Ball Leg CurlMuscles Worked
The ball leg curl works your hamstrings as you bend your knees against the ball, while your glutes hold your hips up and your calves help press into the ball. The unstable ball adds a balance challenge, making it a strong hamstring option for home training.
PrimaryHamstrings
- Equipment
- Exercise ball
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your arms out at your sides and your heels resting on top of an exercise ball.
- Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
- Keeping your hips high, bend your knees and roll the ball toward your glutes with your heels.
- Pause when your knees are bent and your feet are nearly flat on the ball.
- Roll the ball back out slowly until your legs are straight, keeping your hips off the floor.
Form tips
- Keep your hips lifted throughout the curl, because letting them sag takes tension off your hamstrings.
- Press your arms into the floor for balance, and bring them closer to your body to make it harder.
- Once both legs feel easy, try curling with one leg while the other stays lifted off the ball.
Why it made the list
No. 8 of 12
Best Hamstring Exercises
Exercise ball hamstring curl. Challenging stability work that targets hamstrings through knee flexion at home.
More hamstring exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Ball Leg Curl sets in KasMaker and watch your hamstrings, calves, and glutes fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
