Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support)
Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support) Exercise Description
The inverse leg curl (bench support) is a bodyweight hamstring exercise performed from a tall kneeling position with the ankles anchored and a bench in front for self-assistance. It emphasizes knee flexion while you maintain hip extension and a neutral spine, creating a long lever and high demand on the hamstrings. Light pressure on the bench with the hands helps you control the descent and assists the return without shifting work away from the knee flexors. Gluteus maximus and the trunk musculature act as stabilizers to keep the hips extended and the torso aligned from knees through shoulders. Keeping the ankles dorsiflexed can allow the gastrocnemius to assist knee flexion. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelf?utm_source=openai))
- Muscle Groups: Hamstrings
- Target Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Short Head, Gastrocnemius - Medial Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Multifidus, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors, Knee Flexors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Inner Hamstring, Outer Hamstring
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support) Exercise
‘- Set a sturdy anchor for your ankles (e.g., partner holding heels or fixed bar) and place a flat bench lengthwise in front of you at arm’s reach. Pad your knees. Keep toes tucked (dorsiflexed). ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelf?utm_source=openai))
– Kneel tall with hips extended, ribs stacked over pelvis, and shoulders down and back. Brace your core; keep a neutral spine from head to knees. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASInverseLegCurlBands?utm_source=openai))
– Hover your hands over the bench. Begin lowering by slowly straightening the knees, keeping the body in a straight line and the hips from piking. Eyes on the floor to maintain neck neutrality. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelf?utm_source=openai))
– Descend under control as far as you can while maintaining alignment. Lightly place hands on the bench before you lose control of the descent. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelf?utm_source=openai))
– Press gently into the bench as needed while you flex the knees to return to the tall kneeling position. Use only the minimum hand assistance required; keep hips extended throughout. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelf?utm_source=openai))
– Reset posture each repetition: glutes engaged, core braced, ankles dorsiflexed, and heels firmly anchored. Avoid letting the hips break, the low back arch excessively, or the shoulders round. ([exrx.net](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASInverseLegCurlBands?utm_source=openai))
Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support) Tips
‘- Set a sturdy ankle anchor and place the bench at arm’s reach in front of you before starting.
– Pad your knees and keep your toes tucked so the ankles stay dorsiflexed.
– Kneel tall with hips extended, ribs stacked over the pelvis, and shoulders down and back.
– Brace your core and keep a neutral spine from head to knees, with eyes on the floor to maintain neck neutrality.
– Hover your hands over the bench and begin lowering by slowly straightening the knees while keeping your body in a straight line.
– Prevent the hips from piking or “breaking” so the torso stays aligned from knees through shoulders.
– Descend under control and lightly place your hands on the bench just before you lose control of the descent.
– Press gently into the bench only as much as needed while you flex the knees to return to tall kneeling.
– Keep the hips extended during the entire return phase so the work stays at the knees.
– Between reps, reset with glutes engaged, core braced, ankles dorsiflexed, heels firmly anchored, and shoulders not rounded.
Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support) Beginner Introduction
The inverse leg curl (bench support) is a bodyweight movement centered on bending the knees against resistance while the body stays long and straight from knees to shoulders. Performed in an upright kneeling stance with the lower legs fixed in place and a bench within arm’s reach, it turns the back of the thighs into the main drivers of the motion. Because the body pivots from the knees with the hips pushed forward, the exercise creates a long lever that challenges the hamstrings through the lowering and lifting phases.
Light contact with the bench under the hands offers adjustable assistance, helping manage the descent and return without turning the movement into an upper-body exercise. The glutes and core stabilize the pelvis and torso so the front of the body does not fold or arch excessively, while aligned ankles with toes pulled upward allow the calves to contribute to knee bending. Overall, the exercise highlights control, tension, and posture rather than speed or momentum.