by Joseph Hadad

Mazel Tov! You survived week one–and believe it or not, that’s the hardest part. So now that you started, it’s time to try some new moves and keep you moving full steam ahead. One tool I highly recommend is the fitness ball. It looks like a giant toy and it’s guaranteed to make your workout more fun and challenging. For one, it demands balance, which requires that you suck in your abs, flex your thighs, use your arms and achieve good posture. Secondly, it makes it very difficult to do your exercises the wrong way. Add some free weights, and you’ve got yourself one intense workout. Let’s get started.

For the Novice:

Now that you’re getting a cardio workout five times a week for no less than 30 minutes a pop, it’s time to try some toning. Fight flab with some sit-ups and push ups–done with a ball. This silly prop really helps with alignment. It’s almost impossible not to get the moves right and feel the burn. Do three sets of 12 reps of each and you’ll see and feel a difference immediately. If you’re sore the next day, give your muscles a break. But don’t let too much time slide between workouts.

1) Push-ups

With your legs resting on the ball and your torso hanging over it, with your arms shoulder-width apart and your hands touching the ground, lower your body on the inhale, and lift on the exhale.

2) Sit-ups

Sit on the ball and lower your back so it’s resting on the ball with your head and neck off the ball. Rest your head in your hands with your elbows open and keeping a space between your chin and your chest, so as not to strain your neck. Take a deep breath and on the exhale, come up, lifting your shoulders off the ball and contracting your abs. Then lower your torso as you inhale.

For the Gym Rat:

If you don’t feel the burn, try using the ball for your crunches and push-ups, too. And while you’re balancing on it, let’s beef up your arm work and really get you sculpting your shoulders, back, chest, pelvis, abs and tush. How? With some free weights (5 - 8 pounds) and this series of movies: bench press, pelvic lift, shoulder press and lateral press–three sets of 12 reps each, rotating from one to the other.

1) Bench press

Sitting on the ball and holding your weights, slowly move back until your neck and upper back are flat on the ball with your head suspended directly behind it. Keep your arms shoulder width apart, fully extended up in the air, and on the inhale, lower the weights down to your sides, bending your arms as shown. Then press up to the starting position as you exhale.

2) Pelvic Tilt

In the same position–with your upper back and neck resting on the ball, your thighs aligned with your belly, and your arms straight up in the air–contract buttocks and lift your pelvis as you exhale. On the inhale, lower the pelvis. Keep your arms fully extended throughout this exercise to stabilize your body.

3) Shoulder Press

Sitting up, keep your back straight and your head facing forward. Bring weights to the shoulder level, palms facing forward. On the exhale, contract your abs and press straight up. On the inhale, lower the arms back down to shoulder level. You should feel this in the deltoids, or sides of shoulders, and your upper back.

4) Lateral press
Sitting up straight, grip your weights and keep your arms to your sides with elbows slightly bent and palms facing each other. On the exhale, lift arms up and out to shoulder level with palms facing down. Then inhale and lower your arms back down.

Questions? Contact Joseph Hadad aka Body by Joseph at: Bodybyjoseph67@yahoo.com