Does Pointing Your Toes Change Your Hamstring Gains?
Myoelectric activity and improvements in strength and hypertrophy are unaffected by the ankle position during prone leg curl exercise – a within person randomized trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher training volume in the dorsiflexed limb did not lead to better muscle growth or strength gains.
Common training wisdom suggests more volume equals more gains—this study shows that even when volume is increased by changing ankle position, it doesn’t improve outcomes.
Practical Takeaways
You can use either toe position during leg curls—point up or down—without worrying about which is ‘better’ for hamstring growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher training volume in the dorsiflexed limb did not lead to better muscle growth or strength gains.
Common training wisdom suggests more volume equals more gains—this study shows that even when volume is increased by changing ankle position, it doesn’t improve outcomes.
Practical Takeaways
You can use either toe position during leg curls—point up or down—without worrying about which is ‘better’ for hamstring growth.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Sport Science
Year
2023
Authors
Gabriela M. Cadeo, R. A. Fujita, M. M. Villalba, Nilson R. S. Silva, Claudinei Iossi Júnior, G. Pearcey, M. M. Gomes
Related Content
Claims (4)
Whether your foot is pointed down or up during leg curls doesn’t change how much your hamstrings are working during the exercise.
After 10 weeks of leg curls, it doesn’t matter if your foot is pointed up or down—you’ll get the same muscle growth and strength gains either way.
People did more total reps with their foot pointed up, but that didn’t make their muscles grow bigger or stronger than the leg with the foot pointed down.
Total training volume, training intensity, and consistency are more significant determinants of muscle hypertrophy than the specific muscle length at which training occurs.