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Learning Leg Curls From Your Personal Trainer

Author: Dan Clay

Exercising your body is as important as consuming food and earning money for a living. A fit body ensures a healthy mind to perform day to day activities. For this, seeking help from a personal trainer is essential.

Now which part of your body do you start working out from? Say, the legs. Then first consider which are the activities where your legs are used most? Say, walking, running, squatting. Almost all significant activities involve the usage of the legs. Thus, strengthening the muscles in the legs is of primary importance to stay fit. For this, performing leg curls is a good choice. Let us explore more about leg curls.

What is a leg curl and why should you learn to perform it?

A leg curl is an exercise recommended for strengthening your hamstring muscles. This can be performed using machines by seeking guidance from your personal trainer. These machines are designed to place focus on various portions your hamstring muscles and gluteal muscles while exercising. These muscles are primarily used while running, walking and all leg movements, thereby, strengthening these will help you perform the mentioned activities.

The below mentioned are the three types of leg curls your personal trainer would recommend:

1) Using lever lying exercise machines to perform leg curls: In this exercise, you first lie face down on the bench of the machine and grasp the grips. This bench is declining and has weights attached to it.

Next, you line up your knees using the rotating cam on the machine and press the ankles against the pads. Further, keep your hips tightly placed over the seat and curl your legs upward, hold on in that position for a while, and then slowly bring it back to the starting position.

Caution: Do not use force to move the weights as this may cause a leg injury. It is advisable to take guidance from your personal trainer during the first 2-3 sessions.

2) Seated leg curls: In this exercise, you repeat a cycle of curling and extending your legs after seating yourself on the seat of the machine. First you adjust the machine to your height by pulling the lever and then move the back of your seat till your knees are aligned with the bottom of the pads on the chair.

Next, you place your legs on the ankle pad and bring your heels towards your hips. The leg curl is complete when you gradually extend your leg outwards to reach the starting position.

This exercise will be recommended to you by your personal trainer especially if you suffer from lower back problems.

3) Standing leg curls: In this exercise, the legs are isolated to allow for development of the hamstring muscles. First you adjust the weights to be lifted, and then place one leg under the lifting bar so that you can lift your leg along with the weights. Place your other leg on the platform. Next, grip the handle with hands; lift the bar with the leg you need to exercise towards your buttocks. Stay in that position for a while and then return the leg slowly to the starting point.

Take guidance from your personal trainer for knowing the duration for the respective leg curls to be performed.

Note that without proper guidance, you may strain your hamstring and gluteal muscles.

It is best to perform any exercise by first performing a few warming up exercises for about 20 minutes. Otherwise, there is a risk of injuries such as muscle strains, tears, hip, knee or joint pains.

About the author: Dan Clay is the owner of Dangerously Fit Personal Training. If you would like to register for a personal fitness trainer Vaucluse session, or a free personal trainer Inner West session, visit href="http://www.personaltrainersydney.com/">Sydney personal fitness trainers.