What can I substitute for leg curls?
Best 11 leg curl alternatives
- Single-leg deadlift.
- Donkey kick.
- Nordic curl.
- Single-leg hip extension.
- Stiff-legged deadlift.
- Kettlebell swing.
- Stability ball hamstring curl.
- Lying dumbbell leg curl.
What can I do instead of stability ball hamstring curls?
1. Standing hamstring curl

- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on your waist or on a chair for balance.
- Slowly bend your right knee, bringing your heel toward your butt. Keep your thighs parallel.
- Slowly lower your foot.
- Complete 12 to 15 reps.
- Repeat with the other leg.
What can I use instead of a Swiss ball leg curl?
8 Best Leg Curl Alternative Exercises.
What muscles do stability ball leg curls work?
These exercises ARE in fact using the hamstrings! However, they are utilizing the hamstrings’ muscle action primarily at the hip to perform hip extension. The Stability Ball Hamstring Curl is a simple but effective exercise to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes and core muscles.

What does Swiss ball leg curl target?
The supine hip extension to leg curl, also known as a swiss ball leg curl, is a fantastic exercise that strengthens and develops the glutes and hamstrings. While many hamstring exercises primarily target the hip extensors, this exercise targets the knee flexors and helps us bring our heels closer to our glutes.
Are leg curls good for athletes?
Although leg curls effectively isolate and build strength and definition in the hamstring muscles, the exercise increases the likelihood of hamstring pulls, low-back injuries, and knee pain; plus it lacks the potential to build functional lower body strength and stability.
How do you do a Jefferson curl?
Slowly flex the entire spine, trying to move one vertebra at a time from the head down until you’ve lowered the weights as far as you can without bending the knees. Allow the hips to hinge as well at the bottom. Slowly reverse the motion until standing again.
Are Nordic curls safe?
Performed properly, the Nordic Hamstring Curl can be an excellent exercise, but take on too much too soon and you run serious risk of a hamstring strain.
Why are Nordic curls so hard?
One reason the Nordic curl is so difficult is that it works through knee flexion and extension with little or no hip movement. So the back of your legs do all the work.