Fitness Fads Come And Go, But

What's hot in the world of abdominal and core training
today seems to change as fast as the latest clothing
styles. New gurus, new infomercials, new machines – today's
fitness marketplace is all about "what's new." I often
write reviews about the latest, greatest ab and core
training gadgets, usually debunking most of them, but this
time I'm actually going to do the opposite.

As new products push their way into the fitness scene, some
truly legitimate, cost effective devices get pushed out,
forgotten, or even worse – dismissed as "fitness fads."
Such is the case with the swiss ball (also known as a
"exercise ball", "gym ball" or "stability ball")

Why Some Fitness Experts Condemn

The Swiss Ball Swiss balls have been around a long time in
physical therapy and rehab settings and when they crossed
over into the mainstream fitness world, they were probably
hyped a bit too much. It's not that they didn't deserve the
attention, its that many fitness "experts" placed the swiss
ball up on a pedestal as the end-all be-all of abdominal,
core and fitness training, rather than representing the
ball for what it really is - a single training tool among
many– just like barbells, dumbbells, cables or any other
fitness equipment.

As a result, entire training systems were built around the
swiss ball (neglecting other forms of training), and people
misused and overused the ball. Some trainers used the ball
for "exercises" that were nothing more than circus acts.
I've seen it all – everything from standing on top of the
ball and squatting to bench pressing on the ball with 400
pounds..

As a result of the over-hyping and misuse of the swiss
ball, some coaches and trainers have recently spoken up and
publicly renounced the ball as a " gimmick." This has
caused a flood of emails to pour into my office as
consumers and fitness enthusiasts have become more confused
than ever.

It's no wonder: Trainer A says, "The ball is the best thing
since sliced bread" and trainer B says "the ball is and
always was a gimmick." I believe the ball is a very
valuable training tool and that the truth is somewhere in
the middle, so I'd like to help put things back into proper
perspective.

Swiss balls are powerful, portable, inexpensive and
versatile training tools

I use swiss balls nearly every day in my own workouts and
in workouts for my clients. The versatility of the swiss
ball is simply unmatched as proven by the fact that I can
use a swiss ball to help a 65 year old sedentary woman
overcome muscle weakness and improve balance or use the
same ball to help a professional boxer build stamina and
add power to his punches. I can also show you how to use
the swiss ball to develop "six pack abs" as well as train
literally every muscle in your entire body.

New Research Reveals That The Swiss Ball Can Make Abdominal
Exercise Up To 104% More Effective

To give you a research-proven example of just how effective
a swiss ball can be, let's focus on one of the most basic
and well-known of all abdominal exercises: The Crunch

As most people know, the crunch is a modified (partial) sit
up that involves raising the head, neck and shoulder blades
up off the floor. Many personal trainers believe that the
crunch is highly overrated and overused. I won't argue, as
I agree there's a lot of truth to that. However, the crunch
can be greatly improved with one simple change: Do your
crunches on a swiss ball.

Electromyography (EMG) studies have demonstrated that the
swiss ball crunch (unstable surface) effectively recruits
more muscle fibers than the floor crunch (stable surface).
This leads to greater strength, stability and muscle
development in your core region.

In 2000, a study by Vera-Garcia and colleagues showed a
significant increase in muscle activity in the core area
while performing a crunch on the swiss ball, as compared to
a floor crunch. The swiss ball improved the level of
muscular activity as well as the co-recruitment of spinal
stabilizers. The researchers said:

"Performing the curl over the gym ball with the feet on the
floor doubled activity in the rectus abdominis muscle, and
activity in the external oblique muscle increased
approximately fourfold."

Although research results have been mixed in the past, the
studies showing no increase in abdominal muscle activity
using a swiss ball may have been due to the exercise
technique used on the ball, including velocity and body
placement on the ball. Earlier this year, Dr. Eric
Sternlicht and colleagues at UCLA designed a study to test
this hypothesis and they measured for differences in muscle
activity while using different positions on the ball.

The EMG analysis confirmed their hypothesis and
demonstrated that body position on the swiss ball could
decrease or increase the amount of muscular activation.
When the ball was positioned with the upper back high on
the ball (just below scapulae), the muscular activity was
less than a floor crunch. But by strategically positioning
the ball so it was firmly placed at the lower lumbar
region, there was a 66%, 93% and 104% increase in upper
abdominal, lower abdominal and external oblique activity,
respectively.

More Proof That Form Is Everything And Little Things Make A
Big Difference

For years I have preached about proper form on all
abdominal and core exercises and I have taught my clients
"little tweaks" and "tricks" in technique that look minor,
but which can lead to huge improvements in results. This
new research is proof. It also reveals how the ball is a
versatile tool for exercise progression: The high on back
position is easier, while the ball lower on the back is
more difficult, accommodating for different strength and
fitness levels. Further progression can be added by using
resistance (dumbbell or weight plate held on chest or at
arms length from chest).

Swiss balls are only one of many training tools, but in my
opinion, when used properly, they are one of the best of
the bunch. I created an entire core training system that
uses the ball for many of the exercises, I put all my
clients on swiss balls and I highly recommend that you use
the ball as well. Just remember, the swiss ball is only a
tool – it's not the "end all be all" of core training and
it can't work miracles. It will also not burn fat off your
stomach – you need a caloric deficit to achieve body fat
reduction.

Use the ball as one part of a balanced training program
that includes other tools such as free weights, cables and
your own body weight. Forget the potentially dangerous
"circus act" swiss ball stunts, use good exercise form,
purchase only quality, high-strength exercise balls, use
them in a clear area, clean them often, check them for
leaks and I promise you will have a fantastic versatile
training aid that will last you for years and never go out
of style. Fitness fads will always come and go, but the
swiss ball is still a winner.

----------------------------------------------------
David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditining Coach and holds
multiple certifications including three from the
prestigious CHEK Institute. Plus he is also the author of
the popluar selling e book, "Firm and Flatten Your Abs,"
which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region.
Lean how to shead bodyfat and eliminate low back pain and
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http://www.flattenyourabs.net