Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Standing Leg Curl
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Ball Leg Curl
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.
Standing Leg Curl
Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie with your torso bent at the waist facing forward around 30-45 degrees (since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment) with the pad of the lever on the back of your right leg (just a few inches under the calves) and the front of the right leg on top of the machine pad.
Keeping the torso bent forward, ensure your leg is fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine. Position your toes straight. This will be your starting position.
As you exhale, curl your right leg up as far as possible without lifting the upper leg from the pad. Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second.
As you inhale, bring the legs back to the initial position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Perform the same exercise now for the left leg.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Standing Leg Curl is beginner and uses machine. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you have access to exercise ball, or Standing Leg Curl if you prefer machine.