STACK Exercise of the Week helps you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility.

The Exercise

Cable-Resisted Physioball Crunch

Who Does It

DeMarcus Ware, NFL Defensive End

Sports Performance Benefits

Performing a crunch against resistance strengthens the abs and is more challenging than a traditional Crunch or Sit-Up. Lying on a physioball forces your core stabilizers to fire to keep you balanced on the unstable surface.

How To

• Lie with your upper back on a physioball with a cable machine behind you.
• Hold abdominal crunch straps in each hand just above your chest.
• Perform a crunch, keeping your core tight.
• Slowly return to start position.
• Repeat for the specified number or reps.

Sets/Reps: 3×10-12

Coaching Points

• Position your feet shoulder width apart.
• Maintain a neutral head position.
• Perform toward the end of a workout.

Watch DeMarcus Ware’s full workout above.