Introduction

For a better understanding of the numerous benefits of stability ball and free weight training, just imagine that when your body produces an action during any of your daily activities (carrying groceries, working in the garden, doing domestic tasks, dancing, playing outside, walking on slippery or uneven surfaces) all your body muscles work together as a unit and each one plays a specific role.

In a typical strength training program with free weights, there are 3 different roles that muscles play when your body performs a specific action.  Because a stability ball is used as base of support, a fourth role (balance stabilizers) is added and held by the lower back muscles, abdominal muscles and thigh muscles.  These muscles work together to keep the body stable on the ball. 

Here are those 4 different roles:

1. Primary Actors:  muscles that contract to produce the action

2. Assistants:  muscles that assist in the primary actors during the action

3. Action Stabilizers:  muscles that stabilize the action produced by the primary actors and assistants

4. Balance Stabilizers:  muscles that stabilize the body on the ball

You do not need to be a body builder to devote yourself to a strength training program with a stability ball and free weights.  A safely designed program will provide the following benefits:

1. Increased bone density, muscle, tendon, and ligament strength, thus decreasing risk of injury.

2. Decreased risk of developing osteoporosis or slowing down the evolution of osteoporosis.

3. Increased muscle mass.  The more muscle mass, the more the basal metabolic rate increases.  You burn more calories at rest and morever, maintaining healthy body weight is easier.  Most adults lose about 1/2 pound of muscle mass each year after the age of 20 due to inactivity.

4. Increased energy level (about 25%) making daily activities less tiring and enhancing quality of life.          

    Doris St-Arnaud

Chapters Include:

• Introduction

• Precautions, Ball Sizing Guidelines, Choosing the Right Weight, Number of Sets and Repetitions

• General Warm-Up

• Seated Position Exercises

• Supine  Position Exercises

• Bridge Position Exercises

• Supine Position with Elevated Legs Exercises

• Prone Position Exercises

• Sidelying Position Exercises

• Stretching Technique

• Weight Training Guidelines

• Complete Training Program in Less than 20 Minutes

• References

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