Swiss Ball Exercises for Better Abs, Buns & Backs

This 1996 video is a well produced and enjoyable resisance ball workout. It is approx. one hour long and consists of thorough instruction, form pointers, warm-up and workout. I really feel some of the exercises the next day. Using the ball is a lot of fun and challenging at the same time.The breakdown is as follows:

Introduction (3 min.) Mr. Chek explains the benefits of ball exercises. He describes how ball work uses full range of motion, challenges the nervous system and balance mechanisms, and stabilizes muscle function.

Instruction (16 min.) In a gym setting, he explains each of the 12 exercises while his assistant (and, I think, also his SO) Jackie demos both beginning and advanced versions.

Warm-up (15 min.) We've relocated to a grassy cliff overlooking the beach at San Diego. He starts with gentle pelvic rolls. Then assorted stretches. Then lifting and swinging the ball.

Workout (22 min.) Mr. Chek is joined by Jackie and two other exercisers who demo the beginner moves. The exercises are:

Pelvic Tilts
Two-Legged Bridge
Supine Leg Extension
Bent Leg Hip Extension
Seated Posture Trainer
Supine Hip Extension
Oblique Crunch
Back Extensions
Forward Ball Rolls
Supine Lateral Rolls
Upper Ab Crunch
Alternating Superma

I have owned this video around two years and haven't used it much lately due to time constraints, but it is a great video for swiss ball work. Compared to Gin Miller's it is excellent and I liked it better than Fitball, although it is not as "fun."

The video starts inside of a gym/physical therapy area where Paul has his assistant, Jackie, demonstrate the moves you will be using. He shows what you should and should not do.

Then it is onto the beach where he and his fellow exercisers warmup and perform the routine. This is NOT a cardiac workout, but primarily strength and flexibility. You do pelvic tilts, bridge work, and hamstring rolls. For the hams you are laying on the ball tummy down squeezing the glutes and hams to bring the feet up (a good burn). Then it is onto the boring, but essential, posture training section where you sit on top of the ball lifting each leg and holding for ten seconds, and return the foot to the ground. Then onto a great quad exercise I think he calls them supine hip extensions, I really can't explain them but when you get to doing them one leg at a time You are worthy! He does his oblique crunches with your back laying on the ball, I like to do them the way Gin does in a side lying position. There are back extensions similar to the cobra I guess in yoga. Then you do a fist roll for the abs, it is very similar to the old little wheels that people used to roll out their arms on while on all fours (I hope that makes sense). Then there are shoulder rolls for the oblies which is when you lay on your back, preferably just your upper back, on the ball and roll to side to side holding 10 counts in between. He does standard crunches on the ball, and closes with "superman" which is laying on the ball tummy down, lift your left hand and right leg, hold 10 counts; and vice-versa.

It is a great video as far as learning technique, but unfortunately Collage doesn't carry it and I don't think they plan to. He does have a site at www.paulchekseminars.com it shows all his videos, but you can get this video I think from Fitness Wholesale and I got mine from Ball Dynamics.