Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Glute Raise

Training the muscles of the posterior chain is extremely important when it comes to injury prevention, strength, speed, and power.  This is a great exercise for the hamstrings, glutes, and core musculature.  These are important muscles responsible for running, sprinting, and jumping.  As shown in the video, you can perform the stability ball hamstring curl glute raise with one foot; but I recommend learning it with both feet on the ball first.

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Glute Raise:

• Lay on the ground, extend your arms out to the sides, and place a stability ball under your calves and heels of your feet.
• Pull with your feet the stability ball back towards you until the bottom of your feet are on the ball.
• You will be trying to maintain a very tight mid-section as you do this.
• Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until you are able to make a straight line from your knees through your hips and into your shoulder joints.
• Maintain the position and then extend the legs back out to your starting position but keep constant tension (contraction) in your core.  I would also like to point out that even though your core muscles are tight you should still be able to breath normally.
• Repeat for the deisred number of repititions or until you fatigue.

This exercise looks pretty easy but give it an honest go and you will be pleasantly surprised how effective this movement can be.