How to do Balance Trainer Braced Frog Kicks
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Balance Trainer Braced Frog Kicks
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Balance Trainer Braced Frog Kicks is a bodyweight core exercise that involves sitting on a Balance Trainer and extending your legs out away from yourself. By raising, and extending your legs, you’re already engaging your core, but by sitting on a balance training, you add more instability to the movement.
- Sit on the Balance Trainer with hands on the sides of the dome. Pull both knees toward the chest in a v-sit position. Slowly extend both legs while simultaneously lowering the torso into a supine position. Pull the knees back in and tuck back up to the starting position. Maintain a braced core throughout the exercise and avoid arching the lower back in the extended position.
Common Form Mistakes
Dropping Your Heels
Don’t allow your heels to drop between reps. Keep them elevated throughout the entire exercise. You would be able to perform more reps by giving yourself some time to rest between reps, however it will make this exercise less effective. Focus on keeping your core engaged, and your legs elevated.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Balance Trainer Braced Frog Kicks standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Balance Trainer Braced Frog Kicks
1. Balance Trainer Crunch
39.4 mSCORESWAPPED 77 TIMESBalance Trainer Crunch is a more difficult variation on the standard Crunch. Similar to other crunches, this is a bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. By using a Balance Trainer, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better activation of your core.
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2. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 44 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
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3. Jackknife Sit-Up
60.8 mSCORESWAPPED 34 TIMESJackknife Sit-Up is a combination of a Sit Up and a Leg Pull-In. Like the other two exercises, this is a bodyweight core exercise that offers the benefits of both. It’s very similar to a Cocoon Crunch, however, you’ll be raising your entire torso off the ground, rather than just your shoulder blades. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to add some extra challenge to their core workout.
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4. Leg Pull-In
94.9 mSCORESWAPPED 33 TIMESLeg Pull in is a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already engaging your core. Additionally your core helps to pull your legs in towards your chest.
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5. Balance Trainer Braced Bicycle Kicks
31.3 mSCORESWAPPED 32 TIMESA dynamic core exercise that combines the instability of a BOSU balance trainer with the intensity of bicycle kicks, targeting the abdominals and obliques. The added instability requires more muscle engagement, making it more effective than standard floor bicycle kicks.
- Intermediate
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6. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 32 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
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7. Exercise Ball Crunch
79.2 mSCORESWAPPED 26 TIMESExercise Ball Crunch is a weighted variation of the standard Crunch. By holding a medicine ball, you can add more weight to this usually bodyweight exercise. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their crunches more challenging.
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8. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 26 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
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9. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 25 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
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10. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMESCable Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Unlike Crunches, this is a weighted exercise that does not have you laying on your back. Instead of using your bodyweight for resistance, you use a cable machine. This gives you more control over your resistance, as well as more control over the direction that resistance is coming from.
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