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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575

    Planks on an Exercise Ball

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    Somewhere, recently, on this forum, I read about someone's PT or trainer recommending that she do planks with her elbows on an exercise ball. She moves the ball around & from side to side while in the plank position. The exercise is supposed to mimic our upper body action on the bike. I tried to find the original thread to no avail. Anyway, I'm here to report that this is an EVIL exercise So evil, in fact, that it's going to become a regular part of my workout routine
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Utah, Gateway to Nevada, not to be confused with Idaho
    Posts
    1,872
    Lots of evil out there with the exercise ball.

    What that link doesn't show is the ball circles (which you describe) but on one foot. 10 each direction without rest, switch legs, repeat. I still end up in a heap on the floor and I've been doing it for a while

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    Ewwwww....even more torture Can't wait to try these!
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Katy, Texas
    Posts
    1,811
    I think that was me who was complaining about the circles on the exercise ball in a single and double legged plank. Today he added a "bug" position to the fun. Full plank on the ball with two legs, lift one and put your knee as close to your armpit (hopefully touching the exercise ball) and back, and then armpit and then back, repeat until you collapse, cramp up or fall over, then immediatly do the other side + 1. evil evil evil
    marni
    Katy, Texas
    Trek Madone 6.5- "Red"
    Trek Pilot 5.2- " Bebe"


    "easily outrun by a chihuahua."

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    10,889
    hmmmm will mention these new forms of torture to my trainer. While he does torture me with the exercise ball, so far both versions of the planks he has me do are on the ground. The regular plank I can hold for a long time, so it is probably time for a more evil version

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    Quote Originally Posted by marni View Post
    I think that was me who was complaining about the circles on the exercise ball in a single and double legged plank. Today he added a "bug" position to the fun. Full plank on the ball with two legs, lift one and put your knee as close to your armpit (hopefully touching the exercise ball) and back, and then armpit and then back, repeat until you collapse, cramp up or fall over, then immediatly do the other side + 1. evil evil evil
    LOL!!! Thanks so much for posting about these exercises, Marni. I'm going to try the "bug" tomorrow. Hopefully, I can skip the cramping part & go straight to collapsing

    Catrin, like you, I've gotten to the point where I can do long planks & about a ga-jillion crunches without ever really feeling the workout. If the minor stiffness in my core this morning is any indication, these ball planks are fast, efficient & much more effective than the old standard core workouts.
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    9,324

    My Fun Exercises Today

    Plank position with one elbow on a Bosu ball and the other arm is doing a cable row.

    Cable pull ups with your feet on a ball.

    Veronica
    Discipline is remembering what you want.


    TandemHearts.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    Quote Originally Posted by Veronica View Post
    Plank position with one elbow on a Bosu ball and the other arm is doing a cable row.

    Cable pull ups with your feet on a ball.

    Veronica
    Those hurt just thinking about them! I'm going to add them to my personal "Know Your Limits & Work Up to It" list.

    This is getting fun. How about all of you other TE'ers? What is your favorite, (or should I say "least favorite"), EVIL exercise?
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Chicago suburbs
    Posts
    1,222
    I do something that I call "rollouts" on the ball. I kneel on the floor behind the ball, then placing my hands clasped together on the ball...I roll the ball out in front of me as far as I can...hold for a second or two...then roll back to starting position. I feel these in my core and also my shoulders/upper back area. I do 3-4 sets of 20, and in between each set I do a set of 12 pushups.
    2012 Seven Axiom SL - Specialized Ruby SL 155

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
    Posts
    5,316

    kneel

    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.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    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!
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Katy, Texas
    Posts
    1,811
    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.
    marni
    Katy, Texas
    Trek Madone 6.5- "Red"
    Trek Pilot 5.2- " Bebe"


    "easily outrun by a chihuahua."

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    Quote Originally Posted by marni View Post
    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!
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    364
    Quote Originally Posted by crazycanuck View Post
    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... )

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    10,889
    Quote Originally Posted by Susan View Post
    ...
    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.

 

 

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