Flex chair: benefits and how to use it –

The leg curl is a popular gym machine for anyone looking to strengthen their lower body. Below, we teach you its benefits and how to use it.

WHAT IS FLEXOR CHAIR

It’s a weight machine that involves you sitting on a padded seat and using a lever or cable attached to weights to create resistance as you bend your legs. Of the many machines that exist, this is one of the oldest and most effective for strengthening and toning your legs.

WHAT IS THE EXERCISE IN THE FLEXOR CHAIR FOR?

Thigh and butt development

The leg curl is an exercise to develop the back of the thighs, especially the hamstrings. That’s why she’s perfect for those who want thicker thighs.

But not only that. By tightening the muscles in this region, you are also giving more support to the gluteal muscles, making your butt look more lifted.

Excellent for one-sided training

As with the leg extension, the leg curl also offers an excellent opportunity to train unilaterally (one side of the body or one limb at a time), minimizing strength asymmetries.

Training unilaterally is a great way to help get out of muscle imbalances, recruit more muscle, and get a better sense of how much we lean on our dominant side when doing bilateral lifts.

With more developed legs, you also increase the ability to resist training such as running and swimming, in addition to increasing speed in these modalities, as the larger muscle provides more momentum.

great for rehab

The closed nature of the leg curl and the isolation of the movement means that people with wobbly knees, whether from a recent injury or long periods of inactivity, can exercise the hamstrings without risking strain on the tendons and ligaments around the knee.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FLEXOR CHAIR AND THE EXTENSOR CHAIR?

While the extensor works the muscles in the front of the leg, the flexor works the hamstrings, which are below the glutes.

HOW TO USE AN EXTENSION CHAIR

Step 1: adjust the machine lever according to your height and sit on the machine with your back against the back support.

Step 2: Place the back of your leg on top of the padded lever (just a few inches below your calves) and secure the abdominal pad against your thighs, just above your knees. Then, hold the machine’s side handles while pointing your toes straight (or you can use any of the other two positions as well) and make sure your legs are completely straight out in front of you. This will be your starting position.

Step 3: as you exhale, pull the machine lever as far back as possible behind your thighs, bending your knees. Keep the torso stationary at all times. Hold the contracted position for one second.

Step 4: slowly return to the starting position while inhaling.

CAN YOU DO IT EVERY DAY?

No. It is always necessary to wait at least 24 hours after working a muscle in the gym to work it again.

HOW MANY SERIES SHOULD I DO?

This will depend on your objective. If you just want to tone up, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, using a weight that causes strong (but not maximum) resistance for you, is ideal.

If you want to increase the muscles in the region, the ideal is to do 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions, using the maximum weight you can lift.