Straight Hip Single Leg Curl on Stability Ball
- Zielmuskel
- —
- Equipment
- Stability ball
- Körperregion
- Thighs
- Typ
- Strength
The Straight Hip Single Leg Curl on a Stability Ball is a unilateral hamstring exercise performed lying face up with one heel on the ball and the hip fully extended throughout the movement. Keeping the hip extended places the hamstrings under stretch across both the hip and the knee simultaneously, maximizing fiber recruitment. The single-leg setup adds a strong demand on core stability and hip-level balance.
Straight Hip Single Leg Curl on Stability Ball: So führst du sie aus
- 1Lie face up on the floor with your arms extended at your sides, palms pressing lightly into the ground for support.
- 2Place the heel of one foot on the center of the stability ball with your working leg fully extended. Hold the non-working leg either raised straight in the air or bent with the foot hovering just above the floor.
- 3Press your working heel firmly into the ball, engage your core, and drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from shoulder to heel. This is your starting position.
- 4Keeping your hip fully extended and your body rigid, flex your working knee to roll the ball toward your glutes — the ball moves toward you as your heel draws in.
- 5Pause briefly when your knee reaches approximately 90° and the ball is close to your hips.
- 6Slowly extend your knee to roll the ball back to the starting position, resisting the eccentric phase under full control.
- 7Keep your hips elevated and level throughout — do not lower them between reps.
- 8Complete all reps on one leg, then switch sides and repeat.
Technik-Tipps
- Drive your heel into the ball rather than gripping with your calf — this ensures the hamstrings generate the force instead of the lower leg muscles.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core before lifting your hips, and maintain that tension for the entire set to protect your lower back.
- If balance is too difficult, rest the non-working foot lightly on the floor to stabilize, then progress to holding it off the ground as your coordination improves.
- Use a slow, deliberate tempo — 2 seconds to curl in, 1-second pause, 3 seconds to extend — to maximize time under tension on the hamstrings and reduce the temptation to use momentum.
Häufige Fehler
- Letting the hips drop between reps: sagging hips remove constant tension from the hamstrings and shift strain to the lower back, defeating the purpose of the movement.
- Flexing the hip as the knee bends: if the hip rises or pikes during the curl, the hamstrings shorten across the hip joint and lose the lengthened-position advantage that makes the straight-hip variation effective.
- Using momentum to swing the ball in: jerking the ball toward you bypasses the hamstrings' eccentric load — the part of the rep most responsible for strength and hypertrophy gains.
- Pressing too hard with the arms: over-bracing with the hands reduces the core and hip-stabilizer demand and can cause you to compensate for poor hip control rather than addressing it.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the Straight Hip Single Leg Curl on a Stability Ball work?
The exercise primarily targets the hamstrings — biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Keeping the hip fully extended during the curl stretches the hamstrings across the hip joint while the knee flexes, loading the muscle across its full working length for greater activation.
What does 'straight hip' mean in this exercise?
It means your hip stays fully extended — in line with your torso and thigh — throughout the curl rather than dropping or flexing upward. This keeps the hamstrings under a longer stretch at the hip end while the knee bends, increasing the muscle's active range and overall tension compared to a curl performed with the hip already flexed.
Is this exercise suitable for beginners?
It is moderately challenging due to the single-leg balance demand. Beginners should first build confidence with the two-leg stability ball leg curl before progressing here. If the non-working leg makes balance difficult, rest it lightly on the floor until hip control and hamstring strength improve.
How many sets and reps should I do?
For muscle development and strength, aim for 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps per leg with a controlled tempo and 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Because the single-leg version is demanding, start conservatively — 3 sets of 6–8 reps — and prioritize form over rep count as you build coordination.
What is a good alternative if I do not have a stability ball?
The single-leg Romanian deadlift targets the hamstrings with a similar hip-extension bias and requires no special equipment. You can also regress to the two-leg stability ball leg curl to build the pattern before returning to this single-leg variation.
