For hamstring growth

Glute-Ham Raise vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Research score

Target tension

Excellent

Loaded stretch

Strong

Excellent

Progression

Good

Excellent

Low cost

Strong

See the full hamstrings ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose glute-ham raise

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched

Glute-Ham Raise

Seated Leg Curl

You need

GHD / back-extension bench

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Glute-Ham Raise. Trains the hamstrings at the knee and hip together, but bodyweight is a lot to start with and hard to add to.

Seated Leg Curl. Seated curls grew the hamstrings more than lying curls (+14% vs +9%) in a 12-week study.

From the research

Maeo et al., 2021: Seated leg curls grew the hamstrings more than lying leg curls (+14% vs +9% volume) over 12 weeks. (20 untrained adults; one study.)Cited for seated leg curl in hamstrings

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, glute-ham raise or seated leg curl?

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch. Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Is glute-ham raise or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while glute-ham raise takes some practice.

Can you do glute-ham raise or seated leg curl at home?

Glute-ham raise needs a GHD or back-extension bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Seated leg curl needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, glute-ham raise or seated leg curl?

About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Glute-Ham Raise Seated Leg Curl All hamstrings exercises

Glute-Ham Raise vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose glute-ham raise

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched

Glute-Ham Raise

Seated Leg Curl

You need

GHD / back-extension bench

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Glute-Ham Raise. Trains the hamstrings at the knee and hip together, but bodyweight is a lot to start with and hard to add to.

Seated Leg Curl. Seated curls grew the hamstrings more than lying curls (+14% vs +9%) in a 12-week study.

From the research

Maeo et al., 2021: Seated leg curls grew the hamstrings more than lying leg curls (+14% vs +9% volume) over 12 weeks. (20 untrained adults; one study.)Cited for seated leg curl in hamstrings

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, glute-ham raise or seated leg curl?

Is glute-ham raise or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while glute-ham raise takes some practice.

Can you do glute-ham raise or seated leg curl at home?

Glute-ham raise needs a GHD or back-extension bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Seated leg curl needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, glute-ham raise or seated leg curl?

About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.