Stability Ball Pike
The Stability Ball Pike is an intermediate-to-advanced core exercise that involves balancing in a plank position with your feet on an exercise ball and lifting your hips into an inverted V. This dynamic movement intensely targets the lower abs and deep stabilizers while improving shoulder strength and balance.
This exercise demands significant neuromuscular coordination and core freshness. If your HRV or sleep data indicates poor recovery, the AI might recommend a regression like the exercise-ball-pull-in to protect your lower back from strain. By tracking performance metrics like RPE and set duration, the app learns your stability threshold, ensuring you end the set before form breakdown occurs due to stabilizer fatigue.
Form Cues
- Start in a high plank with shins resting on the ball
- Press your hands firmly into the floor to protract shoulders
- Lift your hips straight up towards the ceiling
- Keep your legs straight and toes pointed throughout
- Control the descent back to the starting plank
- Don't let your hips sag below shoulder height at the bottom
- Don't bend your knees as you hike your hips
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears
- Don't use momentum to swing your body upward
Common Mistakes
- Bending the knees (turning it into a tuck)
- Hyperextending the lower back at the start
- Rushing the lowering phase
- Placing hands too far forward
Muscles Worked
The primary focus is on the rectus abdominis (specifically the lower region) and the transverse abdominis, which work to flex the spine and stabilize the trunk. The anterior deltoids and serratus anterior function as critical secondary muscles, stabilizing the upper body against the floor throughout the dynamic movement.
Primary
Secondary
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