Just stabilizing your own body weight on a wobbly fitball is a real challenge. If you've gone through all the variations of body weight work and feel like you're ready for more, adding weights will put the challenge back in your workouts. Using a dumbbell, weight plate or medicine ball is the easiest way to incorporate extra weight into your fitball exercises.
Crunches
Fitball crunches work all your core muscles. Your rectus abdominus performs the actual movement while your other core muscles work to keep you stable on the ball. To do fitball crunches sit down on the ball and walk your hips forward, leaning back until the ball supports your upper back. Hold a weight plate, dumbbell or medicine ball against your chest as you squeeze your abs to lift your shoulders slightly off the ball. As you get stronger you can make the exercise harder by extending your arms, holding the weight directly over your chest throughout the movement.
Alternating Chest Press
You can do almost any weightlifting exercise that normally involves a weight bench on a fitball. Doing exercises that normally work both arms just one side at a time makes keeping your body stable on the ball even more of a challenge.
Sit down on the fitball, holding two dumbbells close to your body. Walk your body forward on the ball, slowly leaning back until your upper back and shoulders rest on the ball. Bring the dumbbells up into starting position for a chest press--weights directly above your bent elbows--and press each dumbbell up directly over your chest, then lower it, one at a time.
Russian Twist
The Russian twist works all your core muscles including the erector spinae, rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and obliques. Make sure that you've mastered appropriate technique for this exercise without weights before you try to add weight.
Sit down on the fitball and walk forward until your head, shoulders and upper back contact the ball. Your hips should be off the ball, knees hip width apart and bent at a 90-degree angle. Extend your arms straight over your chest, palms together. Exhale and stiffen your abs as you slowly twist your torso to one side. Keep your shoulders in contact with the ball and maintain your thighs roughly parallel to the floor throughout the motion. Rotate back to center position, then twist to the other side. Make sure to keep your movements smooth and under control at all times. You may need a spotter to stabilize the ball for you to keep you from accidentally rolling off it.
When you're ready to add weight, hold a dumbbell or medicine ball between your hands.
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