Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Kettlebell Dead Clean
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Kettlebell Dead Clean
Instructions
Ball Leg Curl
Begin on the floor laying on your back with your feet on top of the ball.
Position the ball so that when your legs are extended your ankles are on top of the ball. This will be your starting position.
Raise your hips off of the ground, keeping your weight on the shoulder blades and your feet.
Flex the knees, pulling the ball as close to you as you can, contracting the hamstrings.
After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
Kettlebell Dead Clean
Place kettlebell between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you raise the kettlebell towards your shoulder. The wrist should rotate as you do so.
Lower the kettlebell, keeping the hamstrings loaded by keeping your back straight and your butt out.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Kettlebell Dead Clean is intermediate and uses kettlebells. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Kettlebell Dead Clean for a greater challenge. Kettlebell Dead Clean is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Ball Leg Curl isolates the target muscle for focused development.