Leg curl on stability ball

The leg curl trains the hamstrings by bending the knees. Performing it with your heels on a stability ball also challenges the glutes and core to keep your hips and trunk steady. The moving support makes this version more demanding to coordinate than a machine leg curl.

Hamstrings Glutes Hip Flexors Strength Training Stretching

Execution

1
Lie on your back on the floor with your arms resting beside you.
2
Place your heels hip-width apart on a stability ball. Start with your knees slightly bent and choose a ball position that lets you keep your balance.
3
Lift your hips until your trunk and thighs form a straight line, as in a glute bridge.
4
Bend your knees and draw your heels towards your buttocks, rolling the ball towards you. Keep your hips supported rather than lifting them excessively to create the movement.
5
Slowly roll the ball away by extending your knees.
6
Lower your hips under control to just above the floor before repeating.

Muscles worked

Hamstrings: biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus.
Gluteal muscles, which help extend and stabilise the hips.
Trunk muscles, including the spinal erectors, which help maintain your position.

Technique

Move slowly enough to stop the ball from drifting sideways. Shorten the range if you cannot keep your pelvis steady. Practise a stable bridge before adding the knee bend.