Swiss Ball Exercises To Target Your Abs

These Swiss ball exercises will work your abs from every angle and help you build functional ‘real-world’ strength…

Swiss balls are dotted around nearly every gym in the world – usually gathering dust in the corner. Who knows, you might even own one.

But are these big, bouncy inflatables just a gimmick, or a genuinely useful training tool?

In the late 90s to early 2000s, leisure centres and exercise videos across the world were invaded by very large, bouncy balls.

Initially used by physiotherapists for rehabilitation, they quickly became mainstream.

Why? Because Swiss balls are an excellent tool for developing functional, ‘real-world’ strength.

With a machine and even many free weight exercises, you can only move in one direction and therefore only recruit the main muscle groups.

Swiss ball exercises, however, enable you to work the prime movers, plus all the stabiliser muscles that support the movement.

What is that important? Your body only uses what it needs to when exercising. Training mainly on machines may increase your muscle mass or strength, but it will be to the detriment of your stabilisers – ultimately making you weaker on free weight exercises.

It’s like putting a bigger engine in your car but not upgrading your brakes or suspension. When required to go faster or lift heavier, the brakes and suspension could be out of balance and cause a crash or an injury.

The following Swiss ball exercises can help you work key muscles – predominantly the abs – as well as all the smaller stabiliser muscles surrounding them…

Best Swiss ball exercises

Swiss Ball Crunch

Target areas: Abs, lower back

Lie on your back over the Swiss ball with your fingers by your ears.
Place your tongue in the roof of your mouth and roll your neck forward into your chin.
Pull your stomach muscles in and lift your head and shoulders off the ball.
Pause at the top, then slowly lower.

Coaching cue: Make it harder by holding your arms straight behind your head.

Swiss Ball Crunch Twist

Target areas: Obliques

Lie on your back with your fingers by your ears.
Tuck your chin into your neck and pull your stomach muscles in.
Lift your head and shoulders off the ball while rotating the right elbow to the left-hand side of your body.
Pause at top, then slowly lower. After designated number of reps, swap sides.

Coaching cue: Try not to lead with your elbow, but pull from your stomach. Imagine your upper body is fused together.

Swiss Ball Decline Plank

Target areas: Abs, lower back, glutes

Place your feet on the ball and your hands in a press-up position.
Suck your belly button into your spine to maintain core activation.
Ensure your back doesn’t bow, as that will recruit incorrect muscle sequences.

Coaching cue: To make it harder, move your feet closer together.

Swiss Ball Jackknife

Target areas: Abs, lower back, shoulders

Place your ankle on the ball and your hands on floor in a press-up position with your elbows locked out.
Draw your belly button in towards your spine.
Maintain a flat back posture.
Pull your knees in towards your chest, hold, then slowly return.

Coaching cue: Move your hands closer together to make it more difficult.

Swiss Ball Jackknife Twist

Target areas: Obliques, lower back, shoulders

Place your ankle on the ball and your hands on the floor in a press-up position, with your elbows locked out.
Draw belly button towards spine.
Maintain a flat back posture.
Draw your knees diagonally from the right side to the left hip.
Once you’ve completed all reps on one side, switch.

Coaching cue: Balancing on your toes on the Swiss ball increases the challenge.

Swiss Ball Pike

Target muscles: Abs, shoulders, hip flexors

Begin in a press-up position with your toes on the Swiss ball.
Bring your hips up to the ceiling.
Maintain good back posture.
Slowly lower back down.

Coaching cue: Do one leg at a time to make it harder.

Swiss Ball Plank

Target areas: Abs, shoulders, glutes

Place your elbows on the Swiss ball and your feet hip-width apart on the floor.
Keep your back flat and your hips in line with your body.
Hold for as long as you can maintain good postural alignment.

Coaching cue: Close your eyes to make it more challenging.

Swiss Ball Roll-Out

Target areas: Abs, lower back

Place your elbows on the Swiss ball and your feet hip-width apart on the floor.
Keep your back flat and your hips in line with your body.
Push your elbows upwards.
Hold, then draw them back to starting position.

Coaching cue: Try to draw out your name with your elbows for an added challenge.

Swiss Ball V-Up

Target areas: Abs, glutes, hip flexors

Lie on the floor with the Swiss ball between your feet.
Maintain tightness in your core.
Lift your legs and your arms upwards.
Hold at the top, then slowly lower.

Coaching cue: If too difficult, bend your knees to shorten the lever.

Swiss Ball Press-Up

Target areas: Abs, chest, glutes

Begin with your hands shoulder-width apart on the Swiss ball and your legs on the floor.
Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest until it touches the ball.
Pause, then push back firmly.

Coaching cue: To add variety, press-up sideways by bending towards one direction for one set and the other for another.

Swiss Ball Lateral Crunch

Target areas: Obliques

With your feet anchored against a support, place your hips sideways onto the ball.
Have your hands gently resting behind your head.
Keep your body side on, then contract upwards as high as you can go.
Pause, then return slowly. Change sides after set number of reps.

Coaching cue: Make it harder by holding your arms straight overhead.

Swiss Ball Glute Bridge

Target areas: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back

Lie on the floor with your heels on the Swiss ball.
Lift your hips off the ground, pushing them upwards.
Keep your back flat and aligned throughout the movement.
Slowly lower to the start position.

Coaching cue: If you feel the exercise too much in the hamstrings, stretch them out in-between.

Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl

Target areas: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back

Lie on the floor with your feet on the Swiss ball.
Keep your hips up and draw your knees towards your chest.
Pause, then slowly return.

Coaching cue: Change the angle the knees are pulled in – i.e. both inwards or outwards – to hit the three different hamstring muscles.

Swiss Ball Cossack Squat

Target muscles: Hip adductors, quads, glutes, hamstrings

Stand upright and place one foot on the Swiss ball.
For the foot that is on the floor, maintain alignment especially during movement to prevent your knee dropping inwards.
Hinge your hips back, while maintaining a flat back.
Drop as low as you feel comfortable, then push back up to the start.
As you get more comfortable with the movement, you can descend lower into the squat.

Coaching cue: Fix your eye on one spot in front of you to maintain balance.

Words: Nolan Sunnassee, personal trainer and strength coach (evo-fit.co.uk)

Swiss Ball Exercises To Target Abs & Improve Full-Body Strength