Weight
Plate Leg Curls For Working Hamstrings Without a Leg Curl
Machine
This is a great
hamstring exercise for when you don't have access to a leg
curl machine. It combines not only the knee flexion function
of the hamstrings (aka bringing your heel to your butt) but
how you perform this particular exercise also incorporates
the hip extension function of the hamstrings, which is something
the leg curl exercise misses.
I first saw this
exercise at EliteFts.com
and thought WOW, that looks like a good one for the hams.
And believe me, it IS.
For this, you just
need a weight plate. I'm using a 45 lb plate in the demo.
Set it on the floor about 5 feet away from something solid
you can grab onto. I'm in the rack for this one but it doesn't
matter what you use.
Now lie down and
grab onto that solid object and your feet on top of the weight
plate. I hook my heels in the edge of the plate.
Now push the weight
plate forward, sliding it along the floor. It's best to do
this exercise on carpet, if you can. Rubber flooring will
be tougher to slide on.
Now PULL the weight
plate back and up towards your butt while at the same time
pushing your hips UP towards the ceiling.
I like to use an
explosive movement for this one because that's really what
the hamstrings are designed for. You'll see this in the video
where I slide the plate foward slowly then power it back up
fast.
And believe me,
the contraction you get from this one is HUGE. You're combining
the two functions of the hams into one movement, which really
makes for an intense exercise.
This is a great
one for home trainers who don't have access to a lot of machines
and who need something beyond stiff-legged deadlifts for their
hamstrings.