If it does tilt, which way? This is on a flat bench.

The reason I ask is that I am recruiting lower back muscles and glute muscles instead of just hamstrings, and a pelvic tilt shifts the focus to different parts of the hamstrings.

  • I have the "Curious" badge for asking well-received questions on five separate days, and I did the basics on that page as usual: at least 20 minutes researching the question here and elsewhere, on-topic, specific, made sure to specify it wasn't one of the angled benches so I wouldn't get answers that weren't useful to others. I edited the question, please let me know if that doesn't improve it. – Noumenon Jan 21 '15 at 20:25
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    I/we try to upvote well written questions and downvote poorer written ones. It's not a commentary about you; some of my answers are more well received than others, and they get higher votes. +1'd this one for the other part you added. – Eric Jan 21 '15 at 20:30

Under standing circumstances I would say look at your posture, if you're naturally inclined to a more donald-duck-like posture (your but sticking out) you should squeeze your glutes and thus facillitate backwards tilting of the pelvis.

When you're more of a pink-panther-type (your but tucking under) you should stick your but out more, ?squeezing your lower back more I think? You should really look at some Elliott Hulse/strengthcamp videos.

However since you're lying I presume flat on your stomach i would think squeezing your glutes is inevitable thus tilting the pelvis backwards (pulling your but in)


According to rdlfitness.com, you should not tilt your pelvis. Tilting the pelvis forward risks hyperextending the spine if the hips come off the bench. Tilting the pelvis backwards shortens the hamstrings at the hip, so when you flex the knee as well you can put the hamstrings into an overshortened position of active insufficiency. If you do lying leg curls, which they do not recommend, keep the pelvis untilted and the spine neutral to protect your lower back.

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