Planks on an Exercise Ball

[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!