Coach Rozy

Wednesday Exercise of the “WEAK”

SB Knee Tucks/Pikes for Core Training

by Connor Fitzsimmons – Coach Rozy Intern

The Exercise:

                   STABILITY BALL KNEE TUCKS                        STABILITY BALL PIKES

Stability Ball Knee Tucks for beginners  (Stability Ball Pikes for more advanced training – see *Note Below) is a great exercise to strengthen the abdominals, lower back, legs, and arms. This exercise also includes strengthening of stabilizer muscles throughout the body which are responsible for improving balance. Stability ball knee tucks offer a great opportunity to improve overall strength, balance, and stability.

Note:

Stability Ball Pikes will also be explained below but DO NOT attempt this advanced exercise until you have mastered the knee tucks. Stability ball pikes will challenge your abdominals, shoulders, and stabilizer muscles responsible for promoting balance.
How To Do Stability Ball Knee Tucks:

Make sure you have enough space to perform this exercise with a stability ball.

1.  Start by positioning your stomach on the stability ball with your hands in contact with the floor.
2. Slowly walk yourself forward so you are in the push-up position with your wrists directly under your shoulders. As you walk yourself forward, your legs will slowly move onto the ball. Stop rolling forward when your shins are pressed into the stability ball. Make sure your head is properly aligned with your shoulders and hips.
3. Engage your abdominals throughout the exercise to keep your back from sagging and to ensure proper alignment.
4. Exhale as you move your knees toward your chest. Do not try to adjust your upper body when pulling the ball towards you.
5. Inhale as you return to the starting position. The ball will roll out so your body will be in the push-up position again. Make sure everything is in alignment after each repetition.

                         START POSITION – TUCK                             LEVEL 1 – HIPS STAY LOW

           LEVEL 2 – HIPS HIGH; More Difficult                     FINISH POSITION – TUCK

We recommend doing 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions depending on trainability status. Once you have perfected the stability ball knee tuck, look below to see how to do the Stability Ball Pike Exercise. DO NOT perform stability ball pikes until you have mastered the knee tucks.

How To Do Stability Ball Pikes:

1. Same as Step 1 above.
2. Slowly walk yourself forward so you are in the push-up position with your shins pressed into the stability ball. Again, make sure your head is properly aligned with your shoulders and hips. Engage abdominals to keep your back from sagging and to ensure proper alignment.
3. Exhale as you push your hips toward the ceiling while keeping your legs and arms straight. The ball will roll forward when pushing your hips to the ceiling. Your hips will be directly over your shoulders in the pike position.
4. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Ensure proper alignment before returning to the pike position.
5. Tips: If stability ball pikes from your shins are too easy, you can work your way down the ball toward your feet. This is a more advanced exercise that will require you to pull your feet toward your chest. This will make the exercise more difficult and balancing will become more challenging.

                       TOES ON BALL – START PIKE               PULL HIPS UP – FEET FORWARD

CAN ALSO START WITH SHINS ON BALL

INSTEAD OF TOES TO LOWER DIFFICULTY LEVEL