Knee height is an important determinant of joint structure and greater limb length imparts larger moments of force around the knee.  The knee to height ratio: a percentage of one’s total stature, can be calculated as knee height/ height x 100.  Knee height is the lower segment of the leg measured in a sitting position from the top of the knee to the center of the bottom of the foot.

The Pendulum Leg Curl is designed to address this ratio in order to reduce the joint load on the knee during exercise.  Adjusting the lower leg pad relative to the person’s structure maintains the machines strength curve placing the stress directly on the hamstring musculature.

Adjusting Knee Height Ratio

The hamstring is a biarticular muscle which means it crosses two joints. It can extend the hip, flex the knee and inwardly rotate the lower leg when the knee is bent.  When training on the Pendulum Leg Curl you are able to bring the adjusted work arm to a fully contracted  position and feel the contraction in the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and long and short head of the biceps femoris. You may have done leg curls on numerous other devices, but this knee flexion movement feels and is unique, as the stress is no longer on the flexing joint.

Bent Prone Position

Pendulum Leg Curl

Addressing the knee height ratio in this biarticular joint in a bent prone position feels similar to what is referred to as -pumping up- when doing a bicep curl, but this time it is a bicep femoris curl.  A great way to Get Strong.