Exercise Ball and Hamstring Curls

[itself]

I've been doing these for about two months, I do three sets of 50 reps only twice a week. Gals, I can't believe the shape difference in my legs. My partner even commented on it! It's works the core muscles and the hamstrings, but I think it really shapes the quad too.

Give them a try. And doing them single-legged is a real burn. I do find that you really have to pump out the reps to get the burn. But learn the balance and form first.

Lisa

[OakLeaf]

Like a bridge to a supine plank? Or how do you do them? I don't think I could do one set of 50, yikes.

[Zen]

I did those in PT and beyond.
http://www.acefitness.org/exerciseli...hamstring-curl

[OakLeaf]

Ah. I still don't think I could do 50! but with the rest in between reps, I could do a lot more than I was thinking of, the way we do them, without.

[jobob]

I did those in PT and beyond.
http://www.acefitness.org/exerciseli...hamstring-curl

Wow, that's a good website! Thanks.

[artifactos]

This was a favored torture method of my personal trainer. Between sets of weight lifting, I had to do at least 20-25 of these (variations on targeted part of the legs/single leg/etc) and get back on the machine. Ugh. I love them as an at-home exercise.

[itself]

Yes, I do them in the plank position. The one legged ones are brutal! I wish the quad exercise on the ball was not in such an awkward position, they are impossible for me to do!

Lisa

[Wahine]

This is one of my favorites both for my PT patients and for my coaching clients. There are some ways to make the exercise easier so you can do more reps. For one thing, using a larger ball actually makes it a bit easier, to a point. I usually start my clients with a series that works out to 30 reps and we do one to 3 sets.

The version in Zen's link is the hardest using 2 legs. The easiest version I do has the athlete in the same starting position, lift the hips about 2 inches off the floor and just roll the ball in and out. The next easiest is to roll the ball into the bridge position (hips up, knees bent), keep the ball stationary and just lift the hips up and down.

My favorite set is to start with 10 reps of the hardest version of the exercise, then immediately do the next easiest one (hip lifts with a stationary ball) for 10 reps, then finish off with the mini hip lift and rolling the ball in and out. It's a really nice way to manage 30 reps with frequent changes so you're less likely to cramp up during the exercise.

[itself]

Wahine,

Great advice, I am going to give those a try! Have you ever had anyone have knee problems develop from rolling the ball with this exercise?

Lisa

[Wahine]

I have had some people get tenderness in the posterior knee area that seems to be irritation of the hamstrings tendons from being loaded with the knee extended. But not any other kind of pain. Theoretically, you could if there was some underlying condition already present that just gets irritated with the exercise, like a meniscal tear, or instability.