Smart Workout Diary

Stability Ball Pike Push-Up

The Stability Ball Pike Push-Up is an advanced bodyweight pressing exercise performed with the feet supported on a stability ball. It primarily trains the shoulders and triceps while demanding strong abdominal control and balance. It supports upper-body pressing strength, core stability, and coordination.

Demonstration

Stability Ball Pike Push-Up — demonstration 1
Stability Ball Pike Push-Up — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set up in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and the tops of your feet on the center of a stable exercise ball.
  2. Brace your core, straighten your legs, and roll the ball slightly toward your hands as you lift your hips into an inverted V.
  3. Lower with control by bending your elbows and bringing the top of your head toward the floor; keep your elbows angled slightly back rather than flared wide.
  4. Press through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the pike position without letting the ball roll away.
  5. Reset your balance before the next repetition. Keep the movement slow and stop if you cannot control the ball or maintain a neutral neck.
Muscle Group
Delts
Other Muscle Groups
Triceps
Type
Strength
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Exercise Ball, Body Only
Difficulty
Intermediate

Technique tips

  1. Use a firm, properly inflated ball on a non-slip surface and begin with a small pike range.
  2. Keep your ribs drawn in and avoid letting your lower back sag as the ball moves.
  3. Control every repetition; do not bounce at the bottom or rush the press.
  4. Scale the exercise by practicing a stability-ball pike and a floor pike push-up separately first.
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