kick punch and crunch

[kimay]

hello everybody!!!!

Happy new year. Got a question. On the kick punch and crunch dvd, at the point where cathe begins to work on abs on the stability ball, is it just me or is the part where she is in a plank position on the ball, curls her knees into her stomach and the she is on her tippy toes extremely hard to do. I cannot tell you how many times I fell off of my ball and into my wall. Any helpful hints for the balance-challenged people.

[FiddleFit]

Hi kimay! Nope, it's not just you - those are terrifically difficult things to do. Welcome to the world of stability ball roll-ins and pikes. I don't have any specific advice, except to say that they will get better with practice. Keep trying, and eventually you'll have an "ah ha!" moment, where it all clicks. That doesn't make them easy, but you at least stop falling off :-)

Sandra

[mrsmel]

I also have a hard time wtih these. I read somewhere on this wonderful site to concentrate on pulling your butt up in the air. Once I started doing that, they got a smidgen easier.

Hope that helps!

[fit_fairy]

Super tough!! I still have trouble with stability ball pikes. Practice just being stable on the ball first- at least that helped me and then do the roll ups and progress to the pikes. They are wonderfully difficult}(
catherine

[elsie3]

Thanks for the post! I tried it for the 4th time today and was really concentrating on getting up on my toes when the ball went completely sideways. I guess we'll just keep plugging in there.

By the way, has anyone else but me noticed that the music during the abs section sounds like Jurassic Park? I haven't seen the movie in years, but I noticed it the first time I put the DVD in--the main menu music is the same. Anyway, I'm trying to do those dang pikes and thinking about Velicaraptors at the same time--kinda appropriate, don't you think?}(

[amy_b]

I'm a former gymnast and gymnastics coach, so here are a few of my tips.
1- Modify: place your weight on the ball closer to knees. The further you move down your leg, the harder it will be. For example, if you are balanced on the ball on your shoe laces, that's a lot harder than on your knees! Watch Jai- she's doing the uber-hard version!
2- Check your shoulder blade position and keep your back slightly rounded across the shoulders. Its a little different from a push-up position. With a push-up, you want your shoulder blades retracted so you are working your arms and chest. In the ball roll-ups, you want a more rounded back so that you feel it in your core.
3-As you raise your butt, you are trasitioning into a handstand, so think about transferring most of the balance to your hands. Spread your fingers wide for a more balanced base and pull your butt up as long as you feel that you are balanced. Don't proceed to a full piked handstand until you are comfortable getting "almost" to a full piked handstand.
4- Don't stick your neck out. Allow your ears to move closer to your biceps as your butt goes up.

Make sense?
I hope that helps!! :)
Amy

[Lynn M.]

Hi-

One more thing about doing those pikes on the ball.. Make sure your ball is completely inflated. I was having a really tough time doing them, and figured out that my ball needed more air. Once I was at the properly inflated size, the pikes, got much easier to do. (Well not MUCH easier, but definitely more manageable.! :)

Take care, Lynn M.

[dss62467]

Not your imagination. It will take you a few times. And the first time I actually did it the whole way through, I fell on my face getting off the ball.

[fit_fairy]

Hey Lynn,
thanks for that tip- that may just be part of my problem!!

catherine

[bjbowers]

I just did them for the first time last night! I was still all wobbly but I did them and was very proud. I have been doing KPC for several months now too! They are very tough but I find that I am just getting better, so hopefully that's the case for you too}(