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A Workout With Balls
By Tom Bonanti
Looking for a way to add some bounce
to your routine in the gym? Try adding a Swiss Ball to turn easy
exercises into more challenging maneuvers. Balancing on a ball
as you crunch, press, curl, etc., helps bring more muscle groups
into play and forces you to concentrate on maintaining proper
form and balance. And there’s no way better to work those core
muscles like the abs, obliques, and quadratus lumborum, etc.
There’s no better way to train abs
than by doing crunches on a ball. Lie on your back across the
ball with legs bent, feet flat and hands behind your head.
Proceed by raising head and shoulders up a few inches. Pause,
squeeze your abs and return to starting position. To add
resistance clasp a dumbbell or weight plate to your chest as you
crunch. Perform as many reps as it takes to get a nice burn. Try
reverse crunches by laying flat on the mat with your heels on
the ball then crunch as you move the ball simultaneously by
bringing your knees up toward your elbows. Don’t forget your obliques or your
“side abs.” Lie on your right side over the ball, left leg over
right, hands by the sides of the head, elbows out. Proceed to
bend upward as high as possible. Pause, return to starting
position. Perform 8-12 reps. Lie on your left side for another
set bending up the other way. Swiss ball squats are a great safe way
to build up butt and legs without chugging a loaded barbell
across the back of your neck and shoulders. Stand with the ball
between your back (actually the small of your back) and the
wall. Squat slowly down until the backs of the thighs are
parallel to the floor. Pause. Then return to starting position.
Perform 8-12 reps. Make push-ups meaner and more
effective by using the ball. Place your hands on top of the ball
with arms bent at a 90 degree angle, legs out behind you and
extending up on toes. Proceed to push up to arms’ length. Pause.
Then return to starting position. Perform 8-12 reps. To make dumbbell curls, shoulder and chest presses, front and side raises more challenging, try them seated on a ball. Of course, use lighter weights at first. Use your Swiss Ball on a mat area for added safety. Swiss Balls come in sizes small, medium and large and can be purchased at any sporting goods store. They usually come with a pump to keep them firm and bouncy! For more tips on how to use the Swiss Ball in your workouts contact TrainerTomB@aol.com.  TOM BONANTI IS A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER AND OWNER OF PUMP’N INC GYM AT 1271 NE 9TH AVENUE FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304, www.pumpnincgym.com. |
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Performing
resistance exercises on a ball is a more effective way to train
for sports, i.e. track and field, martial arts, etc., since in
any kind of competition you are in motion and often off balance.
Here’s a surefire routine that’ll put some “balls” into your
workouts – Swiss Balls, that is.