How to do a Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a significantly more advanced, and unstable variation on the Push Up. Like other variations, this exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps, however the use of both a Balance Trainer, and a Stability Ball add significantly more instability to the movement. This exercise is a great way to build strength and stability across pushing movements in general.
- Set up in a plank position with feet on the Balance Trainer dome and each hand on top of a Balance Pod. Slowly flex the arms and lower the chest toward the floor. Extend the arms and press back up to the plank position. Maintain a braced core and avoid letting the lower back arch during the push-up.
Common Form Mistakes
Flat Back
Don’t allow your hips to sag or raise up during this exercise. It’s very common to see this especially as you become fatigued during your set. Keeping your core engaged will help you keep your spine in a neutral position. It can also help to think of this exercise as a plank first, and the movement as a secondary piece to this exercise.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
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Alternatives & Variations to Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 90 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
2. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 35 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
3. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 29 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
4. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 28 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
5. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
6. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 26 TIMESPush Ups may be the most recognizable exercises out there. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do, and is a great way to develop functional strength in your upper body for pushing movements. It’s fantastic for beginners, or anyone with limited equipment, while still being a great addition for even the most seasoned lifters.
- Intermediate
- Chest
7. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
82 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMESAlternating Dumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. By alternating arms, you add instability and a greater need for core stabilization, helping to address any strength discrepancies between sides. This variation can also increase time under tension, making it an excellent exercise for muscle endurance.
8. Balance Trainer Narrow Push Up
29.2 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMESSimilar to other Push Up Variations, this exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. A narrow grip further emphasizes recruitment of the triceps, while the use of a Balance Trainer adds significantly more instability to the movement.
9. Balance Trainer Dome Push Ups
30.7 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMESSimilar to other Push Up Variations, this compound, bodyweight exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a Balance Trainer adds a significant amount of instability to the movement, and makes this a more advanced, and taxing exercise than the standard Push Up. The added instability is a great way to help you improve stability across a large variety of other pushing exercises.
- Intermediate
- Chest
- BOSU® Balance Trainer
10. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.