Get on the ball: our stability-ball and dumbbell workout will transform you into a hard-bodied, head-turning clotheshorse

Men's Fitness, August, 2003 by Ian Cohen

If Christopher Columbus were around today, pumping iron in his three-bedroom Plymouth Rock condo, you could be damn well sure he wouldn't be using some flat bench. Hey, the man had a thing for the round, which is why the stability ball would likely be his exercise tool of choice. Now more than ever, a growing number of exercisers are setting sail in new directions and exploring a more rounded approach to their workouts in the interest of getting more balanced muscle with less fuss.

ROUND, NOT MUSCLE-BOUND

The stability ball has a secure place in today's training programs, especially when it comes to strengthening the core muscles, which provide the foundation for your entire body. "Generally, when someone refers to their core muscles, they're talking about the rectus abdominus, the internal and external obliques, the transverse abdominus, and the muscles that make up the erector spinae," says Brent Smith, an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer from Los Angeles. "The reality is that the true core muscles are every muscle involved in spinal stabilization from the upper to lower back."

A highly versatile piece of exercise equipment, the ball can replace the bench on a variety of movements, including presses, flyes, curls, rows and crunches.

"Incorporating a stability ball into your exercise regimen can actually create a better overall workout than you get using a bench," says Smith. "And because they're inexpensive and lightweight, stability balls are ideal for in-home use."

1. LATERAL RAISE (shoulders) Sit upright on the ball with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Bend your elbows at 90-degree angles (1a). Slowly raise your arms out and up until they're parallel to the floor (1b). Once you have reached parallel, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Added difficulty: Alternately raise one leg and the opposite arm simultaneously.

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2. PUSH-UP (chest) Lay your chest on the ball and place your hands at the sides of your chest. Place your toes on the floor, legs straight (2a). Push your body up until your arms are almost straight, but do not lock out the elbows (2b). Squeeze your chest together and hold for a one-count Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Added difficulty: Slightly raise one foot off the floor, alternating feet with each repetition.

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3. DUMBBELL PRESS (chest) Lie with your midback on the ball, legs bent at the knees and feet firmly on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand slightly above shoulder level (3a); exhale and push up toward the ceiling (3b). Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Added difficulty: Raise one arm at a time.

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4. LOWER-TRAP RAISE (back) Balance yourself on the ball with your lower chest. Place your toes on the floor, legs straight. Grasp two relatively light dumbbells and allow your arms to hang down, palms facing each other (4a). Maintaining a little bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells to the sides until your arms are horizontal (4b). Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Added difficulty: Lift one leg.

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5. BACK EXTENSION (lower back) Place your stomach on the ball, toes set on the floor a little wider than shoulder width, and allow your body to drop "into" the ball. Shift your weight back slightly to your toes and place your hands behind your head (5a). In a slow, controlled manner, raise your upper body until you create a slight arch in your back (5b). Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Added difficulty: Slightly raise one leg at the top of the movement, alternating legs on each repetition.

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6. DUMBBELL CURL (biceps) Sit upright on the ball with a dumbbell in each hand, palms in. Raise one leg straight out in front of you (6a) and perform a standard dumbbell curl, keeping your elbows to your sides (6b). Allow for two seconds on the upward phase, squeezing your biceps for a second at the top, and about three seconds on the downward phase. After completing half of the repetitions, switch legs and perform the other half of the set with the opposite leg extended.

Added difficulty: Perform a single-arm curt while raising the opposite leg.

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7. TRICEPS EXTENSION (triceps) Lay back on the ball with a dumbbell in each hand until your back and shoulders support you. Place your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms straight up in the air with your palms facing in (7a).

Lower the dumbbells toward your head, bending only at the elbows. When the dumbbells reach the bottom of the movement (7b), slowly return to the top. Squeeze the triceps for a one-count and repeat.

Added difficulty: Bring your knees and feet together.

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8. CRUNCH (abdominals) Lay back on the ball with your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and roll upward so your lower back rests on the ball (8a). From this starting position, slowly curl your chest toward your pelvis (8b). Pause at the top, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.