The Best Pilates Ball Workout w/ PDF (Easy to Advanced)

I’ve designed the best Pilates ball workouts for those who want to strengthen and tone their legs, glutes, and abs without feeling burned out.

This workout involves Pilates ball exercises for every fitness level, like beginners, intermediates, and advanced.

10-Minute Pilates Ball Workout for Beginners

This workout involves basic Pilates ball moves that help bolster your fundamental fitness and prepare you for the next round.

• Standing Russian Twist (10 twists per side)
• Glute Bridge with Ball Between Knees (10-15 reps)
• Oblique Chop w/ Ball (10 reps on each side)
• Reverse Crunches (15-20 reps)
• Plank Med Ball Pass (10 passes on each side)
• Perform as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.

Below, I’ve outlined step-by-step instructions for performing each exercise.

Standing Russian Twist

• Grab a ball and stand straight in the shoulder-width stance.
• Keep your arms straight against your chest and brace your core.
• Twist your torso and hip and take your arms to the right.

This exercise trains the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques, and helps build a solid core.

Glute Bridge (Ball b/w Knees)

1. Lie on the floor with your knees 45 degrees bent and feet flat.
2. Place a ball between your knees and keep your arms straight by your sides.
3. Brace your core and lift your hips off the floor until your hips and chest are aligned.
4. Feel the contraction in your posterior chain for a moment, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

This exercise targets the glutes, lumbar spine, and abdominals and helps improve hip mobility.

Oblique Chop w/ Ball

1. Grab a ball and stand upright with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and arms straight down
2. Twist your torso and hip to the right and raise your arms simultaneously above your right shoulder.
3. Feel the stretches in your obliques for a couple of seconds before returning to the start.

This exercise bolsters the side stomach muscle (oblique), improves torso flexibility, and helps build a strong core.

Reverse Crunches

1. Lie on the mat with your face up, knees bent, and feet flat.
2. Position a ball between your knees and keep your arms extended by your sides.
3. Bring your knees toward your chest, stay for a second, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

This exercise targets the lower abdominal muscles and helps tone your six-pack abs.

Plank Med Ball Pass

1. Place a ball on the floor and get into a straight-arm plank (ball between your hands).
2. Keep your abs and glutes tight, and maintain a flat back.
3. Pass the ball with your left hand from your right side to your left.
4. Pass the ball from each hand for the desired duration.

This exercise targets the abdominals, shoulders, and other different muscles throughout the body and helps develop mobility and endurance.

20-Minute Pilates Ball Exercise Plan for Intermediates

This 20-minute intermediate workout involves performing the above exercises plus five more. The combination of easy to moderate exercises will help you shape your fitness.

Warm-up Round

• Standing Russian Twist (10 twists per side)
• Glute Bridge with Ball Between Knees (10-15 reps)
• Oblique Chop w/ Ball (10 reps on each side)
• Reverse Crunches (15-20 reps)
• Plank Med Ball Pass (10 passes on each side)

You can see how-to instructions for each exercise in the beginner Pilates ball workout heading.

Main Workout

• 10 Pilates Roll-up
• 10 Tabletop Crunches
• 10 Med Ball Glute Bridge
• 20 Russian Twist (10 reps per side)
• 10 Med Ball Leg Lifts
• Perform as many rounds as possible within the time you have after performing warm-up.

Below, I’ve outlined step-by-step instructions and embedded videos for each exercise.

Pilates Roll-up

1. Sit upright on the floor with your legs extended.
2. Grab a ball in your hands, slightly bend forward, and keep your arms straight so the ball stays between your legs. That’s the start.
3. Roll your torso back until you lie completely and your arms extended fully.
4. Return to the start and repeat.

This exercise strengthens abdominals, improves posture, and enhances flexibility.

Tabletop Crunches

1. Grab a ball, lie on the floor, and keep your arms extended behind your head.
2. Bend your knees to 90 degrees with your lower legs parallel to the floor.
3. Curl your torso until the ball touches your shin.
4. Return to the start and repeat.

This exercise trains the entire abdominal muscle, including the transverse abdominis (the deepest abs).

Ball Glute Bridge

1. Place the Swiss/medicine ball on the floor so that when you lie, it will be close to your feet.
2. Lie on the mat and place your feet on the ball. Keep your arms extended at your sides for support. That’s the start.
3. Tighten your abs and thrust your hips off the floor until your knees, stomach, and chest are in a straight line.
4. Pause briefly, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

This exercise works on multiple muscles simultaneously, primarily the glutes maximus, lower back, and rectus abdominis, and helps improve balance, posture, and flexibility.

If your work involves sitting at a desk, it will also help you sit longer on your backside without strain.

Russian Twist

1. Grab a ball in your hand and sit on the mat with your legs in front of you and your knees softly bent.
2. Slightly lean your torso back but maintain a neutral spine.
3. Keep your abs and thighs tight, and twist your torso and arms to the right, then to the right, and repeat.

This exercise strengthens oblique muscles, improves hip mobility, enhances balance, and builds a functional body.

Med Ball Leg Lifts

1. Place a ball between your feet and ankles and lie on the floor with your face up and arms straight out to your sides.
2. Tighten your core and legs, and lift your legs off the floor until they are above your hips.
3. Pause for two seconds and feel the contraction in your abdominals before lowering your legs to the floor.

This exercise helps bring out the lower abs and improve your six-pack appearance.

Advanced 30-Minute Pilates Ball Training Burn Out Your Core

This 30-minute workout involves performing beginner exercises for the first five minutes, intermediate exercises for the next five minutes, and advanced exercises for the rest period.

First Five Minutes

• Standing Russian Twist (10 twists per side)
• Glute Bridge with Ball Between Knees (10-15 reps)
• Oblique Chop w/ Ball (10 reps on each side)
• Reverse Crunches (15-20 reps)
• Plank Med Ball Pass (10 passes on each side)
• Rest for 2 minutes.

To see stepwise instructions for these exercises, go under the beginner heading.

Next Five Minutes

• 10 Pilates Roll-up
• 10 Tabletop Crunches
• 10 Med Ball Glute Bridge
• 20 Russian Twist (10 reps per side)
• 10 Med Ball Leg Lifts
• Rest for 3 minutes.

Head over to the second heading (intermediate 20-minute Pilates ball exercise to learn about how-to instructions for each exercise.

Last Fifteen Minutes

• The Hundred
• 20 Single Leg Ball Glute Bridges (10 reps per side)
• 20 Donkey Kicks w/ Ball (10 reps on each side)
• 10 Med Ball Double Leg Stretch
• Perform as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Pilates Hundred

1. Sit on your backside with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place a mini ball between your legs and lift them off the floor as high as possible.
3. Lift your shoulders and upper back off the ground and keep your arms straight by your sides.
4. Keep your abdominals tight and tap the floor with your hands a hundred times.

Tap five times after inhaling and five after breathing out.

The Pilates hundred reinforces the rectus abdominis, burns plenty of calories, and builds endurance.

Single Leg Med Ball Glute Bridge

1. Lie on the floor with your knees 30-45 degrees bent.
2. Grab a ball and place it over your hip; use your hand to hold the ball on your hip.
3. Lift your right foot off the floor and bend your knee until your toe is pointing upward.
4. Brace your abs and thighs and raise your hips upward until your glutes are fully contracted.
5. Feel the contraction for a couple of seconds, then return to the start.

This exercise targets multiple muscles throughout the body, especially the backside, and helps build a functional posterior chain.

Donkey Kick w/ Ball

1. Sit on all fours and place a ball between the right calf and thigh (opposite your knee).
2. Squeeze the ball, tighten your glutes and abs, and kick your right foot upward without moving your left knee and both arms.
3. Perform eight to ten reps, then switch to the opposite side and do the same.

This exercise strengthens the glutes, core, and shoulder muscles, improves balance, and makes your lower body flexible.

Med Ball Double Leg Stretch

1. Grab a ball with your hands and lay down on the mat.
2. Keep your arms straight behind your head and lift your legs off the floor (knees should be straight).
3. Bring your knees toward your chest and the ball toward the knees simultaneously until your knees reach over your hips.
4. Pause for two seconds, then return to the start and repeat.

This exercise works throughout the abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominis, and sculpts six-pack muscles.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re male or female, the above Pilates ball workouts will help bolster your abdominals, glutes, and legs at home.

Choose a workout based on your fitness level and do it consistently, two to three times a week, to see decent results over time.

You can also add more Pilates exercises to your routine to train your entire body and improve your overall fitness.