Legs · Bodyweight
Inverse Leg Curl with Bench Pads
How to do the inverse leg curl with bench pads, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Kneel with the backs of your ankles anchored under a pair of bench pads so your lower legs are pinned. Keep your body straight from knees to head and lower yourself toward the floor by extending at the knees, catching with your hands if needed. Pull yourself back up using your hamstrings.
- 1Feel your hamstrings load hard as you lower under control
- 2Keep your body in one straight line from knees to head
- 3Drive through your hamstrings to pull yourself back up
Common mistakes
- Don't bend at the hips; keep glutes squeezed and body rigid
- Avoid dropping fast; control the lowering all the way down
- Don't arch or hyperextend your lower back
Muscles worked
The inverse leg curl with bench pads mainly works the hamstrings and glutes, with the lower back, lower abs, quads, and calves assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the inverse leg curl with bench pads for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hamstrings exercises
- How to do the deficit rdl
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell rdl
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the jefferson curl
- How to do the leg swings
Last reviewed June 2026.