[sportmom]

I just got some great library books on incorporating the stability ball into lifting and weight-free core work as well (some of which I do already). How many of you use a s. ball in place of a weight bench? Is it absolutely better, as the books would indicate, that working on a bench? My initial impression is that it makes things quite more advanced and may impact the amount I can lift due to balancing issues or setup issues. I'm thinking of continuing on the bench and increasing my weights and then maybe switching to the ball once I'm looking to increase the degree of difficulty down the road. What has your experience been?

And where the heck is Nelie!?

[Depalma]

Better? No. Different. Yes.

I would mix them up. The ball will work the stabilizers harder and will help improve balance and overall coordination.

However, it also limits the amount of weight you can use. There are probably a few people out there somewhere who can lift as much on a ball as they can on a bench, but I'm not one of them and I haven't personally met one of them yet.

So basically, it depends upon what you want to achieve from the exercise.


Also, once you start lifting higher, you must take extra precautions when lifting on a ball. If you are lifting heavy, invest in the highest quality, anti-burst ball that you can find. Also, even if you do have an anti-burst ball, check frequently for "scuffed" up areas where the there is a thinning of the ball, because if these areas wear through and anti-burst ball can still deflate rapidly and send you crashing down. Something that you definitely do not want to happen when you are using more than a minimal load.

While, this book seems to take one stance, there are other respected fitness professionals such as Mike Boyle, who will not let his athletes do more than body weight exercises on the ball because he feels the reward is not worth the risks.

I take the middle ground. Use both, but be extremely careful when using a load on the ball.

[Mel]

I use both. I also incorporate the ball into a lot of bodyweight exercises. When I'm doing a traditional bodybuilder or bfl type workout where I increase weight with each set, I do my first two sets of whatever on a ball or bosu if it's a standing exercise. Then I do my next two heavier sets on a bench or floor. If I'm doing heavy flyes or chest presses, I don't want to be worrying about my leg position, hip flexors and abs while what is really in jeopardy are my shoulder joints.

It is very different, especially if you do the exercises one side at a time. I was doing cable flyes on a ball today, with one foot elevated on a medicine ball, one arm at a time. The amount of effort that it took to stabilize my entire body was incredible. The heaviest that I could possibly do in this position was 2 plates on the cybex functional trainer (I have no idea how heavy that really is). Doing the same exercise lying on a bench I can use 4 plates. The advantage of doing a workout like that is I rarely do plain old crunches or direct ab work. My abs are very strong, but it's mostly due to full body exercises which require engagement of the entire core.

Mel

[Heather]

I have recently started incorporating weight work on a stability ball (as well as incorporating core work into my routine more in general) and I am really loving it. I love that I have to focus and concentrate and more of my entire body. I spent my whole life ignoring my body and this kind of workout really helps me focus on how parts of my body relate to each other.