Customer Reviews

Strength Ball Training

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a PhD on the subject, but as a lifelong "fitness enthusiast" (read: two points shy of OCD) I've seen dozens of books on diet and exercise and have managed, through judicious culling of available material, to distill a program out of it all that has eased considerably my transition from extended adolescence into midlife crisis.

Lately haven given up running and 80% of my weightlifting activity in favor of dance class, hiking/hill sprinting and bodyweight circuits, the stability ball is the single most important piece of gear I use. The core conditioning I've learned in the course of various rehab cycles relies on it, and having revamped my program based on the ball and related movements I'm always looking for new information about it.

This book is the most comprehensive out of half a dozen or so I've seen on the subject. It contains sections on each body part and a full range of medicine ball movements for explosive conditioning. If I would have known 30 years ago what I know now, I'd have been ten times better off using the programs in this book than the folklore-laden, body builder-based training I was using.

If you want to build the type of conditioning that will not only make you a better athlete but give you survivability throughout your life, this book would be an excellent place to start.

I start all of reviews with 5 stars and then take away stars with something that I don't like.

I think this book is a great book. It's a very comprehensive book showing you all of the different exercises available with a stability ball and even some exercises that I didn't know could be performed with a stability ball. Very well put together.

I do have two complaints though. 1) You have to have a partner for several of the exercises listed. I'm not taking away a star for that though, because other people did have it in their reviews and somehow I just skimmed over that part. 2) There's not really a good workout regiment in the book. They give you all of these exercises and then don't really culminate them well. Yes, there are a few "workouts" in the back of the book, but they only seem enough to whet your appetite. I am horrible about coming up with my own workout plan. I guess I'm just not creative enough. Seems like something they could add in a revised edition.

All in all a good book though.

When I was a kid,I remember seeing the guys who boxed at the YMCA gym using Medicine Balls as part of their training. Medicine Balls went by the wayside because people lost interest in using them. So I find this great book on Amazon, with a lot of great exercises showing how to work the medicine ball into your routine. The book is clear and fun and can be used by both men and women.I tried some of these great exercises with my wife and a friend of hers, we all had a good time, and everybody liked the Medicine Ball Workouts!!! Now we are all going to use these routines on a permanent basis. My only complaint is that they don't tell you what weight medicine ball to get. The website provided showed very expensive balls. I got a 15lb ball... at a Sports Store.( Most stores don't carry the 15lb size so you may have to shop around).

This book is worth twice the price. The accompanying DVD is also worth twice the price. It's a lot of information for the money!

Background: until a couple of weeks ago I exclusively lifted weights for strength training. Then I hurt my back, and decided I needed to get some more dynamic training into my regimen. I bought a few medicine balls, and immediately hurt my back again! (In a different spot.) I ordered this book (along with Gambetta's medicine ball book) to teach me the right way to use medicine balls. I was a bit unsure about this book because I really didn't want all those stability ball exercises -- I was just looking for med ball ex's.

In the meantime I went to a few stability ball classes at the Y because I figured that they wouldn't hurt my back. I actually enjoyed them and looked forward to the book's arrival.

The exercises in the sample program look pretty easy, that is until you watch the DVD and learn the *correct* way to do them. For all you macho guys out there who think that stability balls are for sissies, well let's just say that after I completed the beginner workout, I felt like I had been beaten by hammers all over my body. But in a good way! :-)

The DVD is very professionally produced. They film the exercises from multiple camera angles, and use slow- and stop-motion liberally to illustrate the critical parts of each exercise. (My 3 and 6 year-olds were mesmerized!) There is narration during the slow/stop sequences telling you what to watch for.

Short story, I sent Gambetta's book back because it pales in comparison to this one.

By the way, today I went to the Y and it was a beautiful day (60 degrees in February!) so the place was empty. I had my choice of an empty weight room or an empty aerobics studio. I chose the studio and the stability balls! What does that tell you?

If your into ball training. Strength ball training is the only book you will need. This has every possible excercise you can do with a strength ball. Plus some! Highly recomended for the ball trainers. Plus you can do it at home,for you television buffs,even in front of your T.V.

You really get your money's worth with this book and DVD. As a personal trainer I already know a lot of balance ball exercises, but this book really taught me some new tricks. There are some very challenging exercises for the core. There are quite a few exercises that require a partner which is great for me as a personal trainer. I highly recommend this book. The DVD is a real bonus.

This is a great addition to any personal trainer and group fitness instructor's library. Some might complain that it takes a partner to do some of the exercises, but from a training stand point you WANT your clients to NEED you--just think for a second, if your clients didn't have to do partner exercises, then why would they hire you? Besides, even if you go to they gym regularly and you know your way around the weightroom, I would suggest getting yourself a workout buddy to help with motivation and program adherence.

For the beginner, I would not recommend this book because most of the exercises are pretty challenging. I thought I knew every possible exercise on the physioball after going to Core Workshops in New York, but if you get this book I promise you will spend your money wisely.

If you don't have a gym, then spend the money to get a medicine ball and a physioball, an investment of about $100, and you're well ahead of the game when it comes to fitness. It's also a great book for any of you functional training and sports performance junkies out there, you could definately use some of these with your athletes.

The DVD is an excellent addition to an otherwise packed-out book of stabilization knowledge. The book doesn't tell you what poundage (or Kg) because the author assumes that you are smart enough to know your limits about what you can chuck around.

When I decided to get back in shape, I was always mistified by the people who were using swiss balls. At times I was temepted to get a trainer session or two, then I stumbled onto this book. There are 69 exercises concisely explained, and clearly illustrated grouped by area worked. My only complaint is that a few of the exercises (maybe 10 or 12) require a partner to do. All in all after a few weeks I can feel the results, and I didn't need a personal trainer to get results using stability balls.

this is a very informative book. the dvd made it easier to get the exercises right. i would recommend this book to anyone who wants a strong,toned,well balanced pysique.

For a number of years I have been doing a challenging program involving fairly heavy weights, stretching, and aerobic exercise. I was in good shape but not making progress, even when I increased the weight load. Lots of work on ab machines helped but did not completely shape up my core.

Last summer a trainer introduced me to a few exercises using stability balls. A few weeks later I found this book on Amazon. The first thing that impressed me was the quality, the amount of care that has gone into every aspect of the book and accompanying dvd. The introduction explains the approach and cites recent research. The instructions and photo accompanying each exercise are clear and helpful and the beautifully produced DVD demonstrates proper form for many, though not all, of the exercises.

I tried the sixteen-week program and saw dramatic changes not only in my core but also in my upper arms and legs. I'm now following the same pattern using some of the exercises from the program and some new ones, changing the selection every four weeks. Each exercise has advice about progressions so the possibilities are really endless. Some strength training programs are illustrated with photos of people who resemble the Michelin Man. The people in this book look like regular people in very good shape. That's how I'd like to look. Thank you Lorne Goldenberg and Peter Twist.