Before we even get started, let’s clear the air on something. This is definitely not what you think. We’re not addressing a part of the male anatomy, as much as you might like that. We are talking about exercise. But not just any exercise. A few exercises that you can do with stability balls and medicine balls.
These tools make great accessories for home gyms and also when you are at the actual gym getting your swell on. In the big picture, they are especially beneficial for framing out your core and giving you that little extra bit of definition that you so desire.
When it comes to losing weight, you know the importance of HGH for men. So think of your balls as added reinforcement to obtain the body you want. It might not have ever occurred to you, but balls can come in real handy if you know how to use them. So let’s pull them out and get to work!
Ab Drills
Just for the record, you will also hear a stability ball referred to as a balance ball, swiss ball, yoga ball, fitness ball, or just simply, “the ball.” It doesn’t matter what you actually call it. Just use the damn thing!
And one of the main things it’s known for is its ability to work your core. More importantly, the abs. If you’re a simple man, you can “simply” do crunches on it. But, those are often done in poor form. And not to mention, they’re pretty boring.
You can do more fun things like knee pull-ins, pikes, side twisting sit-ups, and lying Passover v-ups.
As for the medicine ball, you can use it to add resistance to ab drills like crunches, sit-ups, pullover double crunches, v-up toe touches, and Russian twists. You can also hold it at arm’s reach above your chest while on the stability ball to do push crunches.
Really, you can do almost anything ab-related with one or both of these instruments. You just have to stretch your comfort zone a bit and get creative.
Upper Body Work
Balls are not just worthy to work the abs. They can also both be utilized in the production of upper body muscle and strength. And one of the most basic drills to achieve this feat is the push-up.
With the stability ball, you have two main options—a decline and incline push-up. A decline push-up is performed with your feet on the ball and an incline push-up is performed with your hands on the ball. Both of which come equipped with a particular set of challenges to your body.
This is good news though as the instability of the ball causes a high amount of muscle recruitment. More than if your hands or feet were elevated on a stable object.
Another fun thing you can do with the medicine ball is close-grip push-ups, which really hammer your inner chest and triceps. Or, if you’re up for a challenge, you can do lateral plyo push-ups with the ball.
To do these, perform a push-up with one hand on the ball and one on the floor. Roll it to the other side and hop up like a ninja as you shift your weight to catch it with the other hand. Then perform another push-up and continue to alternate back and forth.
Building the Foundation
There’s plenty of fun to go around with the lower body too when it comes to balls. Squats can be performed with a stability ball pressed between your lower back and a wall. Simply lower yourself down and stand back up.
You can also hold a heavy medicine ball while doing these to increase the resistance. Plus, you can perform split squats the same way, but your legs will be in a staggered stance.
Hamstring curls can also be performed, to ensure you create symmetry with your muscles. Simply lie on your back with your lower legs draped across the top of the stability ball. Press down to lift your butt up in the air, and when you have a straight line from your shoulders to your heels, roll the ball inward toward your body.
Stop when your heels are close to your butt, roll it all the way back out, and repeat.
Lastly, you can straddle the ball with your legs in a wide stance and press your inner thighs into as hard as you can and hold. This is a good isometric exercise that can work your muscles with no range of motion.
A medicine ball is also a versatile tool for doing walking lunges with rotations. In this case, you can work your lower and upper body at the same time. Plus, you’ll be getting your heart rate up, so you’ll burn some nice calories.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! You can integrate the ball with plyometric leg exercises too. Sumo squat jump overhead pushes are examples of these. Simply stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width with your toes angled outward.
Hold the ball in front of you and lower yourself into a deep squat. Touch the ball to the floor, then jump as high as you can. As you do this, push the ball overhead as if it was a basketball and you wanted to dunk it. Land softly and repeat.
Stretching
This mainly pertains to the stability ball. You can use it as an apparatus to stretch all of your major muscles. The contoured shape and softness are what make it so valuable. An example of a stretch you can do is a chest opener, which also stretches your upper back.
This is a good one after you have done a lot of upper body work and push-ups with your balls. Start in a seated position on the ball and walk your feet forward until your back is parallel to the floor.
Now expand your arms out wide into a Y shape and slowly roll backward, arching your back. Go as far as you can until you feel a good stretch in your ribcage, chest, and shoulders and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
Summing it Up
Make sure to put your balls to good use as often as possible. The more you play with them, the more results you will get. But, you never want to overtrain, because that’s for amateurs. Much like taking HGH before and after you start an exercise protocol, you can expect to see results with patience and discipline. Take the smart and safe route, and you will never have a thing to worry about.