How to Do a Ball Roll-Up Crunch
A ball roll-up is an easy variation on a crunch that ensures proper range of motion and gives the additional challenge of lifting the ball. It works your rectus abdominus muscle, mainly the upper portion. This is the muscle you can see on a six-pack.
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Instructions
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How to do a Stability Ball Roll Up
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1
Lie face up on a mat. Hold a stability ball in your hands, with your arms overhead and lying on the mat. Knees are bent, with feet flat on the floor.
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2
Engage your abdominal muscles and push your lower back flat. Exhale and roll up, bringing the ball and your arms off the ground. Keep your arms straight. Your shoulders should come off the mat.
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3
Bring the ball over your stomach and reach toward your knees. Crunch up high enough so that the ball goes over the tops of your knees.
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4
Hold the position for 2 seconds, then inhale and slowly roll back onto the mat 1 vertebrae at a time. Bring your arms back over your head and onto the mat at the same time your shoulders touch down.
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5
Roll back up as soon as your shoulders touch and do a total of 12 to 20 repetitions, until you can no longer get the ball over your knees.
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Tips & Warnings
The downward movement after the crunch is almost as important as the upward roll up. Control your movement back to the mat with a slow, smooth motion. Do not just relax and fall back down to the mat.
