For pre-designed ab workouts, view EMG’s Ab Workouts.
Swiss Ball Crunch Description
Step 1. Lie on an exercise ball, positioning it under your lower back. Cross your arms over your chest or place them behind your head.
Step 2. Engage your abs to lift your torso off of the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down towards your hips. As you curl up, keep the ball stable. The ball should not roll.
Step 3. Lower back down.
Notes
Crunches are the primary exercise for working the upper ab. The Swiss ball crunch is a variation of the crunch. This exercise is a slightly more complex exercise that may take the user a little time to adjust to. This exercise is different than regular crunches because the user must keep his core engaged to balance his body on the ball throughout the exercise. The user must also keep his feet secured through the movement. A common mistake when performing crunches is to let the shoulder blades go flat on the ground (or in this case, the ball) between repetitions. By doing this, the user disengages the core muscles. Not only does this make the exercise less effective, but when performing crunches with an exercise ball, the user may lose his balance.
Updated: April 11th, 2015
