The 13 best exercises with exercise ball for abdomen legs buttocks

Gym ball abdominal legs buttocks exercises for home

This post contains advertising and affiliate links. Read more

If you want to mix a little variety and fun into your abs legs butt workout, exercises with exercise ball are perfect.

We still know it from old childhood days - the exercise ball. However, you should never underestimate it and dismiss it as a child's toy. Because the exercise ball really has it!

The exercise equipment is incredibly varied and can also be used for sitting.

So don't let the exercise ball loiter uselessly in a corner between workouts. Grab the exercise equipment regularly for exercises with exercise ball.

Why you should start with balance exercises with exercise ball

Before you start training with the exercise ball, you should learn basic balance. In the beginning you can sit on the ball for a few minutes a day and just try to stay straight.

Once this is done, you can try to sit on the ball without touching the ground with your feet. Attention: danger of falling! :)

What are the advantages of training with exercise ball

An exercise ball is a relatively inexpensive piece of exercise equipment with many advantages. With it you can perform many complex and multidimensional exercises.

You can easily and quickly improve your agility, coordination, endurance and strength. Working out at home in your living room has never been easier.

The exercises with exercise ball strengthen deeper muscles, especially in the back, because keeping balance is not so easy. At the same time, exercises with a giant ball are just a lot of fun :)

Gym ball exercises

  • improve the sense of balance
  • take up little space for training
  • make the body unstable and thus strengthen the deep muscles
  • strengthen back, abdomen, upper body and legs
  • are perfect for home workout.

Even if the workout doesn't look particularly strenuous: It has mega in itself.

You're guaranteed to get sore muscles. Especially the abdomen and back are affected in most people. But that's not a bad thing. It just shows that you are on the right track.

If you have little time, you can watch a video here. In it you will find a few additional exercises on the ball.

13 abdominal legs buttocks exercises with exercise ball

Before you start working out on the exercise ball, you first need the right equipment.

At the end of the article you will find helpful information about the appropriate ball size. Be sure to use a training mat.

Without a training mat, the ball is gone very quickly. You can hurt yourself. Get yourself a non-slip training mat.

We have tested the best exercise ball exercises for you. Works great!

Side butt lift with exercise ball

Gym ball exercises for home

Exhausting but mega effective is this exercise! PS: Looks easier than it is!

  • Lie on your side and support yourself with your forearm. Then put your exercise ball between your feet.
  • Then lift your hips off the floor while tightening your abdominal and pom muscles.
  • This position should be held for a few seconds and then you slowly go back down.
  • When you have completed 5 repetitions, switch sides.

Trained muscles: gluteal muscles, oblique abdominal muscles
More difficult version: Do not lower your hips so far that they touch the floor, but hover just above the floor.

Exercise for the thighs

Gym ball exercises buttocks and legs

  • In the starting position you lie flat on your back.
  • Your legs stand on the exercise ball and push the ball away from you until only your lower legs are on the exercise ball and your legs are extended.
  • Raise your hips upward until your body forms a straight line.
  • Then bend your legs and roll the ball towards you. It is important that your body does not sag. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly extend your legs again.

By the way, this is one of the exercises with exercise ball, which looks very simple, but neatly engages your entire body.

Especially important: During the exercise, keep the body straight and tense the abdominal and pom muscles.
Trained muscles: Gluteal muscles and posterior thigh muscles.

Exercise for the oblique abdominal muscles and buttocks

Gymnastics ball exercises for the abdominal muscles side rotation

You lie flat on your back with your hands next to your body and your lower legs on the exercise ball.

Then slowly move the ball to the right, stay in this position for a short time and move your legs towards the left, also hold this for a short time.

This exercise is one of the best exercises with exercise ball if you want a flat, toned abdomen.

Especially important: your back must be flat on the floor during the whole exercise.

Push-up with exercise ball

Gym ball exercises: Push up with exercise ball

This is one of the best but also the most exhausting exercises with exercise ball.

  • Lie on your stomach on the exercise ball and roll forward so that only your lower legs touch the ball.
  • The arms remain fully extended, as does the rest of the body. The shoulders are vertically above the arms.
  • Then bend your arms and slowly lower your upper body until your nose almost touches the floor.
  • Now push yourself back up, just like a normal push-up.

Especially important: Tighten abdominal and pomus muscles.
Trained muscles: Arm, chest, abdominal and gluteal muscles.
Lighter version: Do not go down but hold the first position for at least 30 seconds - see next exercise.

Plank on the exercise ball

Plank on the exercise ball as part of the exercise ball exercises

A little more relaxed - at least compared to the previous exercise - is the Plank.

  • The starting position is the same as in the push-up on the ball.
  • Make sure your body forms a line and you tighten all the muscles firmly.

Especially important: Tighten the abdomen and buttocks. The gaze is directed downward!
Trained muscles: Arms, torso and buttocks.

Exercises with exercise ball for the straight abdominal muscles and buttocks

Gym ball exercises for the arms

  • You start in the push-up position, lower legs on the ball, the whole body is tense.
  • Then roll forward with the ball and lift your butt until you create a half handstand.
  • Be careful and don't roll too far forward so you don't fall down. This exercise is also a good Pre-exercise for handstand :)

If you are doing this exercise at home, you should remove everything that is within reach to be on the safe side.

This is one of the exercises with exercise ball that is very effective, but at the same time dangerous. So be careful with head-over exercises with exercise ball.

Especially important: Tense your body throughout the exercise.
Trained muscles: Arms, straight abs and buttocks

Full body exercise with the exercise ball

Gym Ball Exercises Gym Ball Workout For Home

  • You are in a push-up position with your lower legs resting on the ball. Then roll the ball towards you by bending your legs.
  • Bring the exercise ball to your hands as far as you can and hold this position for a few seconds.
  • After that, return to the starting position and repeat the whole process.

Attention: during such exercises with exercise ball you can hurt your knees.

Trained muscles: straight abdominal muscles and hip flexors.

Abdominal muscle training with the exercise ball

Gym ball exercises sit ups with gym ball

  • In the starting position, you lie on your back in front of the ball and have your lower legs resting on the ball.
  • There is a little space between the buttocks and the ball. The arms are crossed behind the head.
  • Then tighten your abdomen and pull it in so that you don't make a hollow back. Slowly straighten your upper body as much as you can.
  • When you reach the highest point, pause briefly and return to the starting position.

Tip: Exhale as you raise and inhale as you lower.
Trained muscles: Straight abdominal muscle

Exercise for a healthy back and balance

Gym ball exercises to train balance

  • Lie on your stomach on the exercise ball. Now lift your legs off the mat. Tighten your buttocks, legs and back.
  • Try to keep your balance as long as possible. By the way, you can only do this if you build up a lot of body tension.

This gym ball exercise is very good for your lower back. You strengthen your lumbar spine with it.

Lighter version: Keep your arms on the mat. But don't support yourself with the whole palm of your hand - only with your fingers.
Muscles used: lower back muscles

Balance exercise on the exercise ball

Swimmer exercise as a gym ball workout

  • You lie on your stomach on your exercise ball, the whole body is tense, the legs are stretched.
  • Raise your left arm and your right foot and go up until they form a line with your body.
  • With the other foot and the other arm, support yourself on the floor.
  • Then repeat the movement with the other arm/leg.

When doing exercises with the exercise ball on which you lie with your back or a stomach on the ball, you must make sure that there is not too much air in the exercise equipment.

Trained muscles: Back muscles

Gym ball exercise for strong upper arms

Gym ball exercises for the arms

  • Sit on your exercise ball and support yourself with your arms (sideways behind your back).
  • The legs are slightly more than hip-width apart and bent at a 90° angle.
  • Then push your body away from the exercise ball with your arms. Your knees remain bent and your upper body is straight.

Especially important: Don't push up too fast so your ball doesn't bounce away from you. And make sure that the ball does not contain too much air.

Exercise for the lower abdominal muscles and back

Gym ball exercises for more mobility

  • You lie on your back and place your arms loosely beside your body, palms facing the floor. Clamp the ball between your feet and tense your abdomen and pelvic floor.
  • Then extend the legs at a 90° angle to the upper body. Now slowly lift the buttocks and back and push the ball far above the head.
  • Slowly roll the spine back again but only until just before the floor, because the buttocks must not be put down again.

Exercises with exercise ball where you lift almost your whole body from the mat are for trained fitness fans. As a beginner you should start with simple exercises with exercise ball.

Especially important: Try to make the movements as controlled as possible.

Abdominal Legs Buttocks Gym Ball Exercise

Abdominal Legs Buttocks Gym Ball Exercises

And now it's going to get really exhausting again. Even if it doesn't look like it at first glance.

  • Put your legs on the exercise ball. Lift your hips and back off the floor.
  • The arms are parallel to the body and help you keep your balance.
  • Pull the exercise ball with your legs up to your buttocks and then roll it forward again until your legs are stretched.

Bonus exercise: Strong torso

Exercise ball exercises torso

Let's go back to the abs. This exercise will strengthen your entire core!

  • Lie down on the exercise mat.
  • Clamp the ball between your legs and support your upper body.
  • Lift your legs off the floor and stretch them through.
  • Now lift the ball to the left. At the same time, your right leg turns up and the left leg turns down. Return to the center and then to the right side.
  • The upper body always remains stable and does not rotate.

Which exercise ball is suitable for which size

There are also many different sizes of exercise balls, suitable for every body size. To make the workout feasible and effective, you need to find the right size for you.

Which exercise ball size is right for exercise ball exercises?

With our size chart, this is also very quick and easy. When buying a ball, make sure that it is marked with anti-burst, so that in case of damage the air escapes slowly and you do not hurt yourself.

Body size Ball diameter
140 cm 45 cm
Until 155 cm 55 cm
Until 175 cm 65 cm
Until 185 cm 75 cm
Until 195 cm 85 cm

Why an exercise ball is also a good office chair substitute

The exercise ball actually comes from physiotherapy and has been used for decades for rehabilitation.

Even nowadays, more and more people are coming to the advantages of the exercise ball as an office chair. You don't have to banish the chair completely but the advantages of the ball are convincing.

  • Strong center: Because the ball is not stable, you are forced to activate the muscles in the abdomen, hips and buttocks. This will help your core to gain stability.
  • You train your balance: The first time on the ball will probably still be characterized by uncertainty, but with time you will learn to sit stably on the exercise ball. You will no longer notice that you are sitting on a rolling ball because your body will unconsciously balance it.
  • Better posture: The lack of back and armrests means you sit up straighter and keep your back straighter.

If you exchange your office chair for the exercise ball, it is very relieving for the spine and you automatically do exercises with the exercise ball throughout the day.

Our conclusion

Gym ball exercises are really strenuous and anything but kid's stuff. With the exercise ball you can make your versatile and strengthen your entire body. Don't be surprised if you shake a lot at the beginning, that's quite normal. With the ball you use a lot of muscles at the same time.

By the way, you will not only strengthen your abdomen, legs and buttocks, but also your Sense of balance.

To browse further:

* Advertising & affiliate links: Our website is financed by advertising and affiliate links. As a partner of linked stores (e.g. Amazon) we earn from qualified sales.
Read more