Planks on an Exercise Ball

[crazycanuck]

One of my coolio swiss ball exercises atm is (and I hope I can describe this properly)
Kneel on swiss ball-don't sit on your heels etc
Lift arms over your head
Breathe and bend over as far as possible using your quads etc for stability
Lift self back up

To add more excitement, hold a broom stick horizontally whilst doing the above.


Another one using a bosu or 1/2 bosu
Sit on & balance then manouver self back to flat position then bring self back up. I can sort of do it on a swiss ball but keep losing balance at a certain point.

[Artista]

I LOVE the balance exercises on the ball. My husband & I have contests where we face each other while balancing on our own balls. It transforms us into happy, laughing, 6 year olds, in short order!

[marni]

there is a skinny crew cut older guy at the gym who comes in grabs a ball lies on his stomach arms and legs totally extended and stays there without moving for 5 minutes or more at a time. Then he goes and does normal exercises and weight training.

I have yet to achieve 5 seconds of total stillness in balance.

Todays addition to the fun was squats with shoulder presses with 10 pounds each hand on the bosu ball. I get the feeling we are venturing into new depths of balance challange.

sigh......but I have to admit that I have only myself to blame since I mentioned I wanted to increase everything by at least 10% every quarter this year.

[Artista]

sigh......but I have to admit that I have only myself to blame since I mentioned I wanted to increase everything by at least 10% every quarter this year.

Careful what you wish for How do you think you're coming 1/2 way through the 1st quarter? (Would that be 5% improvement in an eighth?)

I didn't try the "bug" today. I'm still learning about the plank on the ball. Today I moved the ball constantly while I was in the plank position. It was interesting to feel how my core worked to stabilize my body depending on which direction I moved the ball - to the front, to the back, or side to side. Powerful stuff!

[marni]

[QUOTE=Artista;557909]Careful what you wish for How do you think you're coming 1/2 way through the 1st quarter? (Would that be 5% improvement in an eighth?)

1/2 through the first quarter and I have progressed at least 5 pounds per hand on any of the free weight exercises, plus doing most of them on a Bosu ball. My leg presses have gone up to 175 pounds ( which is 35 pounds over my body weight whoo hoo!) from 155 and all the other weight machine exercises are up by at least 10 pounds, plus we have added five minute running intervals or jump rope intervals 2 or 3 times a workout. The latest fun masochism is side plank dip with a free weight in the working hand on a bosu ball and one legged push ups either on the bosu or on small medicine ball type balls.

for inquiring minds, side plank dip- hit a side plank with bottom arm straight- hold a ten pound weight in the free hand,lower it tucking forward so that your arm goes down and under your body and you're twisting your your oblique muscles, then lift up again, while maintaining a straight bottom arm and not falling over.

[Artista]

1/2 through the first quarter and I have progressed at least 5 pounds per hand on any of the free weight exercises, plus doing most of them on a Bosu ball. My leg presses have gone up to 175 pounds ( which is 35 pounds over my body weight whoo hoo!) from 155 and all the other weight machine exercises are up by at least 10 pounds, plus we have added five minute running intervals or jump rope intervals 2 or 3 times a workout.

Marni, that's REALLY impressive progress! I got to thinking that a 10% improvement each quarter equates to about 50% over the year. At the rate you're going, you'll be unstoppable at the end of the year!

Susan, I started learning to balance on the ball in my kitchen, which has a 3' corridor between the counters. I got myself balanced by holding onto the counters on either side of me & then let go. I could only balance for a second or two before having to touch the counter when I first started. Now I can balance for a few minutes. I do this both seated & kneeling. It's done wonders for my balance. And, it's just plain fun!

[Susan]

One of my coolio swiss ball exercises atm is (and I hope I can describe this properly)
Kneel on swiss ball-don't sit on your heels etc
Lift arms over your head
Breathe and bend over as far as possible using your quads etc for stability
Lift self back up

To add more excitement, hold a broom stick horizontally whilst doing the above.

I read twice and now I'm still asking myself if I maybe didn't understand you right

You KNEEL on a swiss ball, and, if that wasn't enough, you then raise your arms and bend over holding a broomstick in your hands?!

I wish I could balance sitting/lying on a swiss ball for some seconds without doing anything... (I could picture myself doing the above, but the broomstick would need to be a Nimbus 2000... )

[Catrin]

...
I wish I could balance sitting/lying on a swiss ball for some seconds without doing anything... (I could picture myself doing the above, but the broomstick would need to be a Nimbus 2000... )

You and me both Monday I tried planks on a ball but didn't try to move the ball as of yet - it was my first attempt on a ball and it seemed to go fine. It did not really seem much more difficult than doing regular planks on the floor - so either I wasn't doing it properly or I need to make it more challenging. I meet with my trainer this afternoon and will ask him about this.

[surgtech1956]

How big of an exercise ball do you need?

[Veronica]

How big of an exercise ball do you need?

The size my feet are on.

You can use a Bosu for a lot of things too.




You can use a Bosu either flat side down or round side down.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

Different brands come in different sizes, but they usually have height charts on the package. You want to be able to sit on it with your knees bent at 90 degrees or wider.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for the photos, Veronica - I was having a very hard time visualizing this whole "planks on an exercise ball" concept. I was thinking the arms/hands went on the ball! No wonder I was so confused.

And by the way, I *heart* your arms!

[Veronica]

I read twice and now I'm still asking myself if I maybe didn't understand you right

You KNEEL on a swiss ball, and, if that wasn't enough, you then raise your arms and bend over holding a broomstick in your hands?!

I wish I could balance sitting/lying on a swiss ball for some seconds without doing anything... (I could picture myself doing the above, but the broomstick would need to be a Nimbus 2000... )

I think she's talking about doing hyper extensions on the ball. I did almost all of my upper body work today while standing or squatting isometrically on a Bosu.

Everything except the kettle bell work. Kettle bell swings with 35 pounds - ouch!

Veronica

[Susan]

I think she's talking about doing hyper extensions on the ball. I did almost all of my upper body work today while standing or squatting isometrically on a Bosu.

Everything except the kettle bell work. Kettle bell swings with 35 pounds - ouch!

Veronica

Oh, you could be right The kneeling ON the ball thing gets me confused. Maybe it's because they were showing our women Ski-Teams training on TV last week. One of the women was standing with one foot on a body ball (not a bosu, a real ball), balancing, while catching a ball her trainer hurled at her. It was quite stunning. I wouldn't have thought that was possible before seeing it.

Atm I do the "Making the cut" workout regularly, there are quite a lot of Body ball exercises too and I had to add some in because I am training at home without gym equipment. Yesterday I had "pike Pushups on BB" and "Bench Dips with feet on BB" - not fun I wish my arms would look just a little bit like yours someday in the future

[crazycanuck]

I was lost but now i'm found

Here's what i'm referring to-please refer to the lifting of arms in the 58sec to the 1min mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqzV0O139Yk

Start from that position.

I'll try and find more stuff..