How to do an Exercise Ball Pull In
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About this exercise
- Sets Logged
- 189,821
- Popularity Rank
- 685th
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Abs Strength
- 76 mSCORE 72nd
- Equipment Required
Workouts with Exercise Ball Pull In
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Targeting the core, particularly the lower abdominals, Exercise Ball Pull Ins involve pulling the knees towards the chest while maintaining balance on the ball. This exercise improves core strength and stability, offering a unique challenge compared to floor-based ab workouts.
- Position yourself in front of an exercise ball. Lie on the floor in a push-up position with your hands shoulder width apart.
- Push your body off the floor and place your shins on the top of the exercise ball.
- While keeping your back straight, pull your knees in towards your chest, such that the exercise ball rolls forward under your ankles to the tips of your feet.
- Hold momentarily, and then slowly straighten your legs back out to the starting position, returning the exercise ball positioned under your shin.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Exercise Ball Pull In 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.
- beginner3sets9reps1 Set Max10reps
- intermediate4sets10reps12reps
- advanced4sets11reps14reps
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Alternatives & Variations to Exercise Ball Pull In
1. Exercise Ball Crunch
79.2 mSCORESWAPPED 198 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.
2. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 158 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
3. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 150 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
4. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 110 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
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
5. Leg Pull-In
94.9 mSCORESWAPPED 107 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.
6. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 104 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.
7. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 93 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.
8. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 81 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.