Exercise of the Week: Iron Cross Exercise
The STACK Exercise of the Week helps you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility.
The Exercise
Iron Cross Exercise
Who’s Doing It
Ryan Roberts, Tampa Bay Rays second baseman
Sports Performance Benefits
The small side-to-side shifts on the physioball challenge your core to keep your body balanced and level. This helps improve your stability, which translates to increased swinging and throwing power. The move also builds the muscles that protect your spine. During the movement, your glutes also must engage to keep your hips up, building essential hip strength.
Iron Cross Exercise How To
- Lie with your upper back on a physioball. Place your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push your hips up so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees.
- Spread your arms out to the sides to form a ‘T’ with your upper body.
- Shuffle your feet to the right so your upper body rolls on the physioball until only your left shoulder is on the ball. Hold this position for a one count.
- Shuffle your feet slowly back to the center, then repeat to your left.
- Continue shuffling from side to side for the specified reps.
Sets/Reps: 1×5 each direction
Iron Cross Coaching Points
- Push your hips up to activate your glutes
- Hold your upper body parallel to the ground
- Perform in a slow and controlled manner
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Exercise of the Week: Iron Cross Exercise
The STACK Exercise of the Week helps you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility.
The Exercise
Iron Cross Exercise
Who’s Doing It
Ryan Roberts, Tampa Bay Rays second baseman
Sports Performance Benefits
The small side-to-side shifts on the physioball challenge your core to keep your body balanced and level. This helps improve your stability, which translates to increased swinging and throwing power. The move also builds the muscles that protect your spine. During the movement, your glutes also must engage to keep your hips up, building essential hip strength.
Iron Cross Exercise How To
- Lie with your upper back on a physioball. Place your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push your hips up so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees.
- Spread your arms out to the sides to form a ‘T’ with your upper body.
- Shuffle your feet to the right so your upper body rolls on the physioball until only your left shoulder is on the ball. Hold this position for a one count.
- Shuffle your feet slowly back to the center, then repeat to your left.
- Continue shuffling from side to side for the specified reps.
Sets/Reps: 1×5 each direction
Iron Cross Coaching Points
- Push your hips up to activate your glutes
- Hold your upper body parallel to the ground
- Perform in a slow and controlled manner