Strengthen Your Hamstrings on the Leg Curl

Continuing with the lower body focus, today we highlight the Hamstrings and the Eagle NX Leg Curl machine.

Activities Using Hamstrings

The hamstrings are an essential muscle group in nearly all activities using our legs. The hamstrings are composed of three muscles in the back of your thigh, running from the back of your knee to your butt.

The function of this muscle group is to bend the knee joint as well as bring the thigh backwards, so we use it for pretty much everything we do involving our lower bodies. It is also activated in sports activities, such as skiing, basketball jump shots, baseball hitting and fielding, rowing, deadlifts, soccer kicking and running and the throwing motion in football.

Why you should exercise your hamstring muscles

The top two reasons to exercise your hamstrings:

Hamstrings are a common site for injury
These muscles are often tight and take awhile to warm up. Harder efforts (faster running, higher jumping, etc.) recruit more hamstrings activity, they can sometimes be worked beyond their current capabilities, leaving you vulnerable to injury.

They create balance with the quadriceps, on the front of the thigh, and across the knee joint
This muscle group is opposite the quadriceps and provides support to the Gluteus Maximus, which in turn helps stabilize the abdominal core and helps us sit and stand.

The hamstring is also a major factor that may contribute to anterior knee pain, perhaps due to the imbalance between the quads (usually when they are weak) and the hamstrings (usually because they are tight).

While you should consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new type of exercise, there is a good chance they may recommend some hamstring mobility and strengthening exercises to help if you suffer from this type of knee pain.

Eagle NX Leg Curl Set-up

Below is a video on the proper set up of the Eagle NX Leg Curl, as well as some beginner and more advanced exercises that will add variety and versatility to your strength training routine.

You can also incorporate these movements into a workout routine, using our new Workout Center. We offer an intermediate workout geared toward running that will help you improve lower body and hamstring strength, as well as speed and endurance.

Trainer Tip

The Eagle NX Leg Curl machine is a great non-impact way to train the hamstrings muscle group while aiding knee and hip stability for your clients. It also allows each individual user to choose the amount of knee extension for the desired movement and custom fit per user with the addition of an upper thigh pad, making it easy to use for all ages and abilities.

Cybex Workout Center

Try the 16 free workouts that you can pull up on your phone or tablet while in the gym.

Try the Cybex Workout Center Today