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Ladies, let’s talk CORE. Our girl, Karrah Peden Trammell, is here to fill you in on a little secret to strengthening your core, protecting those joints, and getting more muscle-building benefits out of your workouts. It’s STABILITY. Or, in this case, a stability ball. Otherwise known as an exercise ball or a balance ball, stability ball circuits can take your workout to a whole new level.
Body stabilization focus must be at an ALL TIME HIGH when working out on a round surface, and the ball will force you to use your abdomen to maintain balance which will improve overall core strength. This is a fantastic way to switch up your routine and really challenge yourself. You will work new muscles and reach new PRs because of the overall strength gains you’ll experience.
This workout includes 4 supersets, 10 reps on each exercise. Each superset should be done 4 times for a killer challenge.
Karrah is wearing The Ultimate Sports Bra in Triumph, $69.
Superset 1
Hamstring Curls
Lie on your back with your feet up on an exercise ball. Hold your butt up off of the ground by pressing your heels into the exercise ball and raising your hips. Hold your body in a straight line. Make sure your feet are far enough over the ball to roll down without falling off. Roll your feet closer to you, and bend your knees as the ball comes back towards you. With your knees bent, focus on keeping your hips up through the movement even as you go down. You should feel this pull in your hamstrings.
Ball Passes
Hold an exercise ball above your head as you lie on the ground. Extend your legs and arms out and hold them off of the ground. Contracting your abs, simultaneously pull your legs and arms together to pass the ball off from your hands to in between your feet. Drop both your arms and legs down after the ball has been passed. Don’t let your hands or feet (including the ball) touch the ground. Pull your arms and legs up again to pass the ball back to your hands. That will complete a rep. When fully extended, focus on contracting your abs so your lower back stays on the ground. If you are arching your lower back, then you aren’t contracting enough.
Superset 2
Leg Lifts
With the ball between your feet, lie on your side. Rest on your down elbow to prop up your torso. Keep your bottom foot just off of the ground. Raise the ball as much as you can towards the ceiling. Lower down under control, but do not rest your legs on the ground. Do 10 reps on each side.
Pike Ups
Place your shins on an exercise ball, so your feet are sticking off the back end of the ball. Extend your arms to hold your body up and maintain a straight position. Lift your hips up by contracting your abs. Roll over the ball until the top of your feet are supporting your weight. Try to stack your hips over your shoulders. Lower back down under control. Make sure your arms are extended throughout the movement. This will help you support your weight at the top of the pike.
Superset 3
Frog Pumps
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on your exercise ball. Place the bottom of your feet together with your knees out wide. Pressing your feet into the ball, raise your hips up as you engage your glutes. Raise your hips until there is a straight line from your knees to your chest. Lower back down under control.
Crunches
Lie down on the ball so your abs are over the middle of the ball. Place your hands on your head, and crunch up by engaging your abs. Try not to slide your butt back on the ball because it will allow you to use less abs in your crunch.
Superset 4
Bulgarian Split Squats
Facing away from your exercise ball, put one leg back on the ball. Rest your shin on the top of the ball. Squat down and get the front leg as close to parallel as you can. Keep your knee behind your toes by stepping your foot out farther if need be. Push through your heel to stand back up.
Tuck Crunches
With your shins on the ball, hold your body up with your arms fully extended to the ground. Pull your knees towards your chest by lifting your butt up and sliding your knees forward. The top of your feet will be the only part of your body on the ball at the top of the movement. Don’t let your arms bend as they will be supporting a fair amount of your body weight. Extend your legs back and your butt down. Lower down until your body is straight again. Contract your abs throughout the whole movement to help with your balance.
