Abdominal Strength & Stability Workout
Core ball exercises are great for challenging abdominal strength with a stability ball using circular movements as well as an ab roller chop. This workout is a lot more difficult than it may seem than just watching the video. The key is to rock your arms around in circles and work to get a more unbalanced position.
The position can be narrow or wide, but the key is to keep consistent movement in a circle before we change directions. After you complete all the circles from left to right, you are now going to move into a straight forward chop motion. The more you can bring your elbows up towards your forehead, the more stability that will be required throughout your core. Challenge yourself with the distanced by bringing it back. The key is to not lay on the arms. You stay in a nice flat L position with the body elevated off the stability ball. Each motion should be consistent and not jerky. Be sure to challenge yourself to be smooth and consistent with each movement.
Depending on your level of athleticism, you can do different time combinations. Alternate through each direction or focus on maintaining a simple concept with about 15 seconds for each individual movement. Keep things simple but be sure to bring variety to your workout and challenge yourself each and every set.
Single Leg Glute Bridge – Core Ball Exercises
The stability ball can be used in a variety of ways, but one of the best ways is by building stability and functional strength in your core.
The single Leg Glute Bridge is a great way to work on your balance muscles and core stability for more powerful rotational movements. To get into this drill, you first sit on top of the stability ball and roll all the way out on your back until you reach your shoulder blades. As you get to this position, bridge up onto two feet and get the hips up into a nice stable position. Now extend one leg out for a static hold of 15 to 20 seconds. As you complete the hold, go ahead and return the leg down to the floor and move on to the other foot before you take your break.
As you can see, you will have a lot of rocking motion in your shoulders as you pick the foot up. This is where those stability muscles are going to kick in and keep your body steady on the ball. The key here is to keep the hips up in a nice flat position without rocking side to side. So concentrate and hold the body still throughout the entire drill. Complete 6 to 8 sets before moving on.
Core Ab Roller – Core Ball Exercises
Move through the roller movement on the stability ball. You don’t really need an ab roller wheel if you have a stability ball. The advantage of the stability ball is you can use it for many things such as rotational movements, core ball exercises, and abs strengthening.
To do this drill, roll onto the hands farther from your body. You don’t want it be close to the knees because when you roll out, we need to have some space for movement where we could reach. As you get there, start with the palms on the floor and bend at the waist as far as you can.
Roll into the ball and as you reach your elbows, take the elbows up above your head. This creates great muscle activation through the core. If you are weaker in the core, the hips may drop slightly or rock back. If you’re a beginner, it’s really important to roll your hips under your body and maintain a slight hip up position. This will keep the ball a little safer and still get the abs activation.
As you roll out and get more advanced, you can work in a flatter position. The key is the hip tilt never changes. Always have the hips slightly rolled under to keep the lower back safe. The rep ranges really depend on the level of athleticism. 6 to 10 for beginners, 15 to 20 for more advanced trainees.
Pac Man Drill – Core Ball Exercises
This drill is very challenging for your abs. The key is to pin the ball in between the legs, go down into a flank position with the shoulders and feet still off the ground. Maintain nice tight abs without getting that relaxation phase where we drop our ribs back and really take a deep breath. We are working high and work off the ground even when we come back up. As you meet in the middle you crunch up and grab the ball like a pac-man and turn it over. The key here is to bring the shoulders off the ground as well.
Here’s a mistake…if you are reaching with your hands and throwing your legs up towards your face, then you are completely defeating the purpose of the activation portion of this drill. Reach for the ball as you bring the legs up perpendicular to the floor and reach up with the upper body. Continue this back and forth movement for 30 to 45 seconds. If you are more advanced, take it up to 60 seconds. Take about 30 to 40 seconds between to rest. The ball has the advantage of provided extra weight to improve strength at the core.
Window Wipers – Core Ball Exercises
This is a great rotational drill you can utilize on the floor. Pin the stability ball in between the feet. Lay hands palms to the floor to help with stability. Keep the spine in line as you rock side to side. Slightly roll the hips over to the side, bringing the ball all the way over left to right. If you are new to the movement, start the movement high. Concentrate on your obliques as you go side to side. Only take it so far as you can take it. Take 45 seconds to do the drill before moving on.
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