Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Muscle Snatch
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Ball Leg Curl
Only in Muscle Snatch
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.
Muscle Snatch
Begin with a loaded barbell held at the mid thigh position with a wide grip. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar. This will be the starting position.
Begin the pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar. Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body.
Continue raising the bar to the overhead position, without rebending the knees.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Muscle Snatch is intermediate and uses barbell. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Muscle Snatch for a greater challenge. Muscle Snatch is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Ball Leg Curl isolates the target muscle for focused development.