The standing hamstring curl with a weight bends the knee against an ankle weight while you face a wall for support. You lift the heel behind you until your shin is roughly parallel to the floor, then lower it slowly. It strengthens the muscles at the back of the thigh (hamstrings) and usually comes after the curl without weight feels easy.

How to do the standing hamstring curl with a weight

Strap an ankle weight or small sandbag firmly around the ankle of the leg you will work, so it cannot slide.
Stand facing a wall or kitchen counter, near enough to place both palms on it at chest height. Stand tall with your feet a little apart.
Keeping your thighs side by side, bend the weighted knee to lift the heel up behind you until your shin is roughly parallel to the floor, as in the video.
Keep the heel up for a second, then let the foot come slowly back down to the floor. The way down should take at least as long as the way up.
Do your reps, then move the weight to the other ankle if both legs are in your program.

What you should feel

Work in the back of the thigh of the weighted leg, felt most near the top of the lift. The calf may join in a little.

Common mistakes

Swinging the leg to get the weight up, then letting it drop.
Letting the thigh drift forward, which turns the curl into a hip bend.
Hollowing the lower back or pushing the hips toward the wall.
Picking a weight so heavy that you cannot lower it slowly.

How often

Programs often start with a light weight and 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 on each leg. Your physio will adjust this, including when to add more weight.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain at the back of the thigh or knee, pain that builds with each rep, or a cramp that does not ease when you rest.
You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.

From the clinic

Learn the standing hamstring curl without a weight first, then start with the lightest weight you have. If the back of the thigh starts to cramp, lower the foot, let it ease, and keep the next few lifts lower. Lifting the heel higher toward your buttock is a later option your physio may add. Keep both hands on the wall, and wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. If you have had a fall in the last 12 months or feel unsteady on one leg, ask someone to stay close by until you know how the weight feels.

If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every repetition and never hold your breath.

After a knee fracture or knee surgery, including a knee replacement, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. After an ACL reconstruction that used a hamstring graft, or a hamstring tear or repair, check with your surgeon or physio before you add a weight, because loading the back of the thigh is usually brought in gradually after these. After meniscus surgery, ask as well how far you may bend the knee. If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this exercise. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery.

The seated hamstring curl with a band is a seated way to load the same muscles.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Standing hamstring curl with a weight