How to do a Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up
Instructions for Proper Form
Incorporating a medicine ball held overhead, this sit-up variation increases the workload on the abdominals and arms. It enhances core strength and stability, providing a more challenging alternative to traditional sit-ups by adding resistance and increasing the range of motion.
- Lie face up on the floor with a medicine ball grasped in both hands and your knees bent.
- Position the medicine ball in the middle of your chest.
- Engage your core to raise your torso off the floor as you begin to raise the medicine ball above you.
- Pause for a moment once the medicine ball is above your head while maintaining tension in your core.
- Slowly allow your torso to descend back into the starting position while maintaining tension in your core and bringing the medicine ball back to your chest.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core engaged, shoulders back and chest up.
- You should feel this exercise primarily in your core, but may feel some tension in your shoulders from pressing the medicine ball overhead.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up standards by male, female, 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.
- beginner8reps10lbs1 Rep Max12.5lbs
- intermediate8reps12.5lbs15lbs
- advanced8reps12.5lbs15lbs
Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
Alternative Exercises to Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up
1. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 59 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
2. Overhead Weighted Sit Up
42.5 mSCORESWAPPED 42 TIMESOverhead Weighted Sit Up is a variation on the standard Sit Up. By holding a weight overhead, you not only add resistance to the movement but also engage your shoulders and upper back. This additional resistance and muscle engagement make it a more challenging exercise, ideal for building core strength and improving overall stability.
- Advanced
- Abs
3. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 38 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
- Beginner
- Abs
4. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 36 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.
- Beginner
- Abs
5. Decline Sit Up
77.6 mSCORESWAPPED 25 TIMESDecline Sit Up is a variation on the more common Sit Up. By laying back on a decline bench, you can keep more tension on your abdominals at the top of the movement. This is a great exercise for adding a bit more of a challenge to your Sit Ups.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Decline Bench
6. Medicine Ball Leg Crunch
54.8 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMESThe Medicine Ball Leg Crunch is an exercise that targets your abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your legs raised and knees slightly bent. Hold a medicine ball between your feet. Crunch your upper body and legs toward each other, squeezing the medicine ball between your feet.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Medicine Ball
7. Medicine Ball Russian Twist
79.7 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMESMedicine Ball Russian Twist is a weighted variation of Russian Twist. By holding a medicine ball in both hands, you can add resistance to this usually bodyweight exercise. While the weight usually isn't much, it forces you to engage your core both to move, and to stop the medicine ball as you rotate. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Russian Twists a bit more challenging.
- Beginner
- Abs
- Medicine Ball
8. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 23 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.
- Beginner
- Abs
9. Kettlebell Sit Up and Press
38.9 mSCORESWAPPED 19 TIMESThis exercise is a weighted variation of a sit up combined with an overhead press. This exercise primarily targets your core and shoulders. This is a great exercise for developing core strength with a bit of shoulders thrown in too.
- Beginner
- Abs
- Kettlebells
10. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 18 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.
- Beginner
- Abs
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
- Rope Cable