Challenge Your Muscle With An Exercise Ball

If you are stuck in a gym rut, chances are you nee to mix up your routine with an exercise ball. Using exercise balls as part of your training can lead to firmer muscles and stellar results. While exercise machines make it safer to work with progressively heavier resistance, stability balls help blast calories and they are fun. Challenge your muscles and take a break from the pull-up machine, cable machine, seated calf raise machine and rear delt/fly machine at the gym.You don't need an ab-bench to work your rectus abdominis and obliques.

What you will need

In addition to a stability ball, you will need two and four pound medicine balls or weights to use while performing exercises.

Some simple exercises to use with a stability ball include the medicine-ball pullover. Sit on a stability ball while holding the medicine ball in both hands. Then walk feet forward until your head is supported. Bend your knees and make sure they are aligned over your ankles. Keep your feet hip-width apart. Extend your arms straight behind you with your abs pulled in and your arms close to your ears. Lift the medicine ball with your arms straight until it's over your chest. Then slowly lower your arms and repeat 12 times before resting and repeating twice.

How to work your abs

According to reports, Janet Jackson got her rock-hard abs by doing exercises on a stability ball. To get the same kind of results, simply lie on an exercise ball and put your hands under your head for support. Don't strain your neck. You want to lean backwards on the ball and then do a crunch so you have greater resistance.

Working your arms

Finally, you can sit on the balance ball while conducing bicep curls. When you are in the gym, sit on a stability ball while using a cable pull-down to work your arms. Load the cables with 10 to 20 pounds of weight. Always keep your feet hip-width apart while sitting on the ball. Hold a handle in each hand with arms extended up in a wide V. Your palms should face forward. Then tighten your back as you draw your elbows down toward your waist. Raise your arms to the starting position and repeat 12 times.

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