Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Ball Leg Curl
Only in Smith Machine Hang Power 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.
Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
Position the bar at knee height and load it to an appropriate weight.
Take a pronated grip on the bar outside of shoulder width and unhook the bar from the machine. Your arms should be fully extended with your head and chest up. Your elbows should be pointed out with your shoulders back and down. Your hips should be back, loading the tension into the hamstrings. This will be your starting position.
Initate the movement by forcefully extending the hips and knees, accelerating into the bar. Ensure that you keep your arms straight during this part of the motion.
Upon full extension, rebend the hips and knees to lower your receiving position.
Allow the arms to flex at this point, rotating the elbows around the bar to receive it on your shoulders.
Extend through the hips and knees to come to a standing position with the bar racked on your shoulders to complete the movement.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Smith Machine Hang Power Clean is intermediate and uses machine. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Smith Machine Hang Power Clean for a greater challenge. Smith Machine Hang Power Clean is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Ball Leg Curl isolates the target muscle for focused development.