Any Advantage to Leg Curls?

Is there any martial arts benefit to using the leg curl machines (particularly the seated hamstring curl and the seated quad curl)?

They seem like good ways to bulk up the leg muscles, but I'm not sure they'll help in kicking or over all leg strength like squats or leg press would.

 

Leg curls do a decent job isolating the hamstrings, which I find are commonly neglected. In terms of "bulking up" the leg muscles, you only need look at champion bodybuilders who have been using them for years. I however always prefer free weight exercises over machines (for reasons too nunerous to list here). Romanian and single-leg stiff-leg deadlifts are better exercises in my opinion. Remember: it's modalities (sets/reps/time under tension) and not exercises that build muscle.

 

Van Zandt pretty much nailed it. I would only add that body weight exercises are also superior to machines.

 

Thanks, man. Good advice.

I want to stress though, that I am NOT trying to "bulk up" my legs, but rather, make them stronger to a) help with kicks and stances and b) aid in recovery.

It just seemed to me that was all leg curls and leg extensions were good for.

 

Well, it depends on what you're trying to do.

For instance, I can do 60 pull ups relatively easily and I'm around 165 - 170 lbs. But if I want to build size and mass in my lats, I'm going to HAVE to put some kind of load on my muscles greater than that. That would come from either free weights or machines

But that's brings up a question for you, as a ballet dancer...do you EVER use weights or machines to strengthen your legs?

Because from what I've seen, y'all are like grasshoppers!

 

It can help your

- forward sweep, and



[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyI8gni2ULc&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyI8gni2ULc&feature=youtu.be[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D1LqD8lBLY&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D1LqD8lBLY&feature=youtu.be[/ame]

- backward lift.

 

leg curls work the hamstrings in a different action to deadlifts because they use the knee as a pivot point and innervate the muscle in a different way - this is important for overall leg strength

leg curls are a good addition to deadlifts and glue ham raises

You could also try these - focus on lowering (go as slow as you can, aim for 6 second on the way down for 6 reps, 6 sets)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kSDFH_Jwvo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kSDFH_Jwvo[/ame]

 

The Hamstrings act as secondary stabilisers to the knee (quads are primary) so they're great knee prehab exercises.

 

Leg extensions and leg curls are good for improving muscular strength and endurance for the muscles used in snapping motions, like for hook kicks or roundhouse kicks.

Absolutely no harm in working them in my opinion.

Don't neglect your abductors or adductor either, and be sure to work those quads and calves for push kicks.

 

:laughing:
Can't speak for every ballerina/o, but I do (and lots of them, as you can see in my log). I don't know the science behind it, but I reckon ballerinas develop different sorts of muscle fibers than martial artists do-even though dancers usually look very thin and waif-like, they're extremely strong-as far as pulling/pushing bodyweight (and that of female dancers in the case of ballerinos). I think people who focus on classical ballet use a specilaized diet to remain aesthetically pleasing in the classical sense. (that is, thin and elegant)

Check this guy out: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2k4RRfBb0&spfreload=10"]NY Complexion contemporary ballet to make you feel my love - YouTube[/ame]
And this guy:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dSeYecM6wA&spfreload=10"]Most romantic, I ever seen.. - YouTube[/ame]

 

As much as I'd agree ballet dancers are strong, they're not that strong due to diet, training and performance constraints

I think you over estimate the strength ballet dancers have and how that relates to combat sports people

 

why wouldn't you just do squats?

 

I don't reckon it's an overestimation, but as they say "you fight as you train". Dancers don't train to kick things, as a general rule. For me, ballet provides a strength/cardio training routine to build on during other types of training. Rather like capoeiristas (and the kata-based artists too) can easily learn the dance aspect and become very physically strong but not good strikers. That is something that has to be trained seperately.

 

Because it only works your hamstrings in a negative action rather than an isolated one.

 

Some people can't squat because of injury; others shouldn't because of dysfunction.

 

i get your points guys. i'm always a big fan of free weights. and it doesn't sound like there are any injury concerns with the op. i like the romanian deadlifts that vz pointed out to earlier. i also do a kettlebell single-leg deadlift that works quite well for me at least.

cheers.

 

S&C coaches I've talked to among a number of contact ball sports all like to work the hamstrings from the knee and the hip hinge (deadlifts and single leg curls/nordic curls) because both those actions are used in natural sporting movements and therefore building strength and mass in those areas is appropriate (a bigger muscle is potentially a stronger muscle

 

Because of you people I did leg curls today. Thanks.

 

Me too. And it was glorious!!

Hurt never felt so good.

 

Ya know, I was surprised that it didn't hurt nearly as much as I remembered it hurting 3 years ago or so. Methinks all that plie-ing and pirouette-ing and releve-ing and such has paid off.