Leg day! Yes, the one most of us dread and want to run away from, is essential because legs workouts help you maintain the correct posture and gain flexibility. When it comes to leg workouts, one of the most popular and important exercises is leg curls. Also known as hamstring curls, this exercise focuses on working the muscles on your hamstring and strengthens them with each rep.
However, even though this exercise has so many benefits, many find it difficult to incorporate it into their workout routine. The reasons for this can be many ranging from not having access to the machine or indulging in home workouts or the position being difficult to adapt to for your body. But there is nothing to worry about because there is a variety of options that are great leg curl alternatives at home.
When it comes to leg workout it’s important to target your hamstrings and this exercise does exactly that. While performing regular deadlifts you need to bend your knees in order to lift the weight but in stiff-legged deadlifts, things work differently. If you are using a bench, barbell or kettlebells you need to be very sturdy.
How to do it:
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and with an overhand grip hold a barbell and bend your knees slightly.
- Now bend forward with maximal motion at the hip and lower the barbell. Make sure you don’t bend your back.
- Then squeeze your glutes and get back into the starting position.
When looking for leg exercises at home that work your core and hamstrings but uses your upper body, Good mornings are your answer. All you need to do this exercise are a barbell and plated weights. Having a barbell on your back makes it easier to perform this exercise.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Now place the barbell on your shoulders.
- Engage your abdominal muscles while you inhale and bend forward with maximal motion on your hips.
- Make sure you keep your back straight you bring your torso towards the ground.
- Exhale while returning to the beginning position.
Another one of the bodyweight leg workouts that can be easily done at home is donkey kicks. An exercise that helps in both toning and stability, Donkey kicks targets your gluteus maximus which is the largest glute muscle. Not just your legs, donkey kicks also work your core and shoulder muscles.
How to do it:
- Get down on your hands and knees and keep them shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift your left leg while keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Squeeze your glutes and straighten your left leg to push your foot towards the ceiling.
- Now slowly return to the starting position. Do 15-20 reps.
An exercise that targets even more muscle groups than the traditional leg curl, Kettlebell swings are a great exercise that will help you in building power. A whole-body movement, this exercise specifically targets your hamstrings and is a great substitute for the leg curl exercise.
How to do it:
- Stand straight and hold a kettlebell with both your hands.
- Now slightly bend your knees and push your hips backward.
- Swing the kettlebell between your legs and bring it up until both your arms are straight in front of you.
- Make sure you engage your glutes and core while standing.
- As the kettlebell comes downward, bend forward with maximal motion on your hips.
Now that you know about the leg curl alternatives at home we hope you would consider indulging in some of these. If you want to now workout at home then do it with FITCOACH- an AI-enabled fitness coach that learns all about your fitness needs and goals and recommends workouts accordingly. As you go ahead and follow workouts recommended by FITCOACH, it monitors your habits and what you do and how you do it to improve the recommendations every time. The more you workout, the more exercise it recommends, the more it learns about your body and fitness preferences and helps you achieve your goals faster and in a more organized fashion. With FITCOACH you can work out anywhere be it your home or any other personal space. It even lets you create your own workout to work on different parts of the body. If you want to join a gym and be more consistent and want a more enthusiastic environment to workout or want to join some sports classes then do it with FITPASS- India's largest network of gyms and fitness studios that offers you the freedom to workout wherever and whenever you want. You can choose from 2,25,000+ workout sessions and 8,100+ gyms and fitness studios across the country.
