Quality Time with your Stability Ball

Would you Like a Weight Plate with your Stability Ball?

***Exercise Videos Located on Right-Sided Menu Bar --->***

Muscles Worked

Abdominal Muscles

Buy an Exercise Ball

Buy a Medicine Ball

This exercise is quite similar to classical workout ball crunches, but with the addition of a weight plate. This is just another variation on a common exercise - an attempt at complexity and increased difficulty.

The Exercise

Grab yourself a weight plate you can handle. This is actually the beauty of this exercise - you can easily change the resistance based on what you feel like is the best challenge.

OK, back on track. Now you have your weight plate. Next, you want to position the ball right under your upper back.

At this point, you can be a little creative. You can either place the weight behind your head, on your chest, or you could even hold the weight straight up in the air. You can even add a medicine ball if you like! This variation forces you to more intimately engage those slow-twitch fibers of your arms and shoulders.

Each variation adds a bit of flare and works a slightly different set of muscles. That's the idea, right?!

Now that you've positioned the weight, lift your shoulder blades about 4 inches upwards from the starting position. Contract those abs! The only part of your body that should be moving are your shoulder blades - everything else should be completely still.

Hold your position at the top of the movement for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position. That's 1! Keep going until you get a good burn going.

Step 1: Find a suitable weight plate and position the ball under your upper back. Place your weight plate in the desired position (see description above).
Step 2: Now, contract those abs! Bring your shoulders upwards towards the ceiling about 4 inches. Hold for 2-3 seconds. Breathe!
Step 3: Slowly return to the starting position.

Go slowly! There's no point in doing 400 crunches in a minute flat. I know you're anxious to get that six-pack - just relax and perform the exercise correctly!

Top of Page

Return from Stability Ball Crunches (Weight Plate) to Ab Workouts

Return from Stability Ball Crunches (Weight Plate) to the Smart Strength Training Homepage

Top of Page