This 15-Minute Ab Workout Uses a Stability Ball to Build a Shredded, More Functional Core

Before you chuck that dusty old stability ball from your garage into the donation pile, hear us out. You might think they’re just for fitness influencers or older adults in aerobics classes, but stability balls offer so much more than meets the eye. Exercising on an unstable surface forces your body to constantly adjust, creating continuous communication between brain and body through proprioceptors. This compounds to boost coordination, reflexive stability, and positional awareness over time.

“Core training isn’t about creating instability for the sake of it," says John Shackleton, M.S., C.S.C.S., founder of Shack Fit. "The stability ball increases the demand on anti-extension and anti-rotation, but the real benefit is in the dynamic stability challenge. The trunk has to stabilize while the limbs are moving, and this is where transfer to everyday movements and sport happens."

Known for programming tough yet functional workouts, Shackleton shared a stability ball core circuit you can use as a warm-up or accessory work before your main lifts. Give it a try below.

Related: The Workout Tweaks That Help Men Build Strength and Power After 40

Stability Ball Core Circuit

Perform each exercise on a stability ball, moving continuously from one to the next with minimal rest. Do 10 to 15 reps per exercise. Complete 2–3 rounds of the circuit, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

“When programmed correctly, this type of work builds durability and stability without interfering with strength output in your main lifts.”

How to Do Plate Reach

“The ball doesn’t just make an exercise harder, it exposes inefficiencies," Shackleton explains. "If alignment breaks down, you feel it immediately. That forces better organization under load.”

1. Lay supine on a stability ball holding a weight plate. Plant feet flat on the ground with a tight core, keeping hips lifted.
2. Extend your arms and plate over chest. Keeping arms extended, slowly reach the plate upward, slightly lifting upper back, while keeping balance.
3. Return to starting position and repeat.

How to Do Plate Rotation

Stability ball plate rotations help strengthen your obliques, improve anti-rotation stability, and enhance control through the transverse plane—all of which help stabilize your spine during twisting or pushing movements.

1. Lay supine on a stability ball holding a weight plate. Plant feet flat on the ground with a tight core, keeping hips lifted.
2. Extend your arms and plate over chest. Keeping arms extended, slowly rotate toward one side with the plate.
3. Repeat in the opposite direction, moving slowly through each rep.

How to Do Forearm Saw

Typically, the simplest-looking exercises are often the toughest, and forearm saws are no exception to that rule. They train anti-extension under movement, build deep trunk stiffness, and improve integration between the shoulders and core.

1. Start in a plank position with forearms on the ball.
2. Roll the ball forward with your forearms, extending your body, then pull back.
3. Keep your core tight and avoid letting your hips sag.

Pullover to Knee

The pullover to knee mimics that of a dead bug movement pattern. It trains dynamic trunk stability, engages the anterior core, and challenges control of hip flexion. Go slow for an extra burn!

1. Lie on your back on the ball, holding a weight plate over your chest.
2. Lower the plate behind your head, then pull it toward one knee as you crunch.
3. Slowly return to start and repeat with the opposite knee, keeping control and core engaged.

Plank with Leg Lift

The plank with leg lift wakes up the lower body by activating the glutes and hamstrings while you stabilize. It trains anti-rotation and integrates the posterior chain for full-body stability.

1. Start in a plank position with forearms resting on the ball.
2. Slowly lift one leg at a time without arching your back, then lower.
3. Alternate legs while keeping your core stable and hips level.

Dynamic Copenhagen Plank

“If you can’t resist force, you can’t express force efficiently," Shackleton says. "These movements teach the trunk to organize so force transfers cleanly from the lower body to the upper body.”

1. Lie on your side with one foot on the ball. Bend the opposite knee.
2. Digging your forearm into the ground, lift your hips off the ground into a side plank position.
3. Lower and raise your hips slowly, keeping your core tight and balance steady. Repeat on the opposite side.

Related: The One Exercise Men Over 40 Should Do Daily to Build Shredded Obliques and Prevent Groin Injuries