Often we spend a lot of time arguing over the perfect rep and set scheme, or should we use a slightly pronated or semi-supinated grip to optimize effectiveness. While some of these factors definitely prove to be necessary, one cannot discount the benefit of enjoying what training can do for performance. Training will make someone work harder, be more consistent, and as long as the program has rhyme and reason, it will lead to some outstanding gains.

One type of training that sometimes gets forgotten is sandbag training. Sandbags are easy to learn, challenge the whole body, and have more versatility than almost any other form of equipment.

Why Use Sandbags?
The most obvious seems to be the simplicity of their use. One does not need to invest hundreds of dollars into coaching (although I am available for those who are interested) or have to read any complicated books. Grasp, rip, and lift. You definitely want to pay attention to your lifting posture, but outside of that most of the fun is trying to figure out how to lift the bag.

Sandbag lifting shares a lot in common with kettlebells with regard to their ability to challenge not only strength, but endurance as well. A good bag will force the lifter to manoeuvre and adjust to the awkward weight. This definitely causes the body to use more muscles and expend greater energy as it is hard to get into one consistent groove.

Increasing grip strength is another great reason to use sandbags. There is no piece of equipment that frustrates people as much as sandbags. Why? When using sandbags there is no convenient place to grab. You have to constantly search for an open spot and then crush grip. However, unlike most pieces of equipment, I find that not only is your crushing grip challenged, but your pinching grip is as well. For those who are into grip training, you will appreciate the distinct difference between the two.

Versatility is important when choosing any form of equipment. With common concerns about money and time it is often silly to invest a great amount of money into something that has limited use. Not only are sandbags cheap, but they can be used for any movement that you can think of from common gym exercises like squats, clean & jerks, to jogging, climbing, dragging, and throwing. With such variety it is hard to get bored. Along with the various exercises come the many holding positions one can use with sandbags. If squatting is getting too easy with the bag on both shoulders go to one shoulder, hold it overhead, hold it in your arms like a Zercher, bear hug, etc. You are really only limited by your imagination.

Sandbags easily lend themselves to team or group training. Because of their cost and transportability, they are easy to set up for small or large groups. This is great for those who wish to combine strength and field work and are concerned about time issues. Coaches can concentrate on full-body lifts and challenge various motor qualities such as maximal strength, endurance, and power development.

Finally, the immense amount of trunk training that occurs with sandbag training alone is almost a good enough reason to use them. Try to squat, run, lunge, jump, or any other movement while holding the sandbag/s in various positions. Doing so challenges all of the trunk muscles. Many of my clients will comment how sore they are deep in their rib area after initially using sandbags. Don’t believe me? Try a few sets of sandbag Turkish get-ups and then e-mail me how you are feeling!

How to Implement Sandbags
As with any other form of training, sandbags training really comes down to one’s goals. If maximal strength, endurance, or speed are your specific goals, then the program has to be designed according to good training principles. However, one can try to improve several components if the program is designed appropriately.

* Circuits: Since fatigue can be somewhat specific, creating a program that emphasizes strength on a lift such as a squat can be followed with relatively short rest by an exercise like an overhead press, and so on.
* Density Training: Several great coaches like Ethan Reeve and Charles Staley have written extensively about the benefits of density work. There are several variants such as Charles Staley’s EDT program. Using Coach Staley’s program, we can set up a sandbag routine using a squat with the bag over both shoulders and power clean and jerk. Use a weight you can hit ten repetitions with, but you are only going to be performing sets of five. Set a time frame, approximately fifteen minutes, and alternate between these two exercises using only as much rest as needed.

You don’t have to use only sandbags. In fact, I highly encourage that you use a variety of implements in your training hopefully including sandbags. A tool such as a sandbag can be used instead of a standard barbell or dumbbell lift such as squats, deadlifts, clean & jerks, presses, rows, etc. By changing the implement some new neural stimulus can often lead to new gains when you go back to the standard lift.

Another option is to use sandbags as a form of active recovery. You can easily change the load to enhance a motor skill and keep mobility without excessively taxing the body. Using a lighter load for your squat will allow you to enhance the groove of the lift and maintaining flexibility without draining the body from the core routines. Odd lifts such as squatting with the bag on one shoulder can increase core strength that may compliment your squatting routine.

Some lifts are just a great overall new challenge such as the Turkish get-up bear hugging a bag. While as sick as this may sound, it can definitely stimulate the fun factor that may help training once again.

With so many options sandbags are a simple and easy method and tool to implement. It isn’t a miracle technique but will challenge you in new ways and again don’t underestimate the fact fun while training can bring a world of new progress!

By Josh Henkin

Josh Henkin is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Physical Education and was a member of the Men’s Basketball Team. Coach Henkin is the owner of Innovative Fitness Solutions, a premier strength and conditioning company in Scottsdale, Arizona.  He is a prominent member of the fitness and sports performance arena.

Coach Henkin often makes guest appearances on television and radio programs where he presents cutting edge fitness concepts. In 2005 Coach Henkin released Sandbag Fundamentals. The book was a smash hit and created a high demand for additional products. Coach Henkin has answered the call with the creation of The Ultimate Sandbag and High Octane Sandbag Training and the Meltdown Kettlebell Fat Loss Training DVD.

Q: Is kettlebell training the ultimate way to train?

A: No one system is the ultimate way to train. Do not kid yourself as training is not a black and white world. Is kettlebell training effective for fat loss, strength training, and building muscle? Yes and it is a super fun way to train. In order to keep training interesting, you have to keep it fun and kettlebells are a great fit. You can benefit from kettlebell focused programs or you can incorporate kettlebell training into your current regimen. There is something for everyone.

Q: Are kettlebell exercises dangerous?

A: Only when done with poor form. However, any exercise is dangerous even pushups and lame machine exercises when poor form is used. People die every year from bench pressing. Thus far, there have been no deaths related to KB training yet. Of course, I am sure some idiot will change that statistic some day. Bottom line is most people will require in person instruction to maximize the benefits of kettlebell training safely. Kettlebell DVD’s while useful are not a replacement for in person instruction. That said, top strength trainer Bud Jeffries stated if you cannot learn how to use kettlbells from Mike Mahler’s Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD then you are in big trouble and should not bother weight training period!

Q: Is kettlebell training effective for fat loss?

A: Yes however pushing yourself away from the table more often and cutting krispy creme out of your diet is even more effective. Fat loss is 70% diet and 30% training. Unless you are a professional athlete where training is your job. Do not kid yourself into thinking that you train like a professional athlete unless you are one. Kettlebell training can be a very effective way to ramp up your metabolism. However, anyone that tells you that you can lose fat with kettlebell training and a crappy diet is doing you a disservice. For a kettlebell Fat Loss System

Q: Is Kettlebell training effective for building muscle?

A: What do barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells all have in common? All three are forms of weight training. Thus, just as barbells and dumbbells are effective for building muscle, kettlebells are effective as well. That said, nothing takes the place of progressive weight training with barbells. Barbell squats, barbell deadlifts, Barbell Military Presses, and weighted dips are among the kings of muscle building. If your main goal is to build muscle then you are better off with barbells. If your have been training with barbells and dumbbells for a while and want a new stimulus then kettlebell training is a great fit. Also, kettlebells are great for building the shoulders, hamstrings, and arms. Kettlebells are not the best fit for quad development and of course calf development. A combination approach utilizing kettlebells and barbells is a very effective way to go. For a more info on KB Training for size and strength, go to: Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD. Finally if your testosterone and growth hormone levels are low then forget about putting on muscle. It is just not going to happen. Get some blood work done with your Doctor and see where you are at.

Q: I want to get stronger without getting bigger. Is kettlebell training for me?

A: Yes, this is one of the most popular benefits of kettlebell training. Women for example love kettlebell training as it helps them tone up and lose fat without over developing muscles. Truth be told, building muscle is not easy for men and especially women so that should be the least of your worries. Worrying about getting too big is like worrying about making too much money. That said, kettlebell training is very popular with members of the armed services, secret service, law enforcement community, and anyone else that wants functional strength that carries over to real world activities such as sitting on the coach and using the remote control Just kidding.

Q: Do women use kettlebells?

A: Only the smart ones Yes I work with women all of the time at my workshops and they love kettlebell training. Especially exercises such as swings, one-legged deadlifts, and The Windmill. Swings and One-legged deadlifts tighten up the glutes and hamstrings and the Windmill is great for the midsection. Women tend to believe the illusion that they will turn into “Arnold” just be looking at weights. Fortunately, top kettlebell instructors such as Lisa Shaffer of www.nofearfitness.com and Lauren Brooks of www.socaltrainer.com are perfect examples of the benefits of kettlebell training for women. Check out their sites today and get over the irrational fear once and for all that you will turn into “The Hulk” with weight training.

Q: Are kettlebells popular with athletes?

A: Many athletes are enjoying the benefits of kettlebell training. Some examples are MMA fighters Frank Shamrock, Frank Trigg, Bob Sapp, and Tait Fletcher. Many celebrities such as Chris Pontius (Movie Jackass) the band “Korn” and Harley Flannagen of “The Cro-mags” are also enjoying the benefits of kettebell training. Kettlebells are a natural fit for athletes and this trend will continue. For a great KB DVD for athletes, go to: Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength

Q: Is kettlebell training a fit for martial artists?

A: It sure is and two of the top martial arts strength coaches Steve Cotter and Steve Maxwell are big fans of kettlebell training. No doubt their stamps of approval carry a lot of weight as both are highly respected members of the martial arts community. Make sure you check out Steve Cotter’s website at fullkontact.com for more info.

Q: Is kettlebell training great for lazy people?

A: Nope but watching TV and eating junk food is. When you are ready to take charge of your health think about getting some kettlebells and actually using them.

Q: If kettlebell training is so great how come they are not in every gym in the country?

A: Having worked for a major fitness club chain in the past, I can tell you first hand that the main goal of a fitness club is to make money and keep liability costs low. Thus the trend in most clubs is to have more machines and less free weights. While machines are not as effective as free weights, they are much easier to use and require minimal instruction. Thus, less of a need for highly skilled trainers. If a gym adds kettlebells they also have to pay to have their trainers educated in proper kettlebell instruction. They much rather spend money on their sales staff as most of the income health clubs generate are from membership sales. The potential client that has not signed up yet is often more important than the client that has already joined. Thus many gyms spend the majority of their income on attracting new members not getting results for existing members. Now there is nothing wrong with making money as that is an important goal for every business. Regardless, few gyms realize that they could make more money by providing exceptional offerings to their clients. Unfortunately, the clients that gyms prefer are the ones that sign up for a year and never show up. The ones that actually use the gym regularly are costly. No doubt a more progressive gyms could make a lot of money with kettlebell classes. Especially kettlebell classes targeted towards women. Finally, the last think a fitness club wants you to know is that you can get in great shape at home with a few kettlebells. You only need one or two kettlebells to get in great shape. Just about anyone can afford this and has room for a few bells that can easily go in a closet. However, very few people could afford to have expensive machines at home. Thus it s better to convince the client that he she needs expensive equipment to achieve his or her goals. Personally, you are better off in smaller gyms which focus more time on their clients.

Mike Mahler
mikemahler.com
Mike is well known as one of the leading experts on effective kettlebell training for size, strength, fat loss and conditioning. In addition to his highly in-demand workshops, Mike is the author of three best-selling kettlebell training DVD’s: The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness, The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength and Kettlebell Solutions For Speed And Explosive Strength, as well as two best-selling kettlebell training e-books: The Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Manual, The Aggressive Strength Solution for Incredible Kettlebell Training and The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength.

The following article is courtesy of Mike Mahler and gives you the low down on kettlebell weight training.

Kettlebell Training: Concepts And Benefits

Are you interested in burning fat, building muscle, or increasing strength and stamina? Then kettlebell training is a fit for you. If not, then stay on the couch and keep watching four hours of TV everyday while life passes you by.

“Stuck in a rut? Bust out of it in a big way with a kettlebell workout. This old-school piece of equipment is a throwback to the dawn of strength training; many of you may not be familiar with it. After a brief introduction to its physique -building values, we feel confident you’ll soon give kettlebells-style training a try.”
- Joe Weider, Editor of Muscle & Fitness Magazine

It is time to train like a man again (especially if you are a woman) and get back in touch with visceral impulse that has been locked away for years. No need to purchase a gym membership or spend $1000s on expensive equipment.  Two kettlebells are all that you need to increase muscular endurance, lose fat, and build size and strength. Kettlebells do not take up much space so you can train in your apartment, backyard, garage, or go outside and get some fresh air. Kettlebell training is a form of training that will not only improve the appearance of your physique, it will give you strength and mental toughness that you did not know was even possible. Is kettlebell training the be all end all of working out? No, it is simply a very effective way to train and enhance whatever program you are on.

What is a kettlebell? Glad that you asked. Imagine a black bowling ball with a suitcase handle on it and you have an idea of what a kettlebell looks like. A kettlebell is a big hunk of iron that comes in several sizes: 8lbs, 12lbs, 18lbs, 26lbs, 35lbs,44lbs, 53lbs, 70lbs, 80lbs, 88lbs, 97lbs and for super strong men and women 105lbs! You can do standard weight training exercises with kettlebells such as: bench presses, curls, and rows. However, the unique value of kettlebells is derived from ballistic (fast exercise) work such as: snatches, swings, cleans, and jerks. In addition, to giving your incredible muscular endurance when done in high repetitions, with a proper nutrition plan any excess fat that you have will melt off rapidly. Ballistic exercises are not the only exercises that you can benefit from, kettlebell exercises such as: the Turkish get-up, Bent Press, and Windmill will develop a rock-hard midsection and increase shoulder flexibility and stability. As a result many chiropractors are using kettlebells with their patients for rehab. If you are a man that wants to increase size and strength, try doing some of my favorite kettlebell exercises: Double Clean and Press, Double Front Squat, Renegade Row, Double Swing, and the Double Clean (Scroll down for more info). If you are a woman that wants to lose weight and tighten up your glutes, quads, abs, and arms, apply a steady diet of kettlebell training ballistic work with some low rep kettlebell training strength work and you are all set.

You may be thinking that you could do all of the above exercises with dumbbells. While this is true, anyone that has used both will tell you that kettlebells are much harder to handle and yes in this case, harder is much better. Kettlebell handles are much thicker than dumbbells and will give you a vice grip in no time. Also, the off centered weight of a kettlebell will force you to use more stabilizer muscles and work the targeted muscles through a longer range of motion. For combat athletes and anyone else that likes it tough, the ballistic shock of kettlebells teaches you how to absorb shock efficiently which is critical for combat sports such as: wrestling, MMA, football, and Hockey. The above reasons are why MMA fighters such as Frank Shamrock, BJ Penn, and Fedor enhance their workouts with kettlebells. Also, it is why top strength coaches such as Ethan Reeve and Louie Simmons recommend kettlebell training to their athletes. Athletes are not the only ones that are hooked on kettlebell training. Members of the entertainment world such as Chris Pontius of MTV’s JackAss and WildBoyz and Harley Flannagan, founder of the legendary NYC hardcore band “The Cro-Mags” have attended my kettlebell workshops and are ecstatic about Kettlebell training. Both Chris and Harley talk to everyone they know about the benefits of kettlebell training and you will as well after you attend one of my seminars.

Still skeptical? try the following experiment with a dumbbell. Take a dumbbell and try doing three sets of twenty one-arm swings (see description on next page). After you have done twenty swings with one arm, switch hands and do another twenty reps. Continue to go back and forth until you have done three sets of twenty reps. Now if you thought that was hard, imagine making that exercise several times harder with a kettlebell. Imagine how much fat your will burn and how your muscular endurance will go through the roof. No doubt about it, high rep kettlebell training is an aerobic workout and great alternative to stepping classes, spinning classes, and anything else that strips you of our manhood and makes you feel like a jack ass. If you feel like a jack ass when you do something, then it is probably something that you should avoid unless you are getting paid well Personally, I actually like to get results from my training and I am sure you do to. A balanced kettlebell training program combined with a solid worth ethic and healthy nutrition plan is a sure-fire recipe for success.

I have been training with kettlebells for over four years and I have never been in better shape. In addition to being lean and strong, my body has learned how to work as one unit. My muscular endurance and mental toughness have improved tremendously. Best of all, I do not have to go to the gym to get an incredible workout. Give kettlebells a shot for three months and I sincerely doubt that you will ever want to go back to barbell curls and leg raises. Once you have been infected with the power of kettlebell weight training, there is no going back. Take a look at the exercises below for more information.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler
mikemahler.com
Mike is well known as one of the leading experts on effective kettlebell training for size, strength, fat loss and conditioning. In addition to his highly in-demand workshops, Mike is the author of three best-selling kettlebell training DVD’s: The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness, The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength and Kettlebell Solutions For Speed And Explosive Strength, as well as two best-selling kettlebell training e-books: The Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Manual, The Aggressive Strength Solution for Incredible Kettlebell Training and The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength.

The How-To’s On Weight Lifting Accessories!

First let me start by saying that I try to use the least amount of lifting equipment while working out as possible. Lifting equipment is used in order to help your body in supporting and lifting heavier-than-normal weight. Powerlifters tend to use these aids more than any other type of lifter. The main reason is because the extremely heavy weight being used makes your body more susceptible to injury. By using specific equipment, you can reduce your chances of bodily injury.

A weight belt is probably the most common piece of equipment used in a gym. There are many different brands such as Valeo, Everlast, Inzer, etc. that most sporting good stores sell. Ideally, you want to use a belt while performing exercises that can be rough on your lower back such as squats, deadlifts, and stiff-legged deadlifts. In addition, I’ve been told that by wearing a belt while bench pressing, you can enable yourself to support and press more weight, if done correctly. I don’t understand why people tend to wear belts while doing every exercise in their workout, it really is unnecessary because a belt is not needed in order to perform curls or pull-ups, or any other exercise that doesn’t put a great amount of stress on the lower back.

In order for a belt to work for you, you need to know how to properly wear a belt. Seems simple, right? The belt is positioned just like any other belt that you’ve ever worn, right above your hips, and around your waist. You should wear the belt very tightly, but not so tight that you can’t breathe. Once the belt is on, suck in a deep breath before you lift the weight off of the rack. Once you’ve picked up the weight, let out all your air. Suck in again right before you do a negative. Try to push your stomach outwards as hard as you can so that your stomach and lower back are pushing hard against the inside of the belt. Begin letting out your air on the way up, and then repeat for your next rep. Personally, I think a belt should only be used when absolutely needed. This means that you should never wear a belt while warming up. Also, if you are going to use a belt, find one that is about 6-8 inches thick and the pressure of the belt is distributed over the entire width of the belt.

Wrist straps are also a very common piece of equipment. Straps are used in order to aid your grip so that you can hold onto heavier weight without it slipping out of your hands. To tell the truth, this is the only piece of lifting equipment that I use. You use straps for exercises such as stiff-legged deadlifts, shrugs, and bent-over rows. Once again, you only want to use straps when needed, this does not include warm-up sets. Remember to not wear straps when doing exercises that you don’t need them for such as pressing or curling movements. I’ve actually seen people using straps for movements such as these, and they look like clowns.

It’s amazing to me that many people use straps incorrectly so that the straps can actually work against you increasing the chance of the weight slipping out of your hands during a set. So listen up; without twisting the strap, run the regular end through the looped end. Now place the strap around your wrist so that the loose end points away from your body and runs directly in line with your pinky. Now, here is where everyone gets it wrong. Grab the bar normally, and wrap the strap around the bar going UNDERNEATH the bar first, not over. Once the straps are in place you can tighten them by grapping the wrapped strap, not too tightly, and roll the bar back towards your body. By doing this, you greatly increase the amount of the weight that you can hold. Take caution in how tight you wrap the strap is because the tighter it is, the higher the risk of snapping it becomes. Trust me, I’ve had a strap bust on me while I was shrugging over 600 lbs, and the outcome is no fun.

Finally, wrist wraps and knee wraps are usually used by those with weak or injured knees or wrists. Knee wraps are used on squats, and wrist wraps can be used on any pressing movement. By using knee wraps, you give yourself a little bit of spring at the bottom of a squat. This is very useful for powerlifting. I used knee wraps every time I maxed out on squats. They give your knee extra support, so if you have pain in your knees to the point that you absolutely can’t squat, then you might want to look into using them. However, if you can tough it out, then do so. It is important that you put the knee wraps on correctly in order for the outcome to be effective.

First roll up the straps like toilet paper. I always started at the top of my knee and worked my way down. When you are wrapping, be sure to overlap the last wrap by half of its width. You should end up about an inch below the bottom of your knee cap. Once you finish, tuck in the loose end. Don’t wrap too tightly because, for one, it’s really painful, and two, you don’t want your feet to go absolutely numb from absence of blood flow. If you can see any of the skin on your knees between individual wraps, then you wrapped incorrectly. Try overlapping a little bit more.

Wrist wraps are very simple. Before performing a pressing movement, wrap your wrists as tight as you need. If your wrists don’t stay straight, wrap tighter. Many people limit their use wrist wraps for heavy weight on bench press mainly.

As stated earlier, many people use this equipment for the wrong reason, and use it incorrectly also. The downfall to using these items is that you weaken the muscles that you are aiding. For example, using a belt weakens your lower back strength, and using wrist straps decreases your grip strength. This is the main reason why you want to use aids only when absolutely necessary.

By David Knowles

Courtesy Bodybuilding.com

So what’s the deal with swiss ball training?

Swiss Ball Insanity…

Go into just about any gym in the United States, and you will more than likely see them; big, beachball-looking objects, usually scattered around the area set aside for stretching and abdominal training. These new invaders into the gym scene have actually been around for many years in therapy settings.

Background

Commonly known as “swiss balls” after their place of origin, few pieces of training equipment have seen the almost overnight widespread popularity that these apparatus have. However, there is an alarming new trend that is also making it’s way around gyms everywhere, and that is the over-use of swiss ball exercises by a lot of trainers and their clients.

Before we get much further, let me first say that I own and use a swiss ball for myself, and the training of my clients. In some cases, like when I have to travel to a client’s house, the swiss ball will play a major role in training. They are an excellent way to train the core musculature – i.e. your abs and lower back, or your stabilizer muscles – along with adding variety and fun to the workout.

Overuse

But these reasons are no excuse for those of you with gym access to spend the majority of your or your clients’ training time balancing on a ball. Like most new gimmicks to hit the fitness scene, exercisers everywhere have gone overboard with swiss balls, actually hindering their own training.

Example

To illustrate my point, let me relay a scenario that I recently saw at a gym in which I train. While doing a squat workout (as Dr. Squat says, everyone MUST squat!) I noticed a young man instructing a young lady on how to do a lunge with one foot placed up on a swiss ball. Never mind the fact that the ball was way too big for her frame, that it was forcing her hips completely out of position, and that she could barely get 4 good inches of motion from the move – what got me was the question I kept asking myself – Why?

I had been watching her out of the corner of my eye since she and her trainer had come to the area of the gym with the power racks. She was not in bad shape, but she definitely was not a candidate for specialized work. Yet, she did not perform one set of deadlifts, squats or even leg press. Instead, all she did was those lunges with her foot up on the ball. For the amount of time and effort that she put in to complete the 5 sets of those lunges, she could have done 5 sets of squats or deadlifts and gotten a much larger return on her investment.

This is a key point that most swiss ball fanatics tend to overlook – yes, the swiss ball exercises are new and exciting, but what do you give up to do them? In this case, the trainer had his client give up squats or more conventional, intense leg training exercises in favor of some cute movement that he had read about in a muscle magazine. No doubt he impressed the client with his “expertise” in this new field of fitness, but he sold her results short doing it.

Media Blame

The problem as I see it is not the swiss balls, but the information that is being dispensed by the fitness media regarding them. They are looked upon by some as the Holy Grail of training, that one missing piece of the puzzle that will make all the difference in someone’s muscle-building and fat-loss endeavors.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. They are simply a tool to be used when the time is right. Yet no one seems to mention when exactly that time is. This has lead to a lot of confusion among exercisers as to how to successfully integrate the ball into their own training.

Guidelines

In the spirit of clearing up some of the confusion, here are some guidelines to go by when using swiss ball exercises;

While a variety of methods are encouraged, perhaps the one area in which a swiss ball can be used on a consistent basis is abdominal training. Swiss balls allow a full range of motion; the exerciser can easily roll forward during crunches to take any strain off the lower back, and they allow for numerous variations of abdominal exercises. A routine of weighted crunches (crunches with a plate held across the chest for resistance), reverse crunches and russian twists performed on the ball will lead to an impressively chiseled and strong midsection.

If you are going to do swiss ball work for any other muscle group, do it AFTER your main exercises. The prevailing line of reasoning says to do them first, in order to exhaust the stabilizers and target the prime movers more efficiently. I disagree for that very reason. Why would you want to attempt a 5-rep squat after exhausting your stabilizers? This is just begging for trouble. Exhaust the prime movers first with high intensity work – the kind you get from the core lifts of squat, deadlifts, bench press and barbell rows – and then hit the stabilizers. Since the prime movers are fatigued, the stabilizers will be forced to work even harder, effectively targeting them in a more efficient manner, while not detracting from the intensity or safety of your core lifts.

Limit your swiss ball work to no more than 2 – 3 sets per muscle group being exercised. Now, read that again. That does not mean 2 – 3 sets per exercise, but 2 – 3 sets per muscle group, total. If that means one set each of 2- 3 different exercises or 2 – 3 sets of one exercise, do not overdo the swiss ball work. If you have that much energy left you would get better returns on your investment by doing another set of a basic lift for that muscle group. Stabilizers are usually smaller muscles that do not need to be targeted with countless sets in order to train. Remember; they have already been working to stabilize your core lifts.

Run from anyone who tells you that you should be able to stand on the ball and perform a squat on it. While it’s a neat trick, last time I checked no surface on this planet is that unstable, making the time and effort necessary to achieve this trick a literal waste of time. If you want to learn how to do this in order to impress your workout partner then that’s your business, but any trainer or “expert” that suggests that this is a skill you must possess is not living in reality.
Conclusion

So there you have it, four guidelines to go by when trying to integrate the swiss ball into a scientifically-based training program. Remember that Arnold never used a swiss ball in his training, yet developed one of the most admired physiques of all time.

In addition, ISSA co-founder Fred Hatfield never touched a swiss ball on his way to becoming the first man to squat over 1000 pounds in competition. In other words, while the swiss ball is a great tool to put in your bag of tricks, it can never replace good old hard work and moving a mountain of iron. Stick with the basics, and you will garner far better results for your efforts.

Courtesy Bodybuilding.com