Machine Seated Leg Curl vs Nordic Curls
FR : Machine Leg Curl ↔ Nordic Curls
Swapping Machine Seated Leg Curl (Machine) for Nordic Curls (Bodyweight) retains 100% overlap; expect alternative path. Compare exact 17-muscle fractional recruitment before swapping equipment mid-session.
Weighted Muscle Overlap
100%
Sum of min(coef A, coef B)
Primary Equipment
Machine → Bodyweight
Same rep/load measurement family
Load Transfer Protocol
Target RPE 7.5–8.5
Never assume 1:1 kg across leverages
Side-by-Side 17-Muscle Recruitment Delta
How primary mover (1.0× set) and synergist (0.5× set) allocation changes when swapping Machine Seated Leg Curl for Nordic Curls.
| Muscle Group | Machine Seated Leg Curl | Nordic Curls | Leverage Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamstrings | Primary (85%) | Primary (85%) | Matched |
| Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus) | Secondary (15%) | Secondary (15%) | Matched |
Load & Volume Conversion: Machine Seated Leg Curl → Nordic Curls
Worked weight heuristic: a 115 kg set on Machine Seated Leg Curl (Machine) maps roughly to 70 kg on Nordic Curls (Bodyweight; 2.5 kg jumps, curve: alternative curve). Calibrate set 1 at RPE 8 so e1RM history for Machine Seated Leg Curl remains unskewed. Zero anatomical muscles are dropped between Machine Seated Leg Curl and Nordic Curls; 1:1 weekly set volume carries straight across.
Supporting Sports-Science Literature
| Study Title | Lead Author & Year | Verified Link |
|---|---|---|
| Myoelectric activity and improvements in strength and hypertrophy are unaffected by the ankle position during prone leg curl exercise - a within person randomized trial. | Cadeo (2023) | PubMed 37194431 ↗ |
| Less time, same gains: Comparison of superset vs. traditional set training on muscular adaptations | Burke (2025) | DOI ↗ |
| Hamstrings Hypertrophy Is Specific to the Training Exercise: Nordic Hamstring versus Lengthened State Eccentric Training. | Maeo (2024) | PubMed 38857522 ↗ |
| Robustness of hamstring muscle activation strategies following selective hypertrophy induced by Nordic hamstring curl and stiff-leg deadlift exercises. | Morin (2025) | PubMed 40586278 ↗ |