For hamstring growth

Good Morning vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings.

Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)

Research score

Target tension

Strong

Excellent

Loaded stretch

Excellent

Progression

Strong

Excellent

Low cost

Fair

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 good morning

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want something easier on your joints
You want the hamstrings to do the work, not other muscles

Good Morning

Seated Leg Curl

You need

Barbell, squat rack

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Good Morning. A big hamstring stretch, but the bar on your back makes it demanding on the lower back.

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, good morning or seated leg curl?

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings. Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.

Is good morning or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while good morning takes some practice.

Can you do good morning or seated leg curl at home?

Good morning needs a barbell and a squat rack, 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, good morning or seated leg curl?

Seated leg curl: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Fair for good morning.

More comparisons

Good Morning Seated Leg Curl All hamstrings exercises

Good Morning vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings.

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 good morning

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want something easier on your joints
You want the hamstrings to do the work, not other muscles

Good Morning

Seated Leg Curl

You need

Barbell, squat rack

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Good Morning. A big hamstring stretch, but the bar on your back makes it demanding on the lower back.

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, good morning or seated leg curl?

Is good morning or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while good morning takes some practice.

Can you do good morning or seated leg curl at home?

Good morning needs a barbell and a squat rack, 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, good morning or seated leg curl?

Seated leg curl: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Fair for good morning.