Exercise Ball Crunch

Exercise Ball Crunch is a strength – ball-supported abdominal flexion exercise involving Rectus abdominis. Use these steps to learn the movement and work with your coach to choose a suitable level.

Last updated: 2026-10-31 · DynPerformance

Primary muscles: Rectus abdominis
Secondary muscles: Internal and external obliques, Transversus abdominis
Exercise type: Strength – ball-supported abdominal flexion

Exercise technique

Ball
Position the curve of your lower back over the dome of the ball.
Feet
Bend your knees and plant your feet wide on the floor.
Arms
Cross your arms over your chest or extend them at your sides.
Extend
Keep your neck stable and comfortably extend your back over the ball.
Curl
Keep your hips still and bring your ribs toward your pelvis.
Top
Contract briefly while maintaining lower-back contact with the ball.
Return
Inhale and slowly return your back onto the dome.

Key technique points

Position your arms without loading your neck.
Keep the ball under your lower back.
Keep your hips in place.
Move your head with your torso.
Do not push the ball forward with your feet.
Focus on abdominal shortening.

Common mistakes

Moving the ball around

Do not roll forward and backward with your feet instead of curling your torso.

Letting the neck go slack

Do not let your head hang behind the ball during extension.

Losing lower-back contact

Do not lift your lower back away from the dome as you rise.

Rising through the hips

Do not turn the curl into a sit-up with the entire torso moving as one unit.

Narrow foot base

Do not bring your feet so close that balance suffers.

Excessive backward stretch

Do not use the ball curve to force an extreme spinal angle.

Frequently asked questions