How to do a Stability Ball Pike
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Stability Ball Pike
Instructions for Proper Form
This advanced core exercise involves lifting the hips towards the ceiling while the feet are on a Stability Ball, targeting the abdominals and improving flexibility. It challenges stability and strength, offering a unique variation to traditional core exercises.
- Position your body in a pushup position with the top of your feet resting on the stability ball.
- Engage your core to roll the stability ball towards your torso while folding at your hips.
- Allow the ball to roll around your toes such that the balls of your feet are in contact with the stability ball.
- Keep your core engaged and hold this position for a moment at the top of the movement.
- Slowly allow the stability ball to return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your core.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core engaged and you back straight.
- You should feel this exercise primarily in your core.
Common Form Mistakes
Limit Range of Motion
Limit your range of motion at both ends of this exercise. You want to stop once your back is flat at the bottom, and once your back is vertical at the top.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Stability Ball Pike standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
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Alternatives & Variations to Stability Ball Pike
1. Exercise Ball Crunch
79.2 mSCORESWAPPED 108 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. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 101 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.
3. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 101 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.
4. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 81 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.
5. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 71 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.
6. Ab Rollout
70.3 mSCORESWAPPED 69 TIMESAb Rollout is a compound exercise that primarily targets the core. Using an ab roller, this movement challenges your ability to maintain stability as you extend your body parallel to the ground. This exercise is great for developing core strength and stability, which can translate to better performance in other strength-training movements. The instability and range of motion make this a more challenging core exercise.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Ab Wheel
7. Flutter Kicks
88 mSCORESWAPPED 65 TIMESFlutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.
8. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 64 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.
9. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 61 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.
10. Reverse Crunch
87.7 mSCORESWAPPED 58 TIMESReverse Crunch is a variation on the more standard crunch, although it may appear closer to something like a Leg Raise. Rather than engaging your core to bring your chest towards your pelvis, you instead elevate your legs, and bring your pelvis in towards your chest.