Why
Is This Exercise So Effective?
Using only a Swiss Ball and two
dumbells, you can achieve an extraordinary ab-tightening contraction
around the entire midsection musculature. This exercise places
a great stretch on the obliques along with great tension, forcing
quick abdominal development.
How To
Do It:
For this exercise,
you will need two dumbells and a Swiss Ball (I will also tell
you how to do the exercise on a regular flat bench in the Tricks
section below). A smaller-size ball is better for this exercise
though any ball will work.
Lay on your back
on the back with your knees bent and your feet fairly wide apart
- you'll need a good base of support for this exercise so that
you don't roll off to the side of the ball. Hold two equal-weight
dumbells at arms-length directly above you. Press them together
while doing this exercise (if they're separated, they'll move
around more, making the exercise less efficient). Start with
fairly light dumbells the first time you try this movement.
Now, keeping your
head facing directly up/forwards and your hips horizontal, lower
both of the dumbells slowly and under complete control down
to the left. Hold your breath and tighten up your midsection
as you come down to the fully-twisted position. Prepare to push
hard against the ground with your left foot to maintain your
balance.
Your left arm is
going to bend to about 90 degrees at the elbow as you lower
the dumbells to the side while your right arm should stay perfectly
straight. Your upper body should stay in the same position on
the ball - no rolling to the opposite side to compensate for
the weight to the side. This torque is what makes the exercise
so valuable. Bending your lower arm is critical to keeping your
torso in the same position on the ball.
Note the bend in the left arm at the bottom
Since you're using
two separate dumbells, it's going to be a very different stress
on the entire abdominal area than anything you've experienced
before.
When you're at the
bottom, your upper left arm will be contacting the surface of
the ball (don't let it rest or lose tension at this point!).
Reverse the direction by simultaneous pulling with your right
side abs and pushing with your left side abs. The right arm
movement is similar to a rear delt lateral while the left arm
movement is similar to a dumbell press.
Remember to keep
the dumbells pressed together tightly! The opposing tension
in the abs really puts a lot of torque across the whole area.
Be very sure you're not just pushing with the bottom arm but
also pulling with the top arm.
Be sure not to bounce
out of the bottom and try to feel a stretch in the right side
as you start the change of direction. When you've done one rep
to the left, repeat the technique to the right.
If you have any lower
back pain issues, this exercise does put some stress on the
lower back. If you do try it, go very light and take it very
slowly.
Common
Errors:
1. Separating
the dumbells
Keep them pressed together throughout
the movement. If they separate, they're harder to control and
it disperses the tension on the abs.
2. Rolling
around on the ball
For best results, be sure to keep
yourself as stationary as possible on the ball. If you roll
to the side, it takes some of the torque off the abs and it
won't hit the abs as strongly.
3. Moving
too quickly
This is NOT a ballistic exercise
- there should be no bouncing or fast movements involved. Lower
the dumbells slowly to the sides and change direction very deliberately
using muscle power, not bouncing.
Tricks:
1. Changing
the arc
You can bring the dumbells down
at various angles to the torso to change where the exercise
hits your abs. By bringing it down higher up beside your head,
you'll hit the upper areas of your obliques. By bringing it
down towards your hip, you'll hit the lower areas of your obliques.
Just remember to always keep your head looking straight up and
set your feet wide apart for the best base of support.
2. How
to use a flat bench instead
You can also do this exercise
on a flat bench instead of a ball, if you don't have access
to a ball or prefer a more solid surface to work on. Instead
of lying flat on the bench as you normally would for a bench
press, you'll be resting only your upper back on the end of
the bench.
To get into this position, sit
on the very end of the bench. Now move your butt off the bench
and squat down in front of it. Lean back and place your upper
back on the bench end. Keep your hips down and set your feet
fairly wide apart.
This is the position you should
maintain while doing the exercise. The bench is a more solid
surface but it just as effective for the exercise. One major
difference is that there won't be any surface to contact the
upper arm of the bottom arm as you lower the weight down. Keep
an eye on how far down you go to the side. All the other techniques
still apply.
3. When
using heavier weight...
- You can shift your upper body
somewhat to the other side of the ball. If you're using a
heavy weight, you'll need to do that in order to stay on the
ball. The increased resistance will make up for it.
- Be extra careful the dumbells
don't separate. It'll be much harder to control heavier dumbells
if they do.
- As you rotate back up, exhale
through pursed lips to keep stability in your abs yet let
air out so you don't pass out.
- Push VERY hard with the same
side leg as the weight is on. You'll need all the help you
can get.
