Exercise of the Week: Physioball Jackknife

Performing upper and lower body exercises is necessary to improve performance on the field, but first you need to develop a solid foundation via a strong core. To hit this goal, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush performs the Physioball Jackknife.

This exercise will work the six-pack abs you may desire, but more importantly, it strengthens core stabilizers, which help to prevent injury by providing stability to your trunk and spine throughout contact movements such as tackling, breaking tackles or boxing out.

For an added benefit, perform a Push-Up when fully extended to challenge your chest and shoulder stabilizers.

• Assume push-up position and dig toes into top of ball
• Drive knees to chest to roll ball toward hands, keeping back flat and core stable
• Extend hips and knees to roll ball to start position
• Repeat for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 4x10