Reps Only exercise

Towel Hamstring Curl form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The towel hamstring curl is a sliding leg curl performed from a glute bridge with the heels on a towel on a smooth floor, requiring the hamstrings to flex the knees while the glutes hold the hips up. Lifters use it as an equipment-free alternative to machine leg curls, building eccentric hamstring strength and posterior-chain control valued for knee health and hamstring-strain prevention.

Towel Hamstring Curl illustration

How to do Towel Hamstring Curl

  1. 1Lie on your back on a smooth floor with your heels on a folded towel or sliders, knees bent and arms at your sides.
  2. 2Brace your core and lift your hips into a bridge so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  3. 3Inhale as you slowly slide your heels away from you, lowering your hips only as much as needed to keep the body line straight.
  4. 4Do not let your hips drop to the floor or your lower back arch as your legs extend.
  5. 5Exhale as you drag your heels back toward your glutes with your hamstrings, returning to the bridge position for the next rep.

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Track Towel Hamstring Curl in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.