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| What’s hot in
the world of abdominal and core training today seems
to change as fast as the latest clothing styles. New
gurus, new infomercials, new machines – today’s
fitness marketplace is all about “what’s new.”I
often write reviews about the latest, greatest ab
and core training gadgets, usually debunking most of
them, but this time I'm actually going to do the
opposite. |
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As new products push their way
into the fitness scene, some truly legitimate, cost
effective devices get pushed out, forgotten, or even
worse – dismissed as “fitness fads.” Such is the case
with the swiss ball (also known as a “exercise ball”,
“gym ball” or “stability ball”)
Why Some Fitness Experts
Condemn The Swiss Ball
Swiss balls have been around a
long time in physical therapy and rehab settings and
when they crossed over into the mainstream fitness
world, they were probably hyped a bit too much. It’s not
that they didn’t deserve the attention, its that many
fitness “experts” placed the swiss ball up on a pedestal
as the end-all be-all of abdominal, core and fitness
training, rather than representing the ball for what it
really is - a single training tool among many– just like
barbells, dumbbells, cables or any other fitness
equipment.
As a result, entire training systems were built around
the swiss ball (neglecting other forms of training), and
people misused and overused the ball. Some trainers used
the ball for “exercises” that were nothing more than
circus acts. I’ve seen it all – everything from standing
on top of the ball and squatting to bench pressing on
the ball with 400 pounds..
As a result of the over-hyping and misuse of the swiss
ball, some coaches and trainers have recently spoken up
and publicly renounced the ball as a " gimmick." This
has caused a flood of emails to pour into my office as
consumers and fitness enthusiasts have become more
confused than ever.
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It’s no wonder:
Trainer A says, “The ball is the best thing since sliced
bread” and trainer B says “the ball is and always was a
gimmick.”
I believe the ball is a very valuable training tool and
that the truth is somewhere in the middle, so I’d like to
help put things back into proper perspective.
Swiss balls are powerful, portable, inexpensive and
versatile training tools |
I use swiss balls nearly every day
in my own workouts and in workouts for my clients. The
versatility of the swiss ball is simply unmatched as
proven by the fact that I can use a swiss ball to help a
65 year old sedentary woman overcome muscle weakness and
improve balance or use the same ball to help a
professional boxer build stamina and add power to his
punches. I can also show you how to use the swiss ball
to develop "six pack abs" as well as train literally
every muscle in your entire body.
New Research Reveals That The Swiss Ball Can Make
Abdominal Exercise Up To 104% More Effective
To give you a research-proven example of just how
effective a swiss ball can be, let’s focus on one of the
most basic and well-known of all abdominal exercises:
The Crunch
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As most people
know, the crunch is a modified (partial) sit up that
involves raising the head, neck and shoulder blades
up off the floor. Many personal trainers believe
that the crunch is highly overrated and overused.
I won’t argue, as I agree there’s a lot of truth to
that. However, the crunch can be greatly improved
with one simple change: Do your crunches on a swiss
ball. |
Electromyography (EMG) studies
have demonstrated that the swiss ball crunch (unstable
surface) effectively recruits more muscle fibers than
the floor crunch (stable surface). This leads to greater
strength, stability and muscle development in your core
region.
In 2000, a study by Vera-Garcia and colleagues showed a
significant increase in muscle activity in the core area
while performing a crunch on the swiss ball, as compared
to a floor crunch. The swiss ball improved the level of
muscular activity as well as the co-recruitment of
spinal stabilizers. The researchers said:
“Performing the curl over the gym ball with the feet on
the floor doubled activity in the rectus abdominis
muscle, and activity in the external oblique muscle
increased approximately fourfold.”
Although research results have
been mixed in the past, the studies showing no increase
in abdominal muscle activity using a swiss ball may have
been due to the exercise technique used on the ball,
including velocity and body placement on the ball.
Earlier this year, Dr. Eric Sternlicht and colleagues at
UCLA designed a study to test this hypothesis and they
measured for differences in muscle activity while using
different positions on the ball.
The EMG analysis confirmed their hypothesis and
demonstrated that body position on the swiss ball could
decrease or increase the amount of muscular activation.
When the ball was positioned with the upper back high on
the ball (just below scapulae), the muscular activity
was less than a floor crunch. But by strategically
positioning the ball so it was firmly placed at the
lower lumbar region, there was a 66%, 93% and 104%
increase in upper abdominal, lower abdominal and
external oblique activity, respectively.
More Proof That Form Is Everything And Little Things
Make A Big Difference
For years I have preached about proper form on all
abdominal and core exercises and I have taught my
clients “little tweaks” and “tricks” in technique that
look minor, but which can lead to huge improvements in
results. This new research is proof. It also reveals how
the ball is a versatile tool for exercise progression:
The high on back position is easier, while the ball
lower on the back is more difficult, accommodating for
different strength and fitness levels. Further
progression can be added by using resistance (dumbbell
or weight plate held on chest or at arms length from
chest).
Swiss balls are only one of many training tools, but in
my opinion, when used properly, they are one of the best
of the bunch. I created an entire core training system
that uses the ball for many of the exercises, I put all
my clients on swiss balls and I highly recommend that
you use the ball as well. Just remember, the swiss ball
is only a tool – it’s not the “end all be all” of core
training and it can’t work miracles. It will also not
burn fat off your stomach – you need a caloric deficit
to achieve body fat reduction.
Use the ball as one part of a balanced training program
that includes other tools such as free weights, cables
and your own body weight. Forget the potentially
dangerous ”circus act” swiss ball stunts, use good
exercise form, purchase only quality, high-strength
exercise balls, use them in a clear area, clean them
often, check them for leaks and I promise you will have
a fantastic versatile training aid that will last you
for years and never go out of style. Fitness fads will
always come and go, but the swiss ball is still a
winner.
Coach David Grisaffi,
Tacoma Washington
www.FlattenYourAbs.net/index.html
References:
1. Vera-Garcia F, Grenier S, McGill S., Abdominal Muscle
Response During Curl-Ups On Both Stable and Labile
Surfaces, Physical Therapy, 80:6, 2000
2. Sternlicht E. Et al, Electromyograhpic comparison of
a stability ball crunch with a traditional crunch,
Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, 21(2),
506-509, 2007
The crunch can be an effective exercise, especially when
performed on the Swiss Ball. However, it’s extremely
important to incorporate variety into your abs and core
routines and not to depend on any one exercise alone.
Your body adapts to every exercise in time, so you must
put constant variety into your programs. To learn how to
perform dozens of other unique core and abdominal
exercises using a swiss ball (some of which I guarantee
you have probably never even seen before), then visit my
website home page to learn more about the Flatten Your
Abs training course:
www.FlattenYourAbs.net/index.html
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David Grisaffi has been a sports enthusiast his entire life. He participated in football, basketball, wrestling, swimming, tennis, and baseball, and excelled at wrestling. His love for sports led him into a career in sports conditioning and fitness training.
David majored in physical education and holds multiple certifications including three from the prestigious CHEK Institute: Level II high Performance Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic,
and health and lifestyle counselor.
He also holds certifications from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
as a personal trainer and specialist in performance
nutrition.
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David has been a high school wrestling and baseball coach and is currently an independent trainer and strength coach. He has been sought after by some of the top athletes in professional sports including world champion boxer Greg Haugen and professional golfer Michael Putnam.
David’s ebook, Firm And Flatten Your Abs
is an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat, develop “six pack abs’ while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
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