Weighted Ball Side Bend

Also called ball side crunch, stability ball side bend and ball oblique crunch.

Works

Abs

Equipment

Stability ball

Level

Intermediate

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. To begin, lie down on an exercise ball with your left side of the torso (waist, hips and shoulder) pressed against the ball.

1. Your feet should be on the floor while your legs are crossed and hanging from the ball. Hold a weighted plate with your right hand directly to the right side of your head. Tip: Make sure the smooth side of the plate is resting against your head.
2. Place your left arm across your torso so that your palm is on your obliques. There should be a right angle between your left forearm and upper arm. This is the starting position.
3. Raise the side of your torso up by laterally flexing at the waist while exhaling.
4. Hold the contraction for a second and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position while inhaling.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
6. Switch sides and repeat the exercise.

Cues

• Side on the ball, feet braced.
• Plate by the side of the head.
• Crunch sideways up.
• Lower slowly over the ball.

Common mistakes

• Rolling forward.
• Yanking on the neck.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a cranky lower back. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Swap for