This challenging abs workout video falls just under 13 minutes in length and uses only an exercise ball or physioball. There are six different exercises, and you will be doing between 10 – 14 repetitions of each, and a total of two rounds through the entire routine.

This workout challenges muscles more than a regular abdominal routine because of the extra demand on the core muscles necessary to stabilize on the exercise ball.

A lot of the exercises in this abs video are really very challenging and should only be attempted by individuals who have a good amount of baseline strength (particularly in the core) and who are familiar with the unsteadiness of a physioball.

We estimate that this routine burns 85-122 calories.

About each of the exercises:
Physioball Pike – This requires both strength & flexibility, so don’t attempt this one if you are new to working out. This exercise ends up being a great total body exercise as all of the muscle groups have to pull together to complete the motion.

Ball Crunch – The basic crunch with a twist; the upward squeeze of the lower body in conjunction with the crunch helps to engage the lower abdominals, as well as the upper motion.

Ab Rollouts – The difficulty of this move can be manipulated by adjusting the placement of your upper body on the physioball. For example, if you want to make it harder, set the ball closer to your wrists; to make it easier, place it closer to the elbows (while in the starting position, before you begin to rollout). Make sure to keep a straight line in your back throughout this exercise.

Jackknife Crunch – This is the same motion of the traditional Jackknife Crunch, except for that you are passing the ball back and forth between hands and feet. If this is too difficult, you can do the motion without the ball. With the ball, this ends up being a good exercise for the inner thighs, as well.

Plank Rotation Kicks – This one targets the entire core, and also engages the thighs to complete the rotating kicks.

Hyperextension Crunch – A basic crunch with additional range of motion, it can be helpful to have something to place on your feet as an anchor while you complete this move. Focus on really squeezing at the top of the motion and never really letting your muscles relax until you are finished with all of the repetitions.

If you don’t have an exercise ball it is definitely something that you should consider adding to your home gym equipment. It is extremely versatile and can facilitate a large variety of exercises – for far more than just the abdominals. It allows for an increased range of motion, can be used to strengthen just about any muscle group, and is great for different back stretches, as well. Check out Fitness Blender’s Store in order to find a few physioball brands that we have found to be reliable & of high quality.

A toned, defined stomach is often at the top of the list of most people’s fitness wish list, however, it is frequently one of the hardest goals to reach.

A large part of the reason why people often fall short of their “six pack abs” aspirations is that they don’t realize how important a healthy diet is to reaching that end goal.

If you want defined abs, you’ve got to lower your body fat percentage through ample cardio, strength training, and clean eating. That means fresh, non-processed foods make up the bulk of your diet. Check out Fitness Blender's recipes for ideas on clean eating recipes.