I just got a stability ball and oh man I SUCK at staying on that stupid ball! And when I tried to the pikes I could not keep my legs locked, I kept bending my knees. I was trying so hard and was grunting and laughing at the same time. DH ran in the living room and thought maybe I was dying LOL! any tips to conquere this? All I can say it to get through this the abs must be screaming! }(
just did abs on PUB - can't stay on BALL LOL!!!
- Thread starter JulieL
- Start date
kathryn
Cathlete
Just keep on trying!
It does take a while to get the hang of the ball, but the mere attempt to stay on the ball is firing those core muscles.
Keep your abdominals strong (think of pulling them in like you're trying to zip up a too-tight pair of pants). Also, the pike and other moves in the same position rely on shoulder girdle stability as well as core stability. Doing planks on the floor can help with this.
It does take a while to get the hang of the ball, but the mere attempt to stay on the ball is firing those core muscles.
Keep your abdominals strong (think of pulling them in like you're trying to zip up a too-tight pair of pants). Also, the pike and other moves in the same position rely on shoulder girdle stability as well as core stability. Doing planks on the floor can help with this.
I did those abs last night too and I was laughing at myself! I cannot get those pikes for the life of me! I ended up doing the plank work on the floor, but I think its my balance that gets me and I get all crooked!
It would be funny if someone saw me doing them....or attempting anyways
It would be funny if someone saw me doing them....or attempting anywaysMy first stability-ball workout was PUB and lemme tell you, it wasn't pretty.;-)
If you deflate the stability ball and make it a little mushy, it'll help while you're learning to use it. As you get more comfortable on it, you can inflate it to make it firmer.
And those pikes still kick my butt...there have been several posts on this board about form - if you do a search you'll get some great tips. The best one I received was to engage my core/abs but concentrate on lifting my hips/butt to the ceiling, NOT pulling the ball in with my abs. If you watch Cathe and Crew, the ball doesn't move that much.
Allison
If you deflate the stability ball and make it a little mushy, it'll help while you're learning to use it. As you get more comfortable on it, you can inflate it to make it firmer.
And those pikes still kick my butt...there have been several posts on this board about form - if you do a search you'll get some great tips. The best one I received was to engage my core/abs but concentrate on lifting my hips/butt to the ceiling, NOT pulling the ball in with my abs. If you watch Cathe and Crew, the ball doesn't move that much.
Allison
Conni
Cathlete
I agree with Allison. The key for me was to think of hiking my hips up into the air and that changes the cente of gravity so that you can continue the upward motion.
Don't feel bad, I have been doing this one for months and still have to do those miserable planks on the floor, my arms are just shaking by then!
Don't feel bad, I have been doing this one for months and still have to do those miserable planks on the floor, my arms are just shaking by then!
Stick with trying to do the pikes. I usually don't do them on an upper body day unless I want to pre-fatigue the upper body before I start my actual workout. I started working on doing pikes on the ball last Aug. I am up to a set of twenty knee pull ins and pikes and then two sets of ten, which I do a couple of times a week and then traditional ab work a couple more days. It has done wonders for my abs. Also, I can easily do the standing tuck jumps. It's definitely worth the effort.
Tracy
Tracy