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Exercise of the Month - October 2006: "Swiss Ball Leg Curl"
Observation of a typical fitness center in this country will reveal many exercise enthusiasts performing movements that are being performed either incorrectly or “less than optimally beneficial.” One case in point is engaging the hamstrings (muscle group of the posterior thigh). The majority of exercisers flock to the infamous lying leg curl machine (see the following link…)
http://www.life-sport.com/images/reebok/22b.jpg
In this exercise (on this machine), one lays face down and flexes the knee to bring the heels towards the gluteals. While this may strengthen the hamstrings, it also limits the potential of the movement. I say this because the hamstring group is designed to perform two primary functions- flex the knee and extend the hip. To accomplish the aforementioned goal, I present the “supine (lying face-up) Swiss Ball leg curl.”
To perform the supine leg curl…
- Begin by lying on your back with legs extended straight and heels resting comfortably on the top, middle portion of a Swiss Ball.
- Begin by lying on your back with legs extended straight and heels resting comfortably on the top, middle portion of a Swiss Ball.
- Second, press heels down into the ball and engage glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings while bringing the lower back and butt off the ground. Staying in this position (straight-legged planks) can be difficult enough for many, so you may want to practice holding this position for a few sets initially.
- Try and maintain clearance of glutes from the ground for the entire set.
- A sample routine can be 1 set of 6-8 reps. Progress by adding a couple reps each workout until one set of 15 can be mastered. From there, add a 2nd set and decrease reps back down to 6-8 for each set.
- A difficult progression can be performing this exercise with one leg on the ball and keeping the other leg in the air. Altering toe position (angling toes in and out at 45-degree angles) can help to engage different muscle fibers of the hamstrings.
As you probably can tell, this exercise is far more complex than a lying leg curl done on a machine. It engages balance, recruits your glutes (remember- butt muscles), and extends your hips- all actions that aren’t possible on a lying leg curl machine.