Cable Single Leg Lying Leg Curl
Prone single leg curl with an ankle cuff on a low cable that isolates one hamstring at a time.
How to do it
- Attach an ankle cuff to a low pulley and fasten it to one ankle.
- Lie face down on a bench set in front of the stack with your knees at the edge.
- Extend both legs and grip the bench for stability.
- Brace your abs and press your hips into the bench.
- Curl the working heel toward your glutes by bending only at the knee.
- Pause at the top, lower under control, then finish the set and swap legs.
Key technique cue
Keep the hips pressed to the bench, no twisting; lower the leg slowly, don't drop it.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Lifting the hips off the bench, which adds hip flexion and hides a short range.
- ✕ Letting the cuffed leg drop back down, which throws away the eccentric.
- ✕ Loading heavy enough to twist the pelvis, so the trunk rotates instead of the knee bending.
- ✕ Setting the pulley too high, which drags the cuff up the shin and changes the line of pull.
Benefits
- ✓ Trains one hamstring at a time so the stronger leg cannot compensate.
- ✓ Cable tension stays on the hamstring at full knee flexion.
- ✓ Useful for spotting and closing side to side strength gaps.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Cable Single Leg Lying Leg Curl
- Towel Slide Leg Curl
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Step 3 -
Step 4
About the exercise
The cable single leg laying leg curl runs an ankle cuff from a low pulley to one ankle while you lie face down with your knees at the edge of a bench. Working one leg at a time stops the stronger side taking over, and the cable keeps pulling the heel away from the glutes through the whole range instead of letting the load fade at the top. The thigh stays flat and only the knee bends, so the hamstrings do the work with the calf assisting at the ankle. Keeping the abs braced stops the hips lifting, which is the usual way a short range gets disguised.
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