Inverse Leg Curl (Bench Support)

Setup

1. 01Kneel on a pad with your ankles hooked under the frame of a loaded or anchored bench.
2. 02Check the bench is heavy or fixed enough that it cannot tip.
3. 03Set the body in a straight line from knees to head.
4. 04Hold the hands ready in front of the chest to catch yourself.

Execution

1. 01Squeeze the glutes and lower the torso toward the floor as slowly as possible.
2. 02Resist with the hamstrings through the entire descent.
3. 03Catch yourself with the hands and use a light push-off from the floor.
4. 04Pull back up with the hamstrings to the kneeling start.

Checkpoints

• -Hips stay extended; the body moves as one line from the knees.
• -The descent is fought for every degree, not dropped.
• -The ankles stay firmly hooked under the bench.
• -The push-off assist gets smaller as you get stronger.

Common mistakes

• -Breaking at the hips to shorten the lever.
• -Free-falling once past the hardest angle.
• -Anchoring under a light bench that lifts mid-rep.
• -Skipping padding under the knees.