Stability Ball Crunch

Body region

• Core

Muscles

Main

• Rectus Abdominis

Helps

• External Oblique
• Internal Oblique

Holds

• Transversus Abdominis
• Iliopsoas
• Gluteus Maximus

Equipment

• Stability Ball

Technique

1. Sit on the ball and walk your feet forward until your lower and middle back rest on it.
2. Set your feet flat and wider than hip-width for balance, hands across your chest or beside your head.
3. Let your upper back extend gently over the ball to stretch the abs.
4. Curl your chest up toward your hips, then lower back over the ball under control.

Cues

• Use the stretch at the bottom; it is the advantage over a floor crunch.
• Keep the hips level and the ball still.
• Exhale as you curl up.

Common mistakes

• Sitting too high on the ball so the hips do the work.
• Pulling on the neck.
• Rolling the ball back and forth instead of curling the spine.

Variations

• Weighted Overhead Stability Ball Crunch

Alternatives

• Crunch
• Cable Crunch