Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Sumo Deadlift
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Ball Leg Curl
Only in Sumo Deadlift
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.
Sumo Deadlift
Begin with a bar loaded on the ground. Approach the bar so that the bar intersects the middle of the feet. The feet should be set very wide, near the collars. Bend at the hips to grip the bar. The arms should be directly below the shoulders, inside the legs, and you can use a pronated grip, a mixed grip, or hook grip. Relax the shoulders, which in effect lengthens your arms.
Take a breath, and then lower your hips, looking forward with your head with your chest up. Drive through the floor, spreading your feet apart, with your weight on the back half of your feet. Extend through the hips and knees.
As the bar passes through the knees, lean back and drive the hips into the bar, pulling your shoulder blades together.
Return the weight to the ground by bending at the hips and controlling the weight on the way down.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Sumo Deadlift is intermediate and uses barbell. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Sumo Deadlift for a greater challenge. Sumo Deadlift is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Ball Leg Curl isolates the target muscle for focused development.