How to do a Stability Ball Abdominal Twist
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Stability Ball Abdominal Twist
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
A compound exercise targeting the core with a focus on obliques. The stability ball introduces an instability factor that requires more core engagement, while the cable machine adds adjustable resistance, improving rotational strength and balance more effectively than traditional twists.
- Sit upright on a stability ball before stepping forward to position just your upper back onto the ball, place your feet firmly on the ground shoulder-width apart, and extend your hips to flex your knees to 90 degrees.
- Extend your arms over your chest holding onto a medicine ball.
- Roll your shoulders to the right while the stability ball rolls left keeping your hips stationary and keeping the medicine ball over your chest.
- Once your right arm has become parallel with the ground, roll your shoulders to the left.
- Return to the starting position.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Stability Ball Abdominal Twist standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Stability Ball Abdominal Twist
1. Exercise Ball Crunch
79.2 mSCORESWAPPED 53 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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2. 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.
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3. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 20 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.
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4. Stability Ball Oblique Crunch
38.6 mSCORESWAPPED 18 TIMESStability Ball Oblique Crunches target the side abs or obliques, enhancing core strength and definition. Lying sideways on the ball, you perform a crunch motion, lifting your torso towards the hip. This variation adds an instability challenge, increasing engagement and effectiveness compared to floor crunches.
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5. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 13 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.
- Beginner
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6. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 10 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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- Rope Cable
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7. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 9 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.
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8. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 8 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.
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9. Stability Ball Russian Twist
36.3 mSCORESWAPPED 7 TIMESStability Ball Russian Twist is a variation on the standard Russian Twist. Similar to other Russian Twists, this is a bodyweight core exercise that targets your obliques. By sitting on a stability ball, you add instability to the movement, which forces your core to work harder to maintain balance. This is a great way to increase the difficulty and effectiveness of the exercise.
- Intermediate
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10. Oblique Crunch
86.7 mSCORESWAPPED 6 TIMESOblique Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Similar to Crunches, this is a bodyweight core exercise. By reaching across your torso, you can help isolate your obliques. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to specifically target their obliques.
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