizing the movement.
Do I need special equipment?
No special equipment is required beyond bench pads or any stable anchor point that can hold your ankles — a loaded barbell, a partner holding your feet, or a dedicated Nordic curl bench all work. Only your body weight provides the resistance.
How is this different from a Nordic hamstring curl?
It is essentially the same movement pattern. 'Inverse leg curl' and 'Nordic leg curl' are different names for the same exercise. Performing it with bench pads is simply one way to anchor the ankles.
How many reps should I do if I'm a beginner?
Start with 2–3 slow, controlled reps per set and focus entirely on the eccentric lowering. The exercise is far more demanding than it looks, and even experienced athletes are often surprised by the muscle soreness after their first session.
Is it safe to use my hands to help on the way up?
Yes — using a light push off the floor to assist the concentric phase is standard practice, especially for beginners. As your hamstring strength improves, reduce the arm assistance until you can pull back up under hamstring power alone.
