The Stability Ball Roll: A Renowned Favorite!

Stability Ball Roll

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Muscles Worked

Upper Back Muscles

Anterior Deltoids

Biceps

Triceps

Abdominal Muscles

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The ball roll is one of my favorite exercises. It uses the planck maneuver of yoga and cranks up the heat! Burn baby, burn!

Ready to feel the heat? Get ready for this one. Good news is that there are two versions of this move...easy and hard! I'd start off by doing the easy version and, when you master it, take a stab at the harder version.

Remember, always go SLOW! This will always be to your benefit in strength training. Performing the exercise too quickly will only increase your risk for injury.

Hard Version: Let's do it! (Easy Version)

So, let's get started. You'll need an exercise ball and a mat. See above if you need them!

This exercise requires a good deal of strength in the latissimus dorsi and triceps muscles. You know what that means right? It's a super complex move that works not only your core stabilizers, but also your lats, traps and triceps.

First, kneel down on your knees with your hands resting on the stability ball in front of you. Cross your ankles to stabilize your legs and provide leverage. At this point, it's important to make sure your hands are locked together with your palms touching (interlace your fingers!).

Now, slowly roll the stability ball forward, keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid. Do not let your elbows bend past the starting position. Keep your back straight!

Roll the ball as far as you can go. At this maximum distance, your forearms should be contacting the ball, your back should be flat and your butt must be down. If these criteria aren't met, you might as well sit on the couch and grab a bag of chips (just kidding).

As long as the exercise is performed correctly, the abdominal muscles and core stabilizers will contract as well to keep your body from falling to the floor. Genius!

Slowly return yourself to the starting position. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you're burning!

Just like anything else, this move will require some practice before you master it. I'd suggest trying the easier version and then try the harder version. Or, if you're a beast, you can start with the hard version.

Step 1: Kneel on the floor and lock your hands together on the exercise ball. Keep your back straight.
Step 3: Slowly return to starting position.

I sound like a broken record, but quality is better than quantity!

Easy Version (Hard Version)

This one is extremely similar to the hard version above, except that your elbows will be slightly more bent and your forearms will be contacting the ball in your starting position.

Again, kneel down in front of the ball, place your forearms on the ball and lock your fingers with your palms together. Roll the ball out keeping your back as straight as possible while forcing your butt towards the ground. The ball will end up close to your chest.

Step 1: Kneel on the floor and lock your forearms on the stability ball. Keep your back straight and your elbows slightly bent.
Step 2: Roll the ball away from you, keeping your elbows locked in position and your back straight. Contract your butt muscles.
Step 3: Slowly return to starting position.

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