Stability Ball Leg Curl

Jim Kielbaso MS, CSCS

Most coaches understand how important the hamstrings are, but they are consistently one of the most undertrained groups in the body.  Often this is simply because coaches have so many exercises available for the quads and glutes, but not nearly as many choices for the hamstrings.   Many coaches have access to plenty of squat racks and leg presses, but there aren’t nearly as many opportunities for athletes to "glaze the hammies."  SpeedAndStrengthCoach.com is going to feature several hamstring exercises that can be done with minimal equipment. 

The stability ball leg curl is one option that only requires a stability ball, which can be purchased for about $20 these days. 

To begin the exercise, lie on your back with your feet on the ball.  You want your heels to be at about the the top of the ball.  Before you do anything else, you need to press your feet down into the ball and lift your hips up off the ground until your body is a straight line from shoulders to feet.  Just lifting your hips up into this position requires some work from your glutes, hamstrings and core.  Put your hands to your sides and push them into the ground to help stabilize your body.  When first learning the exercise, it’s a good idea to take some time to get used to this position so you learn how to balance on the ball.  It can take a little getting used to, but most people pick it up rather quickly.

Once you are comfortable holding this position, you’re ready to begin the exercise.  Your hips should never go any lower than this position, so it’s important to concentrate on keeping them up. 

Using both feet at the same time, pull the ball toward your body in one motion.  As the ball moves toward you, attempt to lift your hips even higher as in the picture.  Try to pull the ball in as close to your butt as possible.  Some people can pull it all the way in, while others are unable to get that much motion. 

Hold the top position for one second, and then straighten your legs out back into the starting position, keeping your hips up off the ground. 

This is a very easy exercise for some people and very difficult for others.  Increase the number of repetitions for stronger individuals, and help stabilize the ball for people that have difficulty with the balance at first.  When you are very good at this, try to pick one foot up off the ball and perform the exercise with only one leg at a time.  This is significantly more difficult. 

Another way to make it more difficult is to pre-fatigue the hamstrings with other exercises before doing the stability ball leg curl.