Temperature Ball Exercise

Perform at least one exercise for each major muscle group on a stability ball. On another day, perform the same exercises in a stationary position (i.e., not on a stability ball.) Report the following. List the exercises you performed. Were you able to use the same weight on the stability ball? If not, why do you think you could not use as much resistance? What populations would benefit from stability ball training? Are there certain individuals who should not use a stability ball? How will this learning experience and the knowledge you have gained from it help you in your future training endeavors?

ABDOMINAL

Ball Crunch – My Core is at a point where I can do these pretty much ad infinitum, but when I first started out a couple years ago
I found them noticeably more difficult than a

tradition crunch on the floor. A part of that was due to having to develop balance and stability for performing the crunch while on a sphere.

BICEPS

Ball Biceps Curl – at high weights I found it a bit easier than normal, since I could sue the ball as a stabilizer.
DELTOIDS

Ball Rear Deltoid Row – The only additional difficulty was remaining stable on a sphere.

ERECTOR SPINAE

Hyperextension – I could feel my stabilizer muscles activating in ways they’re not normally required to maintain the proper form.

GASTROCNEMIUS & SOLEUS

Ball Calf Raise – No change in weight, pressing the ball firm as a handle.

GLUTEUS

Hip Bridge – I can feel the muscles in my glutes (and lower) back active a lot faster, due to the elevation and need for suspension.

HAMSTRINGS

Ball Reverse Leg Curl – Can get bored doing these without the ball, but with it it adds the extra muscle tension and new focus on balancing.

LATISSIMUS DORSI & RHOMBOIDS

Alternating Arm-Leg Extension – Find the difficulty fot his depends more on the size of the ball, larger ones forcing my muscles to work ahrder to stay in place and keep proper form.

OBLIQUES

Ball Side Crunch – Similarly to the ball crunch the results didn’t really change at this stage, though that’s more personal than a general rule.

PECTORALIS

Ball Push-Up – I ended up doing a little less because of the added pressure of the incline.
QUADRICEPS

Ball Squat (on Wall) – Found it to be about the same difficulty.

TRAPEZIUS

Ball Row Upside-Down – Very intense, I found my reps limited due to the necessary focus on not falling off the ball while simultaneously pulling myself up, activating a lot more muscle tension.

TRICEPS

Ball Triceps Extension – No variance in weight was apparent for me.

Stability balls can be a great addition to a routine in general, but are also especially good in rehab situations as they were designed for. They add a greater range of motion to many exercises and help work on one’s sense of balance from many angles.

A stability ball is another way to augment resistance training, if someone has no experience with either then they should not just jump into using a stability ball until they’ve learned the appropriate resistance skills and form. Folks with previous joint injuries or known weakness should avoid using the stability ball for exercises that will only serve to exacerbate their problems.

Also something to keep in mind is how the exercises performed on the stability ball affect the training effect. The split focus on balancing takes away from the effort normally devoted to recruiting muscles for strength and power, meaning they aren’t developed as extensively.