Resistance Band Leg Curl

The resistance band leg curl is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings, performed lying face down with a band anchored at ankle height and looped around the ankles. Bending the knees against the pull of the band trains knee flexion, the hamstring's primary job, without the machine that most gyms build that movement around. Band tension rises as the heels travel toward the glutes, so the hardest point of the rep falls where the hamstrings are shortest and strongest, which suits sets of 12 to 20 reps far better than heavy low rep work. Strong hamstrings balance out quad dominant training, protect the knee and support sprinting and jumping. Because a band weighs almost nothing and anchors to a door or a table leg, the exercise travels well and fits home training. Start with a light band and progress by stepping farther from the anchor point.