Shape up
fast with these simple moves
There are
many ways a gym ball can help improve your balance and core strength. You can
use it to work your entire body while maintaining your centre of gravity, or
you can mix up your routine – the four training methods described below will
help you get the most out of your workouts. When you’re next in the gym, give
these exercises a try, in addition to your regular routine. After a few weeks,
you’ll notice a more toned and lean body.
Matt Roberts’ masterclass
Pelvic tilt drills
Gym ball reverse curls
Lie on your
back, legs straight up in the air. Hold the gym ball between your legs and lift
your hips and lower back off of the floor, tilting your pelvis towards your
ribcage, while keeping your upper back and head still in contact with the mat.
Lower your torso back to the ground slowly and repeat. Perform three sets of 15
reps.
Benefits
This
exercise is particularly useful if you have a downward-tilted (anteriorly
rotated) pelvis. It directly works your deep core muscles, the rectus
abdominis, and plays a role in adjusting pelvic tilt as it uses your external
obliques (the muscles on the sides of your torso). It’s also great for
improving posture.
Dynamic bracing drill
Gym ball figure of eights
Lying on
your back, come up to a bridge position with your feet on the floor and your
elbows resting on a gym ball. Keeping your core engaged, perform a figure of
eight with your elbows unbalancing the ball. Perform eight in one direction,
followed by eight in the opposite direction. Repeat three times. If you have a
tight chest or shoulders, take care not to round your upper back.
Benefits
Bracing
your core is vital for stabilising your lower back. When you have achieved
basic core endurance (ie you can perform the drill for 40 seconds), you will
need to make the exercise more dynamic, for example, with a press-up. You don’t
need to do more than 45 seconds on basic drills to develop core strength.
Hip extension drill
Ball bridges
Lying on
your back, place your feet on the ball, legs straight. Slowly raise your hips
off the floor, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Perform three sets of 20 lifts.
Benefits
Building
endurance in your back and glutes will help stabilise your spine.
Working with a gym ball can tone your entire
body
Rotation drill
Walking lunge with rotation
Holding the
gym ball out in front of your chest, step forward with your right leg and bend
both knees to 90º so that you are in a lunge position. Your back leg should be
almost touching the ground, and make sure your front knee doesn’t extend beyond
your toes. Keeping your back vertical, rotate your torso to
the right, then step forward with your left leg, lunging and rotating as
before. Perform three sets of 12 repetitions on each side.
Benefits
This is an
advanced drill, so you’ll need good core strength in order to perform this
move. In turn, it will strengthen and stabilize your hips and lumber spine.
Matt
Roberts is the UK’s leading celebrity personal trainer, with clients including
David Cameron and Mel C. To find out more, go to mattroberts.co.uk
