Exercise 1
The exercise effectively works all the abdominal muscles.
Starting position: sit on a fitball, feet flat on the floor, cross your arms over your chest. Stepping your feet, carefully lower yourself forward so that your back is on the ball and your knees are under your ankles, keeping your head up without leaning back. From this position, using an isolated effort of the abdominal muscles, begin a slow twist: first the head, then the shoulders, then the middle of the back until you feel a complete contraction of the abdominal muscles. Emphatically slowly return to the starting position.
At the initial stage, start with 1-2 sets of 8-10 repetitions each. Rest between sets for 45 seconds.
Execution option for beginners
When you can easily master this exercise, move on to a more advanced version.
The starting position is the same, with only one exception - the arms are bent at the elbows and placed on the back of the head, do not cross the fingers. Performing the exercise is similar to the option described above. At this stage, perform the exercise in 3 sets of 12 repetitions each. Reduce rest between sets to 30 seconds.
Execution option for advanced
The third option is even more difficult; move on to it only when you can easily perform the second option of the exercise.
The starting position is the same, with only one exception - the arms are straightened behind the head so that they are located close to the ears, in the hands is a medicine ball (can be replaced with a dumbbell weighing 1-3 kilograms or weights can be used). At this stage, perform the exercise in 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions each. If you don’t want to use weights, simply perform the exercise with your arms extended behind your head: 4 sets, first 15, then 20 repetitions. Do not bend your arms while doing this.
Complicated version
Top 12 best exercises on a fitball for the abs
Fitball rolls
Perform complex coordination practice at the beginning of the block. It warms up the joints and tones all the muscles of the body.
- Lie on the ball, place your palms on the floor, and lift your legs in the center.
- Move your hands forward and move the ball behind you until it is under your pelvis.
- Align your body with a ruler, raise your head and stay in this position for 5 seconds.
- Make a series of reverse movements and return it to the starting position. Work until you get tired.
On topic: Ab exercises from a sitting position
Push-ups on a fitness ball
Although lifting the body from a support requires maximum effort, compared to the classic version, their efficiency is much higher. Practice requires mental control and coordination of movements.
- Remaining in the same position, perform a series of push-ups.
- To make the process easier, roll the ball under your knees.
Single leg raises
- Lie on the sphere with emphasis on your shoulder blades, without touching the surface with your shoulders.
- Connect the hands at the back of the head into a lock.
- Bend your knees at a right angle and with a rounded back, pull your body and right leg up.
- Freeze for 3 seconds and repeat 14 more times.
- Repeat the movements for the opposite leg.
Direct rolls and ascents
- Lying on the floor, place your feet on an exercise ball.
- Using your abdominal muscles, roll it towards you.
- Pause and bring it back.
Crunches lying on the floor
- Now place your feet on the sphere. Place your hands behind your head.
- Pull your stomach in and pull your shoulders toward your hips until a burning sensation appears in your stomach.
For optimal training, perform 2 sets of 15 reps with legs bent and legs straight.
Fitball press for women while sitting
- Slide down from the ball.
- Without changing the position of your back, bend your knees.
- Raise your buttocks while straightening your knees. Roll the ball back with your shoulders, resting your shoulder blades on the surface.
- Make sure that a straight line is formed between the top of the head and the knees, and maximum tension is maintained in the abdominal muscles.
Lie down for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times.
Glute bridge on a fitball
- Sit on the sphere with a straight back, placing your feet on the floor in line with your hips.
- Slide down until your shoulder blades touch the surface.
- Place your hands behind your head and perform pelvic lifts with tightened abdominal muscles.
Fitball exercises for oblique abdominal muscles
- From this position, lift your body up and to the left, reaching with your right hand to the opposite knee.
- Then return to IP and make similar movements to the right side.
Side plank
- Lean on the ball with your left side and hug it with your hand.
- Place the outer arch of your foot on the floor.
- Raise your top leg as much as possible and don’t forget about pauses at the top.
Hourglass
- Lower your back to the floor and hold the ball between your ankles.
- Without lifting your pelvis from the surface, move your legs in opposite directions (15x2).
Double crunches
- Take a lying position, hold the fitball between your knees.
- For balance, keep your hands at the back of your head.
- As you inhale, lift your shoulders and pull the ball up perpendicular to the floor.
Springs with ball transfer
- Without changing your position, take the ball in your hands and place it behind your head.
- Stretch your legs and lift them slightly off the floor.
- As you inhale, lift your shoulders and reach towards your feet. Place the ball between them, fix it, twist it and lie on your back.
- Then rise again and grab it with your hands, twisting at the waist in the opposite direction. Work until you get tired.
Exercise 2
The exercise effectively works the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.
Starting position: sit on a fitball, feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Stepping your feet forward, lie with your back on the ball, place your right hand on the back of your head.
From this position, tensing the muscles of your buttocks, push your pelvis up. Pull your stomach in and lift your upper body. Then turn your right shoulder to the left. Perform all given repetitions first with the right hand, then with the left.
At the initial stage, start with 1-2 sets of 8-10 repetitions each.
As muscle strength develops, increase the number of sets first to 3, then to 4, and the number of repetitions first to 15, then to 20. Be sure to rest between sets: at the initial stage 30 seconds - 1 minute, at a more advanced stage - reduce the rest time to a minimum .
Exercises for oblique abdominal muscles
It is this part of the abdominal muscles that receives the maximum benefit from using the ball, as it allows you to:
- Lateral crunches (fitball under your side);
- Cross crunches (with the right shoulder tilted towards the left knee and vice versa);
- Side plank.
Moreover, any movement with a ball, from push-ups to planks or crunches, will more engage the obliques, which help maintain balance.
With a fitball, pumping up powerful obliques will be much easier and faster than using conventional exercises on the floor or bench.
Source
Exercise 3
The exercise effectively works all the abdominal muscles and also engages the hip flexors.
Starting position: Lie on your back and hold the exercise ball between your ankles, legs straight. Place your hands behind your head and grab any support.
From this position, tightening your abdominal muscles and holding the ball firmly with your feet, pull your knees towards your chest. Then lift your buttocks off the floor. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
At the initial stage, start with 1-2 sets of 12-15 repetitions each. As muscle strength develops, increase the number of sets to 3-4 and the number of repetitions to 20. Be sure to rest between sets: at the initial stage, 30 seconds - 1 minute, at a more advanced stage, reduce the rest time to a minimum.
Attention: lift your legs only with the force of your abdominal muscles; when performing, try to avoid arching in the lower back; To increase the load, use ankle weights, but reduce the number of repetitions to 12.
Exercise 4
The exercise effectively works all the abdominal muscles, engages the muscles of the buttocks, mid-back, as well as the hip flexors and hamstrings.
Starting position: get down on your knees, body and hips perpendicular to the floor, hands clasped. Without changing the position of your hips, place both hands on the exercise ball. From this position, begin to roll the ball forward. When the body angle approaches 45 degrees, stop, take a deep breath, draw in your stomach and, maintaining the natural curve of your spine, continue to roll the ball away from you until you feel the tension in your abdominal muscles. Then return to the starting position.
Attention: in order not to lose your balance and fall on your stomach on the floor, the speed of rolling out the fitball should be minimal.
Initially, start with 2 sets of 12 repetitions each. As you develop muscle strength, increase the number of sets to 3 and the number of repetitions to 15. Be sure to rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets.
Execution option
This embodiment differs only in the initial position of the hands: you lean on the fitball with your hands clenched into a fist.
During training, you can perform either of the two options or do both.
How to pump up your abs with a fitball
Abdominal exercise balls are used in different ways. And you can perform the exercises from different starting positions.
Each dictates its own rules:
- The amplitude of movement during twisting is small - 10-15 cm
The bulk of the exercises are various variations of lifting the shoulder blades (“twisting”).
The most common mistake is when rising from a lying position to a sitting position. The upper phase of the movement here is performed at the expense of the lower back, which is strictly forbidden to do so as not to overload it.
The movement is low-amplitude, with constant tension of the abdominal muscles.
- Execution speed – slow
This is necessary to properly work out your abs and not lose your balance.
- Comfortable sports shoes
If the sole slides on the floor, you will not be able to plant your feet on the floor. Maintaining balance will be problematic, as will performing the exercise.
In such a situation, you can rest your toes against some support to stabilize your legs. But the effect is slightly reduced. After all, you get a more stable body position, and the point of the exercise is an unstable position.
- In movements with leg lifts, the pelvis is pressed to the floor
If you don't want to engage the psoas muscles, make sure to keep your pelvis pressed into the floor throughout the movement.
Once it comes off (when the legs are lifted up), the load is transferred to the iliopsoas muscle.
- Load regulation due to the position of the ball between the legs
Ideally, hold the ball between your shins without bending your knees. The more it moves towards the knees, the easier it is.
As for dosing the load, it is the same as for all abdominal exercises.
Perform 2-3 sets of 15-30 reps for each movement.
For difficult variations, such as lying leg raises, beginners can start with fewer repetitions (10-12).
Exercise 5
The exercise effectively works the abdominal muscles.
Starting position: lie on your back with your legs extended. With straight arms, lift the exercise ball above your head.
From this position, tighten your abs and lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor while moving the ball toward your feet.
Twist your body further forward and pinch the ball with your feet. As you lower your upper body to the floor, simultaneously lift your legs with the ball clasped upward above you. Then grab the ball with your hands and lift it above your head again, and lower your legs to the starting position.
At the initial stage, start with 1-2 sets of 12-15 repetitions each. As muscle strength develops, increase the number of sets to 3.
In the future, the fitball can be replaced with a weighted medicine ball weighing first 1-2 kilograms, then 3-4 kilograms; or use ankle weights.
Complex 2: Hanging Leg Raises
To perform this abdominal exercise for girls, we will need a crossbar or horizontal bar:
We take the “hanging on the bar” position: arms straight, shoulder-width apart, body straight; we tense our abs and begin to slowly raise our straight legs up until they reach parallel with the floor; we linger at this point; gently lower your legs down; repeat 10-20 times. Try not to sway when performing the element; movements should be slow and controlled. Beginners can raise their knees instead of straight legs, and advanced athletes can raise their legs even higher - to the level of the chest and head.
Exercise 6
The exercise works all the abdominal muscles, but mainly the transverse and oblique internal muscles.
Starting position: lie on the floor, place your arms straight behind your head, and hold the exercise ball between your calves.
From this position, tighten your abs, which will bring your spine into a neutral position. Then inhale, bend your knees slightly and lift the exercise ball with your feet 45° from the floor. Exhaling slowly in five counts, using your abdominal muscles, lift your shoulders and head and reach your hands towards the ball. Continuing to keep your legs suspended, lower your head and shoulders to the starting position. Then lower your legs. This will be one repetition.
At the initial stage, start with 1 set of 10 repetitions. As muscle strength develops, increase the number of sets to 2 and the number of repetitions to 12-15 each.
Be sure to rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets.
Hitch
At the end of a set of exercises, be sure to stretch to avoid injury and unnecessary muscle pain. And stretching on the ball is double pleasure. First, it bears your body weight, helping you relax. Secondly, it helps relieve stress from the joints.
Exercises on a fitball for the press: options and techniques
An excellent opportunity to tone your abdominal muscles is to include abdominal exercises on a fitball in your training program. With their help, it is possible to pump up even small muscles that receive only indirect load when performing targeted practices. They improve agility, develop flexibility and balance. The maximum effect is achieved when working with a spiked fitness ball. It additionally stimulates blood flow and has an anti-cellulite and therapeutic effect.
Exercise 7
Full stretch
Starting position: sit on the fitball, placing your feet at some distance from it. Then lower your hips so that your back, lower back and buttocks rest on the ball at a slight angle. Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, bend your knees, and leave your arms hanging down freely.
From this position, while inhaling, straighten your legs and bend in an arc so that the ball is under your back and buttocks, while your feet should remain on the floor.
As you exhale, move your arms straight behind your head and touch the floor with your fingertips. Stay in this position for 30 seconds. Then return to the starting position.
Lying leg raises with a gymnastic ball
Everything is much simpler here. The technique doesn't change much, except that your legs should wrap around the ball.
Moreover, this must be done at the level of the equator, that is, in the middle. This position of the legs, above the floor level, will allow you to constantly maintain tension at the lowest point.
Next, simply lift your legs up with the ball until they are perpendicular to the floor (a right angle between the body and the thigh). After this, at the same slow pace, return the ball to its original position.
It is also worth considering that this exercise works well on the inner thighs, which usually lag behind the outer quadriceps.
