The women's fitness blog

Following up on a previous post covering a few beginner gym ball exercises, I'd like to focus on the swiss ball again, as we continue our series of exercise guides. This time, I'll focus on upper body exercises using the swiss ball.

Upper body swiss ball exercises

Most traditional upper body exercises can be performed on the gym ball to add an extra degree of difficulty. This includes all dumbell exercises, as well as most stretching exercises. Bodyweight exercises (where you work against gravity) are also commonly used to help core strength and flexibility. Lets look three key upper body exercises.

1 - Exercise ball tricep dips
This exercise works your forearms and back. Let's have a look at the right posture:


Main technique

• Squat down with your back to the ball
  
  
• Place your hands on the ball. They should be pointing just slightly off of straight forward, and should be shoulder width apart. Your arms should be straight.
  
  
• Bend your elbows up behind you and lower your butt towards the ground. Don't sit down.
  

• Hold your position at the bottom of the motion for a few seconds.
  
  
• Push yourself back up using your arms until you are back in the starting position.

• Perform 10 repetition, for 3-4 sets.

Variations

• You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by putting yout feet up on a bench rather than having them flat on the floor.

2 - Exercise ball push up
This again works your arms. It's also great for your chest. Let's have a look at the technique:


Main technique

• Assume the traditional pushup position, with your legs on the ball.
  
  
• You can vary the degree of difficulty by adjusting where your legs are on the ball. To increase the difficulty, move forward, so that your shins are resting on the ball. Alternatively, move yourself onto your quads (upper legs) to decrease the difficulty.
  
  
• Place your hands directly below your shoulders at a comfortable width.
  

• Keep your back straight - don't let your lower back sag downwards.
  
  
• Lower your head to the floor, maintaining a straight posture - let your feet point to the sky.

• Pause at the bottom for a few seconds before returning to the start

• Perform 10-15 repetition, for 3-4 sets, depending on what you feel comfortable with.

Variations

• Only leave your feet on the ball to make this exercise even more challenging.
• Use push-up bars to allow a greater range of motion and enhance toning and muscle development.

3 - Exercise ball dumbbell press
This is just like a traditional dumbell press, except there's no bench, so your core muscles are forced to balance you - this causes hundreds of tiny contractions per second, which really helps to tone your upper body. It also works your arms and shoulders:


Main technique

• Rest yor shoulders comfortably on the ball, with your feet flat on the ground.
  
  
• In the starting position, you should be holding the dumbbells level with your head, with your palms facing inwards.
  
  
• With a smooth motion, push the dumbells upwards, simultaneously rotating your arms so that you end the movement with your palms facing forwards (see picture above).
  

• Don't lock out your elbows; instead, you should slowly and smoothly return the dumbbells to the starting position without pausing.
  
  
• Repeat this 12 times (choose a weight that will allow you to do it 12 times). Do 4 sets of 12.

Variations

• Increase the weight of the dumbbells when you fee that your usual weight has become to easy.
• Do pyramid sets - do your normal weight for 12 reps; then use the next heaviest weight for 10 reps; then the next weight for 8 reps, and so on...

That's all for now. Next time, I'll show you some swiss ball exercises for the trunk (abdominals, back and core muscles). Please try these upper body exercises, and let me know your thoughts in the comments, as well as what other exercises you'd like to get more information on. Enjoy!

Labels: exercise ball, Exercises

I'm beginning a series of posts which will cover individual exercises, explaining and demonstrating why you should do then, how to do them, and what they can do for you. Number one is the Overhead Squat.

This exercise is one of my personal favourites. It's amazing for building strength and toning all over your body. It also promotes symettry, balance and coordination. It also sheds tons of fat. On top of that, it's useful for warming up at the start of your exercise session.

Let's jump in at the deep end. How is the overhead squat performed? Watch this informative video to learn the correct technique:

Some tips for performing squats

Start out with only a little weight on the bar, or no weight at all. The Overhead Squat takes a bit of getting used to, so you should practice the technique before increasing the weight to a level that will start toning your muscles. At certain times you will be doing squats for a warm up (as mentioned above). Again, in these instances, heavy weights aren't needed.

Squat Technique

• Use a wide grip on the bar to aid your balance


• Lock out your elbows after you snatch the bar


• Gently move your shoulder blades together


• Smoothly pull your hips back and begin squatting


• Keep your weight on your heels


• Get as low as you can (without falling over)


• When you come back up, push through your heels


• Don't use your back or shoulders

If you haven’t tried this exercise before, don't be discouraged if you can't get the hang of it first time. Perhaps you have not attempted to get down that far before and feel that you are unbalanced. Keep doing sets of squats, and it will feel easier in no time.

Benefits of Overhead Squats

• Strengthens and tnes over amost areas of your body


• Gives you increased flexibility and range of motion


• Great for weight loss


• Works the trunk (a.k.a. "core") muscles, giving you more strength, balance, flexibility, and better posture

What to do next

So you've mastered the overhead squat technique? Great! Next, you can add more weight and range of motion. When you started, you may not have had the full range of motion, and therefore may not have been able to squat very deep. Chances are, you can now move your hips through a greater range of motion. The weight can be increased too. Trying to always be lifting a weight that you can repeat 10 times, over three sets. This will increase as you get better at the technique. Don't worry about building hulk-muscles, as a woman, you don't have enough testosterone.

Once you have mastered overhead barbell squats, you can give the Single Arm Overhead Squat a whirl (use a dumbbell). the technique is similar, but you are adding a lot of core work because your body needs to correct the fact greater imbalance.

Now go and do some overhead squats! Happy exercising!

Labels: Exercises, squats