Weighted Ball Side Bend

How to perform

1. 01To begin, lie down on an exercise ball with your left side of the torso (waist, hips and shoulder) pressed against the ball.
2. 02Your feet should be on the floor while your legs are crossed and hanging from the ball. Hold a weighted plate with your right hand directly to the right side of your head. Tip: Make sure the smooth side of the plate is resting against your head.
3. 03Place your left arm across your torso so that your palm is on your obliques. There should be a right angle between your left forearm and upper arm. This is the starting position.
4. 04Raise the side of your torso up by laterally flexing at the waist while exhaling.
5. 05Hold the contraction for a second and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position while inhaling.
6. 06Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
7. 07Switch sides and repeat the exercise.

Form cues

• —Lead with the elbows and finish by squeezing the target muscle.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.