Doing an exercise ball workout has become very popular over the past 10 years or so. The popularity in Minnesota has become huge from people looking to find more ways to workout in the frigid winter so as not to get bored with the long Minnesota winter. One of the key reasons for this is that there are some great benefits to using an exercise ball in working on several body parts. The biggest benefit from most exercises is that you work your core as well as the body part you are working on because of the balance that you have to maintain while doing the exercises. The key to building muscle is to do compound exercises that work on multiple muscle groups at the same time as much as possible.
For working the upper body, the pushup is one of the best exercises you can do, and doing pushups on an exercise ball gives added balance issues to deal with that your core will get stronger doing. There are 2 types of pushups you can do on the exercise ball that are very effective, one is with your hands on the ball with your feet out as far back as you can. The second type is with your feet on the ball and hands on the floor. One works the upper chest and the other the lower chest. Both require your core to stabilize your body.
Doing dumbbell bench press on the ball also is very effective in working the upper body and the core. The dumbbell fly on the exercise ball is also an effective chest exercise that will work the core, shoulders and chest muscles.
For working your lower body, squats are the king of lower body exercises. Doing squats with an exercise ball against a wall is a good lower body workout. Lean against an exercise ball and do squats with body weight only or with a large of dumbbells as you can get.
Working your abs on an exercise ball can add extra muscle because you have to use all of your abdominal muscles to stabilize yourself on the ball. Doing crunches on a ball is easier on your back than doing crunches on the floor. Doing planks on an exercise ball takes a lot of pressure off of your elbows while still giving you all the benefits from planks. Doing seated twists on the exercise ball also works a few more muscles than standing twists because of the stabilizing factor for balance on the ball.
These are not the hardcore bodybuilder exercises because of the weight limitations. You can’t do bench press with heavy barbells or squats with heavy weights, but for most people you can use enough weight to get a very good muscle-building workout while working your core muscles at the same time. Compound muscle movements are the most efficient and effective ways to workout.
exercise ball workout
Comments