Mogget wrote:
> I wonder if I could ask your opinion, please? (Apologies if this isn't
> your area).
It is my area now... since you've been gone I've become a
personal trainer and have been working for several years now.
That's why I don't have as much time to spend on-line.
> I need to get back to the resistance training, but I am getting to the
> gym approximately never. I've got some dumbbells & a Swiss ball, and I
> wonder how to get myself a basic routine with these.
Yes you can, in fact by doing a some free weight work while on
the Swiss ball (SB) you end up working our core muscles (abs and
back) while working the targeted muscle group (i.e.. shoulders or
chest) a bit more than if you where simply standing or lying on a
bench. Plus there's a lot of variation that you can do with a SB
to help you progress. I often have beginners doing pushups using
the SB because it can make it easier then if they did it the
standard way, then over time you change the leverage and it can
become harder then if you did push-ups the standard way.
> Any chance you could please list some good exercises for me to do at
> home? If I don't recognise the name, I can google it
I'd highly recommend you look into getting a couple of books that
focus on training with a SB. I haven't come across anything on
line that explains SB work very well. I've got a few of books,
but I'm not sure any of them are "THE BEST" on SB training. The
one that had the most information and was laid out with
beginners, intermediate and advanced (plus a seniors) workouts
was "Swiss Ball For Strength, Tone and Posture" by Maureen Flett.
However most of my practical learning came from another
trainer/ physical therapist who's worked with Swiss balls for a
long time.
In fact if you could afford the time and money it would take I'd
suggest you read up on training with a Swiss ball, then pay to
visit a trainer who has experience with SB work. But I understand
that that might not be possible. So what I'd suggest would be to
first start working on getting your abs and back stronger
before you start to do a lot of free weight work on the SB. Take
a couple of weeks to work on getting your core muscles strong
first. You don't want your core to be the weak link in your
workout with SB. Use some of the standard free weight advice
others have posted then combine the SB work with the free weight
work after your core has some strength and endurance.
I think you'll be surprised how much you can do with SB. In fact
if someone was starting out and didn't have the money for a gym
nor the space for a home gym, a SB and free weights is exactly
what I'd suggest.
--
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"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!"
-Emiliano Zapata
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