Planks on an Exercise Ball

[Susan]

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..

Wow, I can't do that (but I did understand you right in the first place ). One of my limbs always has to touch the ground or I fall off. Guess I have to add such balance exercises in... I'm not so sure where to start I'm a really bad balancer.

[OakLeaf]

I'm not so sure where to start I'm a really bad balancer.

Start on all fours on the ball. Much easier than kneeling. (As the guy who was doing the squats said, "An elephant can do it!" ) Practice that, get comfortable moving around a little, practice picking up one hand and then the other. Then progress to kneeling from an all-fours position. If you start to feel unstable, then you can return to all fours.

[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]

Start on all fours on the ball. Much easier than kneeling. (As the guy who was doing the squats said, "An elephant can do it!" ) Practice that, get comfortable moving around a little, practice picking up one hand and then the other. Then progress to kneeling from an all-fours position. If you start to feel unstable, then you can return to all fours.

Ok I tried that... I managed to do it for a few seconds. I will practise and work my way up from (balance-) ameba to elephant

[surgtech1956]

Thanks for the size info.

[zoom-zoom]

Cathe Friedrich does this in one of her workouts (only on her toes):


I always chicken-out and do the alternative exercise, which is simple shoulder presses with hand-weights.

[OakLeaf]

The pikes are actually easier than they look. I don't know if I'd be looking back at the ball, though. You don't do that in handstand...

[zoom-zoom]

The pikes are actually easier than they look. I don't know if I'd be looking back at the ball, though. You don't do that in handstand...

It's not so much the actual pike that scares me--it's the push-ups part. I can barely do regular push-ups.

[marni]

well that kneeling on the ball looks impossibly scary so I guess that is my next challenge- I will not, however, share this one with John the trainer because he would probably interesting variations like having me kneel on the ball on a bosu ball and do all sorts of free weight arm presses and curls. Might have to save it for the last quarter but since I have a large carpeted room and a ball upstairs I will have time to practice.

Today's highlights included one legged squats to erect shoulder lifts, and squats to bicept curls erect with fairly light weights on the bosu ball.

I followed it up with an hour of cardio at a steady 80% capacity (126 bpm)on the elliptical at a resistance of 5, came home and cleaned house (see off topic they are laughing at me), walked the dogs, made curry from scratch, did the laundry and didn't sit down until dinner at 6:30. Obviously I am still on a sugar high from yesterdays PEM scan. Wonder if I will be able to move tomorrow.?

[OakLeaf]

It's not so much the actual pike that scares me--it's the push-ups part. I can barely do regular push-ups.

You'd have to do a bit of rolling back and forth to combine them with pikes, but one of the nice things about the ball is that you can micro-adjust the intensity of your push-ups by shortening your lever (rolling your legs back on the ball).

[Catrin]

You ladies are in so much better shape than I! Last night, after warming up and stretching before spinning class, I used one of our smaller balls at the club for planks - and this time I tried moving the ball around with my forearms and found that much more challenging. Just using the ball for a regular plank is easy, this was not - evil, evil, and so good for me.

Thanks for starting this thread - I suspect that this has put some ideas into Nat's head (my trainer) for new variations for building upper body strength. I had him check my form on the ball to make certain I was doing it correctly. I am currently in a new building phase in my training sessions - until May when I will drop to once a week maintenance mode for the season.

[Artista]

You ladies are in so much better shape than I!

I'm with Catrin. You ladies are an inspiration. I have no other very fit women in my life to serve as mentors or friendly competitors. This vacancy has a not-so-subtle tendency to limit how hard I push myself. TE in general, and this thread in specific, have become great motivators for me to aspire to new heights in fitness. Thanks everyone for sharing!

[Veronica]

If you get tired of the ball, you could try flipping tires.




This workout was actually a ton of fun!

Veronica

PS Oak, I'm working on that video. But I gotta find a good stunt double...

[Catrin]

I'm with Catrin. You ladies are an inspiration. I have no other very fit women in my life to serve as mentors or friendly competitors. This vacancy has a not-so-subtle tendency to limit how hard I push myself. TE in general, and this thread in specific, have become great motivators for me to aspire to new heights in fitness. Thanks everyone for sharing!

What Artista said!

[Susan]

After an extensive trainingsession in front of the TV I am able to kneel on that ball yeah *proud*