Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Exercise Ball One Legged Diagonal Kick Hamstring Curl: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

This exercise targets the glutes and also works the hamstrings and calves. It requires balance and coordination as you perform a single-leg hamstring curl and diagonal kick on a stability ball.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Calves , Hamstrings
Equipment
Stability Ball
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the exercise ball one legged diagonal kick hamstring curl
Front view: muscles worked by the exercise ball one legged diagonal kick hamstring curl. Primary: glutes. Secondary: calves and hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the exercise ball one legged diagonal kick hamstring curl. Primary: glutes. Secondary: calves and hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the exercise ball one legged diagonal kick hamstring curl

  1. Step 1: Start by lying on your back with your legs extended and your heels resting on top of the stability ball.
  2. Step 2: Place your arms by your sides for stability.
  3. Step 3: Engage your glutes and core muscles to lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
  4. Step 4: Bend your right knee and bring it towards your chest, keeping your left leg extended and your foot flexed.
  5. Step 5: Kick your right leg diagonally across your body, extending it fully and engaging your hamstrings.
  6. Step 6: Slowly return your right leg to the starting position, maintaining control and stability.
  7. Step 7: Repeat the movement with your left leg, alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the exercise ball one legged diagonal kick hamstring curl by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Exercise Ball One Legged Diagonal Kick Hamstring Curl alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

See the best glute exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.