Exercise Comparison
Ball Leg Curl vs Wide Stance Stiff Legs
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Ball Leg Curl
Only in Wide Stance Stiff Legs
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.
Wide Stance Stiff Legs
Begin with a barbell loaded on the floor. Adopt a wide stance, and then bend at the hips to grab the bar. Your hips should be as far back as possible, and your legs nearly straight. Keep your back straight, and your head and chest up. This will be your starting position.
Begin the movement be engaging the hips, driving them forward as you allow the arms to hang straight. Continue until you are standing straight up, and then slowly return the weight to the starting position. For successive reps, the weight need not touch the floor.
Verdict
Both exercises target the hamstrings. Ball Leg Curl is a beginner exercise using exercise ball, while Wide Stance Stiff Legs is intermediate and uses barbell. Choose Ball Leg Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Wide Stance Stiff Legs for a greater challenge. Wide Stance Stiff Legs is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Ball Leg Curl isolates the target muscle for focused development.