Towel Slide Leg Curl

Anton YefanovUpdated September 6, 2026

The towel slide leg curl is the floor version of the ball curl. You lie on your back with a folded towel under each heel, bridge your hips up, then slide the heels toward your glutes and push them back out while the hips stay lifted. Any slick surface works, which is why the same movement shows up under slider, valslide and paper-plate names. The same pattern is usually taught with sliding discs, and it is self-limiting: the hips drop long before the hamstrings are dangerously overloaded.

How to do the Towel Slide Leg Curl

Lie on your back with a folded towel under each heel on a smooth floor.
Bend your knees slightly and rest your arms on the floor beside you.
Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a line.
Slide both heels in toward your glutes while keeping the hips high.
Push the heels back out slowly until the legs are almost straight.
Hold the hips up throughout and repeat for the prescribed reps.

Muscles worked

Primary:: Hamstrings
Secondary:: Glutes, Calves, and Core

Why train it

Loads the hamstrings eccentrically with nothing but a towel and a floor.
Holds the glutes in hip extension for the whole working set.
Self-limiting, so form breaks down before the load becomes risky.

Common mistakes

Dropping the hips on the way out, which removes the hamstring load entirely.
Sliding out fast, which skips the eccentric that makes the exercise worth doing.
Trying it on carpet, where the towels grip and the slide stalls halfway.
Pushing through the toes, which lets the calves take over the slide.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Towel Slide Leg Curl work?

The Towel Slide Leg Curl trains the hamstrings as the main target. Expect the glutes, calves, and core to take some of the load as well.

What equipment do I need for the Towel Slide Leg Curl?

Only a towel and a smooth floor. Your own weight is the resistance, so there is nothing to load.

Is the Towel Slide Leg Curl suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Towel Slide Leg Curl is rated beginner: you are the load, so there is no weight to get wrong. Add reps or time only once the position holds from the first of them to the last.

Can I do the Towel Slide Leg Curl at home?

Yes. All it takes is a towel and a smooth floor, which most homes can find, so the Towel Slide Leg Curl is easy to keep going on days you never reach a gym.

How many sets and reps of the Towel Slide Leg Curl should I do?

Three to four sets of 10 to 15 reps. Isolation work responds to reps and a controlled tempo rather than load, so stop each set a rep or two short of failure and keep the weight honest.

What are good alternatives to the Towel Slide Leg Curl?

Band Leg Curl, Cable Single Leg Laying Leg Curl, and Dumbbell Leg Curl train the same primary muscles as the Towel Slide Leg Curl. Pick whichever one suits the equipment in front of you.