Exercise Ball Leg Curl

One Of The Best Hamstring Exercises

The exercise ball leg curl is an excellent exercise and definitely counts as a boot camp exercise.

Some boot camp workouts do take place in a gym or at home.

So things like mats, resistance bands, kettle bells, dumbbells, and stability balls are available.

So yes, some exercise ball exercises are boot camp exercises.

Besides, exercise ball hamstring curls are an excellent hamstring workout. In addition to being great for the hamstrings, you are also going to feel them in the abs and core muscles.

Technique

• Start by lying flat on the floor with the lower calves on the exercise ball and your arm out to the side or beside you at a comfortable angle.
• Position your feet about 6 inches apart on the fitness ball.
• Straighten your lower back, knees, and hips so that your hips and back are off the floor like in figure A above.
• Here you’re in a plank position. This is where you start to see right away how your glutes and core muscles are benefiting along with your hamstrings.
• Your weight is entirely on your shoulders and your heels on the stability ball and you are using your arms for balance and support.
• Tighten your core (as if it’s not already).
• Roll the ball toward your butt by bending your knees and pulling your heels toward your butt.
• Just allow your feet to roll up the ball until your knees are bent to at least 90 degrees.
• Squeeze the hamstrings and glutes. Hold for a count.
• Straighten the knees and return to the starting plank position.

Keep In Mind...

• Make sure the hips and back stay straight through the entire movement.
• There is a tendency to arch your back. Concentrate on keeping the core muscles tight and the back straight.
• Keep your ankles flexed.
• The further the ball is from your hips when you start, the harder the exercise.
• Keep your face facing toward the ceiling and your shoulders relaxed.

Modifiers

To make the leg curls easier, instead of having your hips straight and off the floor the whole time, start and finish the movement with your hips on the floor.

To make the exercise harder, do it with one leg. Do the same exercise as above, but instead of having both heels on the fitness ball, point one leg up in the air.