BALANCE ON STABILITY BALL RE: PIKES

intensitylisa

intensitylisa

Cathlete
;( I have an extremely difficult time keeping my balance on the stability ball trying to do pikes. No matter how I try I can not get my knees to come up to my chest into the V position. I have no trouble doing the inverted V on the floor or abdominal core planks but can not do the pike on the ball without making my back feel uncomfortable. Any suggestions on how to master this would be greatly appreciated. :)
 
I don't really have any advice for you, but I am in the same boat. It doesn't hurt my back, but I just can't do the pikes on the stability ball. My plan is to maybe try to do one every day before I workout and then 2 and so on. Maybe if I try to do one or two everyday before I am fatigued from my workout, I will get stronger and be able to do them.
Good luck!:p
Angela
 
I am with ya'! I tried them again yesterday and fell off royally onto the floor and bumped my hip on the coffee table I rolled off so far.

I am about ready to give up on them. My 2 year old was watching me and even he was laughing! He said "Mommy you are silly!"

Hopefully I will get the hang of them pretty soon.
 
Another vote for trying them one at a time, at a time far removed from any other physical activity. Also, take your shoes off it does help. I can do them fine without the shoes, but with shoes makes me less stable for some reason. Someone else suggested this, so it's not my brilliance - ha ha!

They really do begin to come with some practice....amidst puffing and blowing and incredible faces. Don't do them with others present!! Just a few thoughts....

Briee
 
I was the one that had the problem doing these w/my sneakers on. I can do them much better in my bare feet. However, I was also experiencing much pain in my wrists until Cathe answered my plea & suggested I try doing them on the tips of my fingers. I was doing them putting all of my weight on the heel of my hands. OUCH! I tried doing a few of these as Cathe suggested & it worked. I still can't keep up w/Cathe & crew on the tape; its very difficult but someday I will master it! Just keep trying every day to do a few more than before. I know too that some days I just can't do that V pike but I'll just bring my knees in & let it go at that. I'm going to buy Moira Stott's "3-D Balance: Ball Pilates"-Level 3 tape. Moira has the pike in this tape & maybe it'll be explained better. Good luck! Kathy:7
 
;-) You know it is strange, because last night I was showing my husband how to do pikes on the stability ball and I was not wearing shoes which made the exercise more tolerable. I guess it will just take practice. Also using the fingertips does help. Thanks for the advice!:*
 
Hey Kathy, I was going to ask Cathe if this is okay....but so far she hasn't jumped out of the TV to say NO. I've been using 12 pound dumbbells when I do the pikes. I tie them to my tush to make it harder cause their so EASY. Ha ha, had you going there didn't I. I use them just like I would for doing pushups and they REALLY save my wrists. It took a few times to get used to this, but now it really helps. This isn't cheating is it and if it is.......I really don't care they are still incredibly tough to do!!!!!!

Briee
 
Ha Briee!

You had ME going! I was trying to visualize the dumbbells TIED to your tush! OH MY, what a sight I got! I don't think using the bells at all is "cheating". It is keeping your wrists in straight alignment and that is a GOOD thing. Hmmm, I just may head downstairs and give a go at a few V-Pikes! :7
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
Hi Briee! Yes you really did have me going there for a minute; scratching my head & had a very perplexed look on my face & said to myself "What she is thinking!"LOL I'll try it tonite w/the dumbbells & NOT on my tushyLOL Thanks, Kathy:D
 
I tried to do one pike yesterday BEFORE my workout. Could I do it? NO!!! Wow, my husband is going to hear me whoop it up the first time I do just one!
Angelax(
 
RE: Hey Angela!

Oh my gosh...Debbie...he ALREADY tried that yesterday. He saw me trying and he was like I can do that! I said go ahead! He gets on and does the exact same thing I did...his knees were bent and his butt is in the air in this frog like position. He gets off the ball and is like HAA!...told you I could do it! He kept telling me not to be jealous! He is such a nut and I was laughing SO HARD!!! I need to think of a way to work this into a challenge so he has to buy me more Cathe videos when he falls down gasping for air after the warm up in Imax 2!;)

We were both cracking up when he read the responses to my post! Have a good one!
Angela

:7
 
RE: Ha Briee!

Hey Debbie and Kathy, let me know what you think of this...it has really helped me.

Briee
 
Not to sound like I am bragging or anything - but I think maybe you guys are trying too hard- when I first got the tapes on Jan 3, I couldn't do one inverted pike either. I showed my 16 year old daughter the tape and she did it the firs time! I know she is much younger than me, but she never works out!

I said that is it - I will get to do these if it kills me - I can do 40 of them at one time, but I will tell you I am winded and drenched when I get done and I do not come off the ball like Cathe does I do fall of the ball and say "Oh, my gosh!"

But I did find that I was weighting myself down, maybe because I was so tightened up - in other words trying too hard. Envision yourself (your butt and abs) as being light as feathers when you pull up. The ball barely moves - if you watch Cathe do it. I do mine with shoes with my toes pointed as I pull the ball forward, but when I peak up in a V my feet end up being flexed.

It took a few weeks to work up to 40 - but let me tell you I will not try to get to 50. I have been doing them for about 8 weeeks and I do not feel I can even progress to one more.

I feel the same way about the leg work on the Stability Ball - I have never thought, Oh, I will do another set of those, either.

Good Luck,

Cheryl
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top