Smart Workout Diary

Stability Ball Pull-In

The stability ball pull-in is a supine hamstring exercise in which you curl a stability ball toward your body with your heels while holding your hips elevated. It primarily trains the hamstrings and also challenges the glutes and core to keep the pelvis and trunk stable. It supports posterior-chain strength, hip stability, and control.

Demonstration

Stability Ball Pull-In — demonstration 1
Stability Ball Pull-In — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, heels and lower calves resting on a stability ball, and legs nearly straight.
  2. Brace your abdomen, press through your heels, and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
  3. Keep your hips high as you bend your knees and roll the ball toward your hips in a controlled motion.
  4. Pause briefly, then slowly extend your knees to roll the ball away without letting your hips sag or your lower back arch.
  5. Complete the repetitions smoothly; stop if you cannot maintain stable hips or controlled ball movement.
Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups
Glutes
Type
Strength
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Exercise Ball
Difficulty
Intermediate

Technique tips

  1. Keep the hips level: do not twist, drop, or hike one side of the pelvis as the ball moves.
  2. Use a slow return; letting the ball roll away quickly reduces hamstring control.
  3. If full range is too difficult, perform shorter curls while maintaining a solid bridge position.
Exercise library