The stability ball is one of the best pieces of equipment to develop your obliques. Not only does it provide support to your back, but it also helps to build balance and strength. This article provides some useful information on oblique exercises that can be done on a stability ball.
Note: Most people focus on their abdominal muscles but ignore the oblique muscles that surround them. Almost every physical activity requires the use of the obliques as stabilizers.
1. Stability Ball Side Plank
This core exercise targets your obliques, inner thighs, and glutes. It’s suitable for beginners.
- Put your exercise ball between your ankles and hold your shoulder in a side plank position.
- Let your hips almost touch the floor as you lower your body.
- Your body should now be raised back to the starting position accompanied by a full contraction of the obliques.
Learn more: Best ab exercises with a stability ball.
2. Stability Ball Oblique Crunch
This type of stability ball crunch is beneficial as a beginner exercise that targets the obliques in a specific way. It is essential to maintain a proper posture throughout the movement by using the yoga ball in order to maintain the correct form.
- Begin by securing your feet against a wall. You want the ball to be supporting your hips as you position the body. Have your hands nearby your head as you keep your body sideways.
- Using only your obliques and core muscles, curl up against the wall while holding your lower body in place.
- Go back to your initial position, stretch your side out, then repeat.
3. Russian Twist on Yoga Ball with Weight
The purpose of this weighted twist core exercise is to isolate and strengthen your core by using a stability and medicine ball. Keeping proper form during this exercise also teaches you balance and stability. Start with a light weight, and as you get stronger get a heavier weight.
- Your back should be resting on a Swiss ball. You should bend your feet at 90 degrees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Keep your elbows straight while holding a dumbbell or medicine ball in front of your chest.
- Keep both of your feet planted and your arms parallel to the ground while rotating your arms to one side. Repeat on the opposite side after returning to the starting position.
5. Stability Ball Knee Tuck
It is an exercise that is suitable for beginners. The training targets the lower abs (rectus abdominis), but it also increases strength in the upper abs and obliques.
- Put your entire torso on the equipment and your hands and feet on the floor. Keep your hands under your shoulders and stretch your legs back.
- As you walk forward, tighten your abs and lift your feet off the floor. You will reach the top when your knees or quads are on the ball in a plank position.
- Let the ball roll forward as you bend your knees toward your chest. As you lift your hips towards the ceiling, tuck your knees under your torso.
- Put the ball in the starting position while you straighten your legs.
6. Stability Ball Ab Rollout
An ab rollout develops the core strength, shoulders, and upper back muscles. The ball is used instead of your arms or hands for this variation on the plank. As a result, there will be more overall muscle engagement with more instability. The movement also adds to the intensity.
- Start by kneeling in a high position in front of the ball.
- Please put your hands on top of the ball and clasp them together.
- Roll the ball out in front of you so that your forearms are on the ball and your body is at a 45-degree angle, keeping your back long and your abdominals tight throughout the movement.
- You can now return to your starting position by pulling back slowly with your forearms.
Learn more: How to use a stability ball to exercise your lower back.
7. Stability ball oblique step offs
Place your feet on the ball and place your hands on the floor as you begin your plank. Keeping your plank held, gently tap one foot down to the floor—repeat, alternating legs, at the starting position.
8. Swiss ball bicycle crunch
This fitness ball exercise is excellent for targeting your abs and building core strength and stability.
- Sit on a Swiss ball, feet flat on the floor, legs bent.
- Place the exercise ball between your shoulder blades as you walk your feet forward. Ensure that your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and that your hips are raised to lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Put one arm behind your head, and then extend the other arm to balance using your fingertips.
- With your elbow drawn towards your opposite knee, contract your abs while crunching across your body.
- Repeat the same side with control.
- After you have completed your reps on one side, do the same on the other side.
FAQ
Can we over-exercise obliques?
By training your obliques too much, you’ll build muscle along your sides, which destroys that hourglass shape. Well-developed obliques will give you a boxy look rather than a curvy look since they give you an up and down appearance in the midsection. But, this is typically a problem for women.
Are oblique workouts effective for slimming your waist?
Exercises, such as oblique exercises, do not remove fat from the body, so they cannot reduce waistline circumference. The most effective way to lose fat resulting in a slimmer waistline is through consistent cardio.
So, You cannot lose your love handles by exercising the obliques. Oblique ball exercises may increase your obliques’ strength, but they will not help to reduce your waist circumference.
To sum up
We usually mean crunch-type movements when it comes to ab exercises, whereas obliques exercises mean twisting and side-bending. In this blog post, I have outlined the best oblique exercises on the stability ball for a strength workout. These oblique exercises help with shaping your side abs and building up your core. They are also great for keeping you healthy and looking good! Please include them in your ball ab workout to reap the benefits of a stronger core and amazing abs.