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Get Your Ab Training On the Ball(s)
Have a Ball!
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Have A Ball, Part 2
Work your upper body with the stability ball.
By Carrie Myers Smith
Remember that when working on the ball, there is more stability with a larger base of support. If you want to make the exercise more difficult, decrease the base. For instance, when lying supine with your feet or legs up on the ball, keeping your torso and arms down on the floor provides you with a stable base. When you lift your buttocks up into a bridge, you’ve now made the base smaller. Bringing your arms up onto your elbows and taking your arms up off the floor progressively creates less stability. With each decrease in the base size, you’re forcing your core and other muscles to work harder to stabilize the body. By increasing your range of motion or adding arm movements or resistance, you provide even more of a challenge. .
Some of these exercises are also done lying prone on the ball, with your arms in a push-up position. This can be pretty tough on your wrists if you’re in this position for some time. If it bothers your wrists, try taking pressure off by getting into a "bear claw" position. Make a fist with each hand and place the flat of your knuckles on the floor instead of your palms. Your wrists should stay straight and in line with your arms.
Wear tight clothing while working out on the ball. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself all twisted up in your clothing!
Working out with a video will not only boost the intensity of your workout, it can increase the likelihood that you’re executing proper form and posture. Check these videos out:
Better Abs, Buns & Back, by Paul Chek
The Original Exerball Workout
FitBall® series
Gin Miller’s Extreme Strength Ball Workout
Zone Big Ball series
Kathy Smith’s Timesaver Shaper Ball Workout
Karen Voight’s B.L.T. Ball Workout
Balance Ball Fitness series
No Hips, Thighs or Butts About It
Check out these sites to purchase: www.bodytrends.com
www.fitball.com
www.collage-video.com
www.sissel-online.com The workoutIt’s important with all these exercises to concentrate on keeping your core and buttocks tight throughout the entire motion. Repeat each of these movements for a total of eight to 12 reps. To make the supine advanced exercises even more advanced, add arm movements or dumbbells. Depending on the exercise, you can do chest flyes, overhead presses, overhead triceps presses, or biceps curls. Talk about an efficient workout!Calf bridgesBeginner
Lie supine on floor with calves on ball, arms out to sides on floor. Tighten abs and buttocks, pull butt up off floor. Avoid weight bearing on the neck. Hold for a count of three and slowly release back down. Repeat.Foot bridgesAdvanced
Assume same position as above, but with feet on ball. More into a bridge position, lifting your buttocks up off floor. Hold for a count of three. Slowly push ball away from body with feet, maintaining bridge and a tight core, pull back and release back down. Repeat.Supine tabletop bridgesBeginner
Lie supine on ball, head and shoulders supported by ball, feet flat on floor, knees bent, hands on hips. Slowly lower buttocks toward floor and bring back up. Repeat.
Advanced
Assume same position as above. Bring straight arms above chest. Lift one leg straight out. Slowly lower buttocks toward floor and bring back up. Do one set, switch legs and repeat.Rolling bilateral squatsBeginner
Lie supine on ball, hands on hips or straight out in front of you, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Roll down on ball until you are squatting, butt almost touching floor. Do not let the knees go past the end of your toes. Repeat. If this is too difficult, place the ball between you and a wall while standing. Let ball roll up your back while doing a traditional squat.Rolling unilateral squatsAdvanced
Assume same position as above, but lift one leg out straight. Continue with exercise. Do one set, switch sides and repeat.Prone hip abduction, extension and adductor squeezesBeginner
Lie in a prone tabletop position: hands on floor, chest lifted, ball supporting lower half of trunk. Begin with legs together. Abduct (separate) legs, lower them down, adduct (pull together) legs, lift them up until in line with body. Repeat. If this is too difficult, keep legs abducted and slowly lower and lift legs for a set.
Advanced
Do above beginner exercise. Then add another set, but keep legs together. Slowly lower and raise your legs. Add a dumbbell between feet for more intensity.Prone unilateral hip extensionsBeginner
Lie prone on ball, ball supporting entire midsection, palms or fingertips on floor. Place toes of one foot on floor. Lift opposite leg, knee bent, heel to ceiling. Slowly lower and lift leg. Do one set, switch sides and repeat. Prone bilateral hip extensionAdvanced
Progression:
1) Repeat above exercise, but while lifting leg, lift opposite arm at same time.
2) Assume same position as above, but bring both legs up; lower and lift legs together.
3) Add dumbbell between knees or feet. Bilateral prone pikesBeginner
Assume tabletop position with ball under knees. Pull knees into chest, allowing ball to roll down to feet; tuck head down to chest. Release back. Repeat.Uniateral prone pikesAdvanced
Assume same position as above, but with one leg on ball. Opposite leg can be abducted out. Continue with exercise, repeating on opposite leg after one set.Prone abduction and hip extensionsBeginner
This position in general is more advanced. Assume prone tabletop position, ball under thighs. Begin one leg at a time: abduct leg out, adduct back in, lift straight leg up, bring back down. Repeat on other side. Alternate sides for total of eight to12 reps on each.
Advanced
Assume same position as above, but place ball under feet. Continue with exercise.LungesBeginner
Place ball beside you on floor. Step forward with one foot. Come up onto the toes of the rear foot. Place hand on ball for balance. You can hold dumbbell in other hand if desired. Lower your body straight down toward floor without letting your rear knee touch floor. Push back up. Repeat. Do one set, switch sides, repeat.Lunges with ballAdvanced
Assume same position as above, but hold ball above head. Each time you lunge down, bring ball down at a diagonal—bring back up overhead when you stand. Alternate diagonals down so you are making figure eights with the ball. Do one set, switch sides, repeat.
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