SWISS BALL BACK EXTENSION

TECHNIQUE

Lie prone (face down) on the ball with your arms by your sides (picture 1). Your eyes should be looking at the floor (this keeps the neck in alignment with the spine). Lift your chest and shoulders off the floor and hold for 3-10 seconds then return to the floor. Rest and repeat

Increase the resistance of the movement by adjusting arm, hand and leg position. Options in order of difficulty are hands under the chin (picture 3), hands touching the side of the head (picture 4)

Picture 1: Start position with hands by the sides                           Picture 2: Hold position with hands by the sides

Picture 3: Hands under the chin                                 Picture 4: Legs and arms not touching the ground

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Perform sets of 10-12 repetitions. As you become more proficient aim to first increase the duration of each repetition (up to 10 seconds) and then aim to progress the level of the exercise through the use of altered hand positions as described above. Remember to always keep the head down with the eyes looking at the ground. This exercise can be progressed by using a swiss ball and a back extension machine.

PROGRESSION OPTIONS

Swiss Ball Back Extension, Machine Back Extension

SWISS BALL LYING BRIDGE – CURL VARIANTS

TECHNIQUE

Begin this exercise by lying on the floor with your legs up on a Swiss ball. Your arms should be out to the side for improved balance with feet together, hips on the ground and eyes looking at the roof. Activate your core muscles while still in this position. All of the following variants begin with this starting sequence.

BRIDGE: When ready raise your hips off the ground so that your hips are as high as possible(But not in hyperextension)  until you are in the position shown in picture one with only your shoulders, head and arms touching the ground. Hold each repetition for 5-6 seconds and squeeze your hamstrings and glutes. Lower the body to the ground, rest for 1-2 seconds and repeat.

Picture 1:  Bridge Top position (Beginner)                      Picture 2: Bridge + curl top position (intermediate)

Picture 3: Top position, arms across chest (intermediate)           Picture 4: Top position on top of toes

These next few variants are for the more advanced and should be approached with caution and correct technique is paramount.

Hamstring curl and one legged hold

This is a hard exercise and one that is very challenging. You are to start this exercise with the normal procedure, then you proceed to contract your hamstrings to bring the ball closer to you butt. Once there and in control you are to lift one of your feet from the ball and hold the ball and your body using your core. Like that seen in picture 6.

Picture 5: starting position of one legged hold    Picture 6: end position of one legged hold

Single legged hamstring curl

This is the most advance exercise in this series. The whole exercise is done with only one leg touching the ball and in control of balance, movement and support.

Picture 7: starting position                                           Picture 8: end position

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Perform 2 sets of 10 – 15 repetitions. As strength and balance improve use the above variants to ensure you are still challenging yourself.

SWISS BALL ISOMETRIC PRESS-UP HOLD + VARIANTS

TECHNIQUE

This is the first exercise to get you ready for the Swiss ball press-up exercise. This exercise can be done two ways and both are shown here. In Pictures one and two you can see the first of these!

Pictures 1: Starting position with feet on the ball and your knees touching the floor. The ball can be pushed into the wall to add more balance, your hands are placed on the floor approx 20cm apart. Begin with contacting your belly button up to the ceiling to brace your stomach then lift your knees from the floor like that shown in picture 2 and hold for 10seconds. Please make sure that your body is held in a straight line (do not allow the hips to sag)

Picture 1: Starting position                                                Picture 2: isometric hold position

This variant with your hands on the ball instead of your feet is more difficult! It involves you to have good shoulder stability and works very well on making you tired a lot more quickly – so caution is advised.

Picture 3: Hands on ball starting position                               Picture 4: Hands on ball end position

To make this exercise even harder still you can push the ball further away from your head like that seen in picture 5.

Picture 5: Long lever arm – hard

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Aim when doing the hold version of this exercise to balance for 10 seconds on each repetition and complete 3-5 repetitions. When you move to the press up versions of the exercise try to work up to 15 repetitions and do 2 sets.

Additional progressions are available such as moving the ball away from the wall during the press-up. Ift one of your feet from your base of support etc.

SWISS BALL WOOD-CHOP

TECHNIQUE

Lie with your shoulders and head on the ball with your feet placed firmly on the floor and you are to keep a flat spine but contracting your glutes, and then raise your hands and link your fingers together (picture 1). Then using your external and internal oblique muscles you are to rotate your trunk onto one shoulder slow and controlled (picture 2), while also trying to maintain your hips as level as possible.

Then you are to return back to the starting position while still controlling your speed.

Picture 1: Initial starting position                      Picture 3: The end position

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Perform 8-12 repetitions per side – 2 sets.

PROGRESSION OPTIONS

You can increase the difficulty by increasing the hand held weight, or by taking the leg on the same side you are moving towards off of the floor.

4, 3, 2, and 1 POINT BALANCE

TECHNIQUE

Start by holding the ball in front of you with your knees lightly touching the leading surface.

Slowly roll forward onto the ball keeping balanced by using your hands, and try to maintain balance with your weight evenly distributed on each of the 4 points in contact with the ball (2 hands, 2 knees)

You can make this exercise more difficult by decreasing the number of points (hands or knees) you have on the ball like those seen in pictures 2 – 5 below.

Picture 1: 4 point balance  Picture 2: 3 point balance #1                         Picture 3: 3 point balance #2

Picture 4: 2 point balance #1                            Picture 5: 2 point balance #2            Picture 6: 1 point balance

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Aim to balance for 10 or more seconds on each repetition. Perform 3-5 repetitions, or you can work on playing for a set time of up to 2mins.

You can also make this exercise harder by taking away the use of the eyes by closing them