How to do a Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About 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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Alternative Exercises to Balance Trainer Stability Ball Push Up
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 73 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 56 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. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 56 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.
4. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 50 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.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
5. Balance Trainer Dome Push Ups
30.7 mSCORESWAPPED 46 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
6. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
82 mSCORESWAPPED 44 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.
7. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 44 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
8. Single Arm Cable Press
90.3 mSCORESWAPPED 43 TIMESSingle Arm Cable Press is a compound movement that targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. You’ll be isolating each side of the chest, which forces you to address any strength imbalances between sides. The movement itself closely resembles throwing a punch, and is a great way to build functional strength, especially for combat sports.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
9. Incline Push Up
77.2 mSCORESWAPPED 41 TIMESTargets the lower chest and shoulders by elevating the feet, decreasing the difficulty level compared to traditional push-ups. This variation is beneficial for beginners or those focusing on lower chest development.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Flat Bench
10. Balance Trainer Spiderman Push Up
19.7 mSCORESWAPPED 41 TIMESThis exercise is a combination of variations of both Push Ups and Mountain Climbers. This exercise primarily targets your chest, triceps, and core. The use of a Balance Trainer adds instability to both movements, which is especially helpful for recruiting your core. This is a great combination for making your Push Ups more of a full body workout.
- Intermediate
- Chest
- BOSU® Balance Trainer