For hamstring growth
For hamstring growth, standing leg curl rates higher on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings.
Stiff-leg deadlift gives more stretch.
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)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Standing Leg Curl. Isolates the hamstrings one leg at a time. The hips stay straight, so the stretch is smaller than in a seated curl.
Stiff-Leg Deadlift. Like the Romanian deadlift with straighter legs: a big hamstring stretch, with similar lower-back fatigue.
For hamstring growth, standing leg curl rates higher on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings. Stiff-leg deadlift gives more stretch. 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.
Standing leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while stiff-leg deadlift takes some practice.
Standing leg curl needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Stiff-leg deadlift needs a barbell, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Standing leg curl: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for stiff-leg deadlift.