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Ball Hamstring Curl
A lying leg curl performed by rolling a stability ball toward the hips, training the hamstrings as knee flexors while the glutes hold a bridge.
LegsStability BallLeg curl
GoLightWeight mediaball-hamstring-curl
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Hamstrings
Secondary
GlutesCalvesCore
Equipment
Stability Ball
Pattern
Leg curl
Setup
- 01Lie on your back with heels and lower calves resting on a stability ball.
- 02Place the arms flat on the floor at your sides for balance.
- 03Brace the core and lift the hips into a straight line from shoulders to heels.
Execution
- 01Dig the heels into the ball and curl it toward the hips by bending the knees.
- 02Raise the hips as the ball comes in so the body stays in one line from shoulders to knees.
- 03Pause briefly with the feet flat on top of the ball.
- 04Roll the ball back out under control until the legs are straight, keeping the hips up.
Checkpoints
- -Hips stay lifted for the entire set, including the rollout.
- -The ball travels in a straight line, not drifting side to side.
- -The curl comes from the knees bending, not the hips hiking.
- -Shoulders and arms stay relaxed on the floor.
Common mistakes
- -Dropping the hips between reps.
- -Rushing the eccentric and letting the ball shoot away.
- -Using too small a range so the knees barely bend.
- -Overarching the lower back at the top of the curl.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps; the instability makes low reps unproductive.
- -Progress to single-leg curls once 15 clean two-leg reps are easy.
- -Works well as a hamstring finisher or a machine-free leg-curl substitute.
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