Various Ab Exercises With An Exercise Ball

The following ab exercises with an exercise ball will illustrate how simple it is to do effective abdominal work with an inexpensive piece of equipment.

Sometimes called a fitness ball or swiss ball, the exercise ball comes in various sizes according to the height of the user. I have 3 sizes and I use different sizes for different exercises. You will see 2 different sizes in use in the following ab exercises with exercise ball.

Doing ab exercises with an exercise ball will add a new dimension to your abdominal workouts. You may be very surprised to find out how much tougher they are than crunches done on the floor and that your abdominal muscles are a little sore the next day. Ab exercises with an exercise ball will accelerate your results.

To choose the right size ball for you, sit upright on it with your feet on the floor...your knees should be bent at 90 degrees. It's that simple.

The first trick is to get on the ball in the fashion you see in the pictures below. I do it by first sitting upright on the ball and then walking myself forward with my feet and letting the ball roll forward until the ball is supporting my lower back. My thighs are parallel to the floor and feet are flat with my legs bent at 90 degrees. My shoulders and upper back are relaxed and I am looking at the ceiling.

Basic Crunch for Beginners Using the Exercise Ball

Hold your hands behind your head to support your neck and head but not to pull up. Do not interlace your fingers but hold your hands flat against each other behind your head. (The tendancy for most people is to pull up with the hands if the fingers are interlaced - don't do this!)

Inhale and using your abs only, pull forward slowly so your head raises and your abs fully contract. You may find that the ball rolls slightly back as you do this.

Hold for a few seconds and then reverse the movement to the starting position. Exhale as you lower back down.

As you can see by the pictures, there isn't alot of apparent movement. You should not lift your back in an attempt to do a sit-up while performing this ab exercise with an exercise ball.

Starting position for this ab exercise with exercise ball. This is the beginner crunch.	Finish position for this ab exercise with exercise ball. This is with your abs completely contracted.

Advanced Position for Crunches on the Exercise Ball

Get on the ball the same way you did in the previous exercise. Be sure your thighs are parallel to the floor and feet are flat on the floor with your legs bent at 90 degrees. Your shoulders and upper back are relaxed and you are looking at the ceiling. Hold your hands behind your head as described above.

The difference with this version of the crunch is that you will now arch your back and lower your head and roll your bum back a little to the starting position.

Inhale and using your abs only, pull forward slowly so your head raises and your abs fully contract. You may find that the ball rolls slightly back as you do this. Do not pull forward with your hands, use your abs only.

Hold for a few seconds and then reverse the movement to the starting position. Exhale as you lower back down.

Try 10 repetitions of these ab exercises with an exercise ball, then take a rest for 10 seconds then try a second set of 10 reps, then rest, then a 3rd set of 10 reps.

You will no doubt find that doing these ab exercises with an exercise ball will cause more stress to your abdominal muscles than doing crunches on the floor. That's the idea! Variety is a good thing.

Starting position for this ab exercise with exercise ball. This is the advanced crunch starting with an extended back.	Finish position for this ab exercise with exercise ball. This is with your abs completely contracted.

Return to the Main Exercise Index for More Ab Exercises with an Exercise Ball

Inspirations Personal Training Home Page