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Whip Your Balls Out! Weekend Workout Challenge

The stability ball is one of my FAVORITE workout tools. Not only are they fun to bounce around on, but they are crazy versatile when it comes to exercise. You can use your ball to tone your booty, thighs, arms, core and back in ways that other equipment simply can’t. The design forces your body to use more than one muscle group at a time. Each move targets your core & improves your balance.

They’re also not the most convenient of tools to store.

Over the last few years, more and more people picked themselves up a ball or two. And more and more people simply deflated them and put them away. Even those of us who still have our balls out, don’t seem to be using them as much as we used to. Unlike other fads, this tool is one that you should DEFINITELY revisit. Why invest in new tools or DVD’s when you’ve got a fabulous one you can take advantage of?

If yours has gotten a little dusty (and deflated), it might be time to give it another shot this weekend!

I put together a quick 12-15 minute stability circuit that you can do on it’s own, mix up with some cardio, or add to this week’s Weekend Workout (The Dominatrix). All the exercises can be found in one of my favorite books/resources (I seriously love and use it) The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises.

WHIP YOUR BALLS OUT! WEEKEND WORKOUT CHALLENGE

This 6 move workout uses a stability ball & dumbbells to challenge your core, upper body & glutes. Complete the circuit in order once, rest & repeat.

Beginners: 30 seconds per exercise, repeat the circuit 4 times.

Intermediate: 45 seconds per exercise, repeat the circuit 3 times.

Advanced: 60 seconds per exercise, repeat the circuit 2-3 times.

Total Time: 12-15 minutes.

Equipment: Stability Ball, timer & light-medium dumbbells.

Cardio Option: Add 30-60 seconds of jacks, jump rope or a high knee run after each exercise to boost your burn & get a full workout. You can also do this as a finisher workout after a quick cardio session.

Warm up for 5 minutes (or complete after your other workout). Stretch afterwards.

Whip Your Balls Out Challenge - 6 Moves, 12-15 minutes.

Mountain Climber with Hands on Swiss Ball
Stability Ball Lying Triceps Extension
Stability Ball Decline Pushups
Stability-Ball Hamstring Curl
Stability Ball ‘L’ Raise
Stability Ball Pike

1. Mountain Climber with Hands on Swiss Ball

Targets: Shoulders & Core.

How to do it:

Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight, but place your hands on a Swiss ball instead of the floor. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Tighten your core and hold it that way for the duration of the exercise
Lift one foot off the floor and slowly raise your knee as close to your chest as you can without changing your lower-back posture. Then repeat with your other leg. Alternate back and forth.

Modifier: If you have pain in your wrists, you can come on to your elbows.

2. Stability Ball Lying Triceps Extension

Targets: Core & Triceps

How to do it:

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a Swiss ball so that your middle and upper back are firmly on the ball.
Raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold the dumbbells over your forehead, with your arms straight and your palms facing each other
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until your forearms are beyond parallel to the floor. Pause, then lift the weights back to the start by straightening your arms.

Modifier: No weights, or with a towel pulled between the hands.

3. Stability Ball Decline Pushup

Targets: Chest, core & shoulders.

How to do it:

Drape yourself over a stability ball, and walk your hands out on the floor until only your shins rest on the ball.
Center your hands beneath your shoulders, and keeping your back straight, do a push-up.

Modifier: Choose a large ball to add more of a decline, or move your hands closer together. The closer the ball is to your chest, the easier the move. Roll back until the ball is at your quads/hips for a modified pushup.

4. Stability-Ball Hamstring Curl

Targets: Glutes & inner thighs.

How to do it:

Lie faceup with your calves on top of a stability ball, arms by your sides, and palms down.
Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
Bend your knees to roll the ball toward you until your feet are flat on the ball.
Straighten your legs to roll the ball back, then lower your body to the floor.

Modifier: Simply lift and lower instead of rolling towards your body. Advanced: lift one leg towards the sky & switch sides half way through.

5. Stability Ball L Raise

Targets: Upper back & shoulders.

How to do it:

Lie facedown on top of a Swiss ball so that your back is flat and your chest is off the ball. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, your palms facing behind you.
Keeping your elbows flared out, lift your upper arms as high as you can by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Your upper arms should be perpendicular to your torso.
Without changing your elbow position, rotate your forearms up and back as far as you can. Pause, then reverse the movement

6. Stability Ball Pike

Targets: Core & shoulders.

How to do it:

Start in a push-up position with your shins resting on a stability ball.
Brace your abs and keep your legs straight as you raise your hips toward the ceiling, drawing the ball toward your arms. Hold for one second and roll back to start. Keep your head in line with your spine throughout the movement.

Modifier: Do a knee tuck instead (see pic). Advanced peeps can try the knee tuck with a twist to hit their obliques.

Kill it!

ALL of these moves can be found in the The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises, a SICK resource for those of you looking for full workout plans & ideas to take on the road, to the gym, or use at home. I love mine! It’s got full color photos, modifications and loads of options for every level.

Stability Ball Tips

1. You need to use the right size. When inflated, you should be able to sit tall on the ball and have your thighs run parallel to the floor (90 degree angle with the knees). Too high, and your knees will point down towards the floor. Too low and they’ll point up to the ceiling. In general, here are the specifications based on height.

5’0” to 5’5” Small: 55cm/22”

5’6” to 5’11” Medium: 65cm/26”

6’0” to 6’3” Large: 75cm/30”

2. Make sure it’s inflated enough! Measure the height of your ball (a small would be 55cm) and mark it off on the wall. Once your ball reaches that height, it’s probably inflated enough. Give it a sit to make sure.

3. Don’t worry about breaking the ball or it popping. No need to go crazy, but when used properly, most balls can handle a load of up to 300lbs. They are made incredibly sturdy, even some of the cheap ones (though I’ve busted a few on my heater & oven - they don’t pop like balloons do). If they break, replace them. Don’t try to mend them.

4. Even the cheap models are alright. They’re not fancy, and not the best for longterm, every day use (like at a gym), but for the occasional workout, there’s no need to spend a ton of moola. Some balls run as cheap as $10 these days.

5. Invest in some DVD’s (some come with the ball). They’ll show you modifications, exercise variations and get you started. It’s truly a versatile tool that you should explore (I’m still finding new ways to use mine after YEARS of having one).
6. Don’t deflate them all the way. If storage is an issue, deflated the ball half way can help you store it comfortably while cutting down your inflation time for your next workout. I keep mine inflated (if you’re using it, it’s normal to re-inflate 1-2 times a month or a week) and often use it to bounce around while I’m watching TV.