How many sets of the stir the pot should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous small circles, going both directions within that window, and rest a full minute between sets. Once you can keep the hips completely still through the whole set, add a third set before you widen the circles or add time.

What can I use instead of a stability ball for the stir the pot?

An RKC plank or a shoulder-tap plank trains the same anti-extension and anti-rotation demand without needing a ball. If you have a suspension trainer, a strap-supported plank fallout is the closest match, since the strap creates a similar wobble to steer.

What does the stir the pot exercise train, and who should skip it?

It builds all-around core control once a plain plank feels easy, layering rotation and side-bending resistance on top of the usual anti-extension work. Skip it, or stick to a straight plank, if you cannot yet hold a plank for 30 seconds without the hips sagging or twisting.

Intermediate

Stir the Pot

Stir the pot takes the anti-extension demand of a plank and multiplies it by adding a moving, unstable base. With forearms on a stability ball, you draw slow circles so the core must resist extension, rotation, and lateral flexion all at once. Popularized in Stuart McGill's spine research, it is a superb progression once a floor plank feels easy.

Equipment: Stability Ball
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace, Rotation

How to do it

1
Set your forearms on a stability ball and step your feet back into a plank.
2
Brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and keep a straight line from head to heels.
3
Draw slow, small circles with your forearms as if stirring a pot.
4
Keep your hips and shoulders square and still while only the arms move the ball.
5
Complete the circles in one direction, then reverse.
6
Reset if your hips begin to sag or twist.

Tips

Start with tiny circles and widen them only as your control improves.
Keep the pelvis tucked slightly so the low back never sags toward the floor.
Widen your stance for more stability or bring the feet together to raise the challenge.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips twist along with whichever direction the arms are circling, turning an anti-rotation drill into free rotation through the low spine.
Letting the circles grow bigger than the trunk can control hands the work to momentum, so the abs go quiet between passes.
The forearms creep apart as the set drags on, so the ball wobbles and forces a correction instead of staying steady under you.
Skipping the reverse direction trains only half the obliques, since each direction of the circle challenges a different side of the trunk.
The breath gets held through each pass, which spikes tension in the neck and jaw instead of the deep core the drill is meant to hit.

Frequently asked

How many sets of the stir the pot should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous small circles, going both directions within that window, and rest a full minute between sets. Once you can keep the hips completely still through the whole set, add a third set before you widen the circles or add time.
What can I use instead of a stability ball for the stir the pot?: An RKC plank or a shoulder-tap plank trains the same anti-extension and anti-rotation demand without needing a ball. If you have a suspension trainer, a strap-supported plank fallout is the closest match, since the strap creates a similar wobble to steer.
What does the stir the pot exercise train, and who should skip it?: It builds all-around core control once a plain plank feels easy, layering rotation and side-bending resistance on top of the usual anti-extension work. Skip it, or stick to a straight plank, if you cannot yet hold a plank for 30 seconds without the hips sagging or twisting.

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