Swiss balls are certainly one of the most effective pieces of equipment you could have in a gym or at home. Also, their ability to force you to use more muscles to stabilize yourself is very impressive.

Here is an article that focuses on some Swiss ball ab exercises to help you get a strong core. Also note that these Swiss ball ab exercises will definitely strengthen your abs but any type of ab exercises alone cannot make your abs visible.

Nevertheless, here are some of the best swiss ball ab exercises. First, I would suggest that you add these exercises with other workouts as a form of circuit training. Here are the Swiss ball ab exercises:

– Swiss Ball Ab Crunches (using a medicine ball)
– Normal Swiss Ball Ab Crunches
– Swiss Ball Ab Pull-Ins
– Swiss Ball Side (Oblique) Crunches (using a medicine ball)
– Normal Swiss Ball Side Crunches
– Planks using Swiss Ball

Why Incorporate these into Circuit Training?

Circuit training forces you to burn more fat and, in turn, you will be able to get visible abs after a while. Therefore it is great to integrate these exercises into circuit training.

The only reason why your abs are not visible (if they are actually not) even though you have been doing tons and tons of ab workouts is because they aren’t enough to get rid of the fat that’s causing your abs to be invisible.

Your diet and high intensity workouts like circuit training and HIIT’s are two main ways to get rid of belly fat and body fat in general.

Your diet will determine if you are going to lose or gain fat and how successful you are in achieving your fitness goals. The type of lifestyle you live is also important.

Keep in mind that other things like eating late at night a few minutes before you sleep, stress, slow metabolism, improper digestion, etc all play a big role in the accumulation of belly fat.

In Conclusion

Swiss balls are an extremely convenient tool for strengthening your core. On the other hand, remember that strengthening on its own won’t get rid of the necessary amount of fat required to get your abs visible.

There is a large variety of exercise ball workout routines, ranging between the back, chest, shoulders and abs muscle groups. When using an exercise ball, the degree of difficulty of the exercise is magnified as your body and muscles work harder on the unstable surface. This in return gives you a higher quality workout in terms of recruiting muscle and losing those extra pounds. As some say, more bang for your buck!

Compound exercises are the most effective, so I have listed a few compound exercises per muscle group for variety purposes. Most of these exercises can be done with 2-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Compound chest/shoulder workout for an exercise ball

Dumbbell press on a swiss ball – similar to a bench press, you do this exercise with dumbbells on a gym ball. As always with all these exercises, controlled and good technique is the key.

Shoulder/Seated military press – while sitting on a swiss ball, push your arms straight up and slowly return the weight towards your shoulders.

Compound Triceps exercise

Dumbbell triceps extension on an exercise ball – shoulders flat on the ball. Similar to a dumbbell press, hold the dumbbells above your head and extend your elbows backwards, then come back to the original position.

Abs

Forward ball roll – In a kneeling position, wrist on the ball, hands together. You start by rolling forward, extending yourself as much as possible, keeping the arms straight, then return back to the kneeling position.

Plank on a swiss ball – just like a normal plank exercise, but in this you rest your forearms on a swiss ball. Make sure your shoulders, back and legs are as straight as possible while holding those abs in. If you can hold this position for 1-2 minutes, you’re on your way to getting firm abs.

Swiss balls were first made in Europe for physiotherapy back in the mid 1960s. Over time its uses have ranged from physical therapy to fitness & health related activities, to name a few. The multi-purpose ball can be used by beginners up to the pro athletes. In this swiss ball introduction, as well as anywhere else, the term “swiss” is just one of the few names this type of ball is known by. Popular terms it also goes by are stability ball, yoga ball, exercise ball, gym ball, fitness ball and so on.

The advantages of exercising on a stability ball is that the muscles being used will work harder on the unstable surface than on a flat one. The unstable nature of the ball in return makes the muscles a lot more stronger and efficient. Very good for individuals who may have weak back muscles from hours sitting down or working out on exercise machines. It also aids in improving balance and agility.

The primary exercises that are used are mainly core strength routines involving abdominals and back muscles. There are also a lot more exercises you can incorporate with swiss balls such as free weights and other related core strength exercises from various training programs. Your exercise routine is limitless once you learn what you can do with this simple spherical object!

Important points when buying a swiss ball

When choosing a fitness ball there are a few things you need to know before buying. Make sure you know the ball size. When it’s fully inflated it should be below your knee so you can sit on it with your thighs parallel to the floor and with your feet comfortably planted down. Their are size charts to cater for different heights.

Choose a ball with a textured surface not too smooth or slick. If it’s too slippery, especially when you’re sweaty, you may slip and injure off!

For your own safety concerns, always choose a ball that has anti-burst feature/technology. If you’re sitting on the ball while working out and the ball deflates, you want it to puncture slowly so you have enough time to react. You don’t want the the ball to burst violently and injure yourself!

Tips on using the exercise ball:

• Verify your ball and workout area before each workout for any debris or objects that may puncture the ball.
• Inflate the ball so it’s full and stiff, not soft and mushy. That’s how it was designed to work.
• Take care so that the ball does not slide out from underneath you, especially when you’re sweating while working out.
• Use a non slip surface at all times. If you have a slippery surface put something over it so the ball stays in place.

Sizing guidelines for exercise: