"Exercise ball, this portable
equipment might be the answer
for the sexy six-pack abs that you are dreaming for!"
This piece of exercise
equipment has exploded into the
fitness scene and it is well known for its ability to incorporate the
core
muscles into the exercise. But many people have miss used this
equipment and
also used it wrongly. It is such a waste to see fantastic equipment
being used so
wrongly and then because of their own mistake, they blame the equipment.
If
you educate and train yourself properly on how to use the
exercise ball, it can be your best friend! One the advantages if the
exercise
ball is that it can move forward and sideways with minimum discomfort.
Because
of the instability produced when sitting on the ball, a well planned ab
exercise routine done on the ball can give you an excellent abs.
For
starters, doing crunches is an excellent way to burn the
abdominal muscles. Simply lie with your back on the ball and feet on
the floor.
With your hands above your head, pull your body up like in a normal
crunch,
rising to an almost sitting position. Remember to breathe, exhaling as
you lift
your body. When you reach the top position, pause for a moment, breathe
back
in, and go back down.
Next,
try doing the vertical crunch on the ball.
You need a workout bench or any other steady object to perform this
exercise.
Lie on your back on a ball, and grab the bench behind you to stabilize
yourself. Now raise your legs, with knees bent, until they are above
your hips.
To start the movement, pull your knees toward your head until they are
close to
your eyes. Now uncurl and go past the starting position until your body
is
straight. Remember to keep your back as stable as you can on the ball.
Now move
into the starting position again.
Then, you can also do
exercise ball pull in. Works more of the
lower abs. Start in a
push-up position and place your lower shins on top of the exercise
ball. While
keeping your back completely straight, pull your knees in towards your
chest,
allowing the ball to roll forward under your ankles. Squeeze your abs
and then
straighten your legs, rolling the ball back to the starting position.
(Source: BodyBuilding.Com)
Besides working out on
the stomach, this ball is
also a fantastic way to workout the upper body. For example, of you are
pro in
doing push ups, try doing push ups with your toes on the ball. Not only
that,
you can also rest on the ball on your stomach and arch your
back up to
do back raises. If you want to do the dumbbell bench press, but don't
have a
bench handy, the ball makes for a fine substitute.
Like
any exercise tool, this ball that is sometimes called
the Swiss ball, stability ball or the fit ball will only produce
fantastic
results if it is used correctly. If you are still not sure how to use
it, get a
workout video or consult your personal trainer.