Ever feel like your hamstrings are holding you back from reaching your lower-body potential? Instead of hitting the leg curl machine, here’s another move for you—the Stability Ball Hamstring Curl. This underrated exercise builds lower body strength and muscle while bulletproofing the hamstrings.
It’s one of those exercises that looks simple but packs a backside punch, and it’s versatile enough to fit into almost any workout. Want to boost your hamstring muscle and strength? Check. Need to strengthen your core? Double-check. Are you looking for a challenge that doesn’t require tying you up in knots? Check check check!
Explore why the stability ball hamstring curl should become a prime-time exercise in your next lower body workout.
The stability ball hamstring curl is simple, effective, and versatile—like the Swiss Army knife of lower body exercises. At its core (pun intended), this exercise is about strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, and core in one fluid movement. But this hamstring curl stands out because of the stability ball, which adds an extra layer of difficulty by challenging your balance and coordination.
How To Perform The Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of how to perform the stability ball hamstring curl with good form. This move might look easy, but the devil is in the details.
Step 1: Positioning
Start by lying on your back with your legs extended and heels resting on a stability ball. Your arms should be at your sides, providing support and balance. Then, get your back flat and core braced.
Step 2: The Curl
From here, lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Dig your heels into the ball and slowly curl it towards your glutes via knee flexion. Keep your hips elevated the entire time; movement should be controlled and deliberate.
Step 3: Return
Reverse the motion once you’ve brought the ball as close to your glutes as possible. Slowly extend your legs, allowing the ball to roll back to the starting position. You can lower your hips to the ground and perform a hip extension before the curl or keep them elevated for the entire exercise.
Muscles Trained With the Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
This exercise isn’t just about making your hamstrings burn. This multitasker exercise targets key muscle groups critical to lower body strength and stability.
Hamstrings:
The hamstrings are the primary muscle group engaged during the curl. When you pull that ball toward your glutes, your hamstrings are firing on all cylinders.
Glutes:
Your glutes work isometrically to keep your hips elevated throughout the movement. When you squeeze your glutes to maintain that straight line from your shoulders to your heels, you’re supporting the hamstrings and giving your butt the attention it deserves.
Core:
Your midsection is on double duty, helping to stabilize you and maintain good form. A braced core prevents your lower back and hips from sagging.
Calves:
But wait, there is more. Your calves also get in on the action, especially when you dig your heels into the ball to curl it toward you. They assist in the curl and help stabilize your ankles.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Benefits
The Stability ball hamstring curl is a sneaky exercise like bulgarian split squats. After a few reps, you’re thinking, what is all the fuss about? After about six reps or so, you know what the fuss is about. Here’s why you should make it a workout regular.
Improved Hamstring Strength
Your hamstrings are the powerhouse behind many athletic movements, from running to jumping. The stability ball hamstring curl specifically targets these posterior muscles to build strength and endurance where it counts. The curl trains two primary hamstring functions: a knee flexor and a hip extender. This makes it an excellent exercise for strengthening your hammies without heavy weights.
Enhanced Core Stability
This exercise isn’t just about your legs; it’s also a core workout. Keeping your hips up and your body straight requires core engagement. This improves core stability, transferring to other exercises that need core strength.
Injury Prevention
One of the most significant benefits of this exercise is its ability to prevent lower body injuries. By strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, you protect your lower back and knees from the strains and pains of weak or imbalanced muscles. Furthermore, hamstring strains are due to quad/hamstring strength imbalances or a lack of eccentric strength, which this exercise can rectify with good form.
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3 Common Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Mistakes and Fixes
As effective as the this exercise is, it’s also an exercise where not paying attention can lead to issues—reduced effectiveness or, worse, injury. Here are three common mistakes and how to fix them.
Your Dropping Your Hips
One of the biggest mistakes is letting your hips drop. When your hips sag, you take the focus off your hamstrings and glutes, risking unnecessary strain on your lower back.
Fix It: Squeeze your glutes hard and keep a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. This will ensure that your hamstrings and glutes are doing their job. If you need further assistance, performing it in front of a mirror helps.
You’re going too fast
We’ve all been guilty of trying to speed through exercises, especially when they start to burn. But rushing through the Stability Ball Hamstring Curl means you’re likely to lose control, which reduces the muscles’ time under tension and increases your risk of ending up on a workout blooper reel.
Fix It: Slow it down. The stability ball hamstring curl is all about control. Focus on smooth movements when flexing and extending your knees. The slower tempo will maximize time under tension and improve your backside gains.
Neglecting Core Engagement
It’s easy to forget about your core when focused on working your hamstrings and glutes, but letting your core slack will reduce exercise effectiveness and cause the dreaded hip sag explained above.
Fix It: Keep your core braced as if you were about to take a punch in the stomach. This will help stabilize your spine and keep your body in the correct position throughout the exercise.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Workout Suggestions
For Strength and Muscle
If you want to build stronger hamstrings and glutes, focus on lower reps with higher intensity by using a slow tempo to your advantage.
Sets: 3-4 sets
Reps: 8-12 reps
Rest: 60-90 seconds between sets
For Endurance and Stability
If you aim to improve muscular endurance and core stability, opt for higher reps.
Sets: 2-3 sets
Reps: 12-16 reps
Rest: 30-45 seconds between sets
For Rehabilitation or Warmup
If you’re recovering from an injury or want to activate your hamstrings and glutes before a workout, follow the sets and reps below.
