Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up
The Medicine Ball Overhead Sit Up is an intermediate core exercise that involves performing a full sit-up while keeping a weighted ball extended directly above your head. This movement targets the upper abdominals and hip flexors while simultaneously challenging shoulder stability and thoracic mobility.
Since this exercise places significant leverage on the spine, the AI's ability to track your daily recovery metrics and lower back health is crucial. By analyzing your RPE and set performance, the system ensures you are using a weight that challenges your core without compromising spinal integrity or form. If you report lower back sensitivity or high fatigue, the app can instantly recommend regressions like standard crunches or adjust the load to prevent injury while maintaining training momentum.
Form Cues
- Keep your arms fully extended and locked out overhead throughout the movement
- Press the medicine ball straight up toward the ceiling as you rise
- Keep your feet planted firmly flat on the floor
- Brace your abs tightly before initiating the upward movement
- Lower your torso slowly and with control, unrolling your spine vertebrae by vertebrae
- Don't let the medicine ball drift forward in front of your face
- Don't use momentum or jerk your body off the floor
- Don't lift your feet or heels off the ground
- Don't bend your elbows to bring the ball closer to your chest
- Don't slam your back down during the lowering phase
Common Mistakes
- drifting arms forward
- using momentum to sit up
- bending elbows during movement
- lifting feet off the floor
- arching lower back excessively
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the rectus abdominis, forcing the upper abs to work efficiently to flex the spine against the increased lever arm of the overhead weight. The hip flexors assist in the upward phase, while the anterior deltoids and triceps work isometrically to stabilize the medicine ball overhead.
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Secondary
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