Disrupt regular workout with small challenges
Back in the late 1990s, I vividly recall attending my first national fitness conference. For a small-town kid from southeast Kansas, it was amazing. I remember trying to soak up every morsel of information I could while meeting as many fellow professionals as possible. This week, I’ll share one of the most valuable concepts I learned that week and will introduce an exercise with a foundation rooted in the same idea.
On my second morning of the conference, I spent breakfast perusing the daily catalog of events and ran across an interesting group exercise class featuring Swiss balls. I had some experience working with Swiss balls in my parttime job as a chiropractic exercise specialist but had never seen them used in a non-rehab environment. The class peaked my interest. I packed up my things and headed down to the classroom.
As soon as I walked in, I knew I was in the right place. Brightly colored Swiss balls filled the room, along with dozens of fitness professionals dressed head to toe in the latest workout gear. Over the next hour, I listened to the instructor talk about functional training, core stabilization, and other concepts that opened my mind to the possibilities. Up to that point, my fitness training really only included traditional free weights, strength machines, and basic cardiovascular exercise.
That day, I learned how to introduce “disruption” to a traditional exercise program by infusing elements to challenge one’s balance. Through small incremental challenges, the body begins to adapt and become stronger in places that truly matter — like the lower back, hips, and abdominals. I immediately began applying these concepts in my personal training and my client’s programs with fantastic success. In fact, I continue to use the same concepts today.
This week’s exercise is a perfect “disruption” for exercisers who have performed a million bench press repetitions. The Single Arm Ball Press requires concentration and core engagement while challenging the upper body musculature at the same time.
1. Select a medium weight dumbbell and lie on your back on a Swiss ball. The Swiss ball should be positioned in the center of your upper back so that your neck is supported.
2. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand as if you are in the normal bench press position. Your left hand should be on your left hip. Your hips should be parallel with the floor and the core should be taut.
3. Now, slide a few inches to the right so that the ball is positioned slightly left of your spine. Maintain the hip and shoulder position parallel with the floor.
4. From here, press the dumbbell upward as you would with a bench press. As the arm reaches full extension, “roll” your shoulders to the left to allow the dumbbell to reach even higher.
5. Lower back down until your shoulders are back to parallel. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
6. Switch sides and do 10 on the other side.
Hopefully this exercise is helpful for many, but the take home message from this week’s column is to embrace every learning opportunity. Who knows, your “Swiss Ball Lecture” might be right around the corner. Enjoy!