Women With Balls

Advantages: easily split up into two half hour workouts, and has some really challenging core work, and I liked the background exercisers.

Disadvantages: the white set, only two sets of each exercise, 10 reps each, I think. All just use body weight. For a whole hour, it just doesn't feel like enough work... I've done it and the only thing it made sore were my triceps.

I think my time is better spent elsewhere....

Charlene

Danielle has done a pretty good job breaking down the video, so I will skip that. I really enjoyed the unique use of the ball in this video especially the "active sitting" where you are literally balanced on the ball sitting. It is quite challenging on it's own and then she adds upper body dumbell exercises to it in the second half. Most of the exercises on the tape include ab stabilization even if the primary exercise you are doing is for another muscle group. I did the tape yesterday and my obliques are quite sore today. Just for comparison, I rarely get sore from a traditional ab workout.

The only minuses are, there is a lot of explaining that might get a little old after doing the tape several times and the blank white background doesn't really grab me.

This video has 2 half hour workouts on it, I do them both together. The set is all white (floor, walls, ceiling). Charlene and 2 women wear lime green and royal blue, and use large pink balls.

The first workout starts with active sitting which is sitting on the ball with your feet on the sides of it slightly behind you (not on the floor). While you are sitting this way (it's actually pretty hard), Charlene goes over basic info on ball size and care. The first few exercises are for your glutes. You start with your back against the ball and do single leg lifts (not really sure how to explain this exercise), then tiptoe bridges. Next are crunches on the ball, then oblique work with your hip on the ball and your feet against a wall. You then do back extensions over the ball with your feet against the wall. Plank work is next. The plank work was very challenging. After that, you sit with your arms hugging the ball and squeeze it while you retract your shoulder blades. You then do scapular retractions while you are in a pushup position with your hands on the ball. Next is some hamstring work. You do hamstring bridges where your lower legs are on the ball and you roll it in towards you while in a bridge position. The last exercise in this workout is triceps pushups with the ball under your legs.

The second workout starts with squats with the ball between your back and a wall. Next are hamstring curls (single or double leg) where the ball is under your lower leg(s) and you roll it in towards you while in a bridge position. You then do a plank with the ball under your shins and tuck up into a ball then back to plank. The next exercise is similar, you drop hips to one side and then roll in to work your obliques. I kept falling off my ball during this one. Next is a plank with the ball under your shins and you lift your leg to the side of the ball. For lower abs, you lie on your back with the ball between your legs, legs bent, and extend your legs while keeping your back in neutral. Regular pushups with the ball under your legs follow. The last 6 exercises use weights. You do OH presses with the ball as an incline bench, chest flyes lying back on your ball, biceps curls and french press while active sitting on ball (feet don't touch the ground), rear delt flyes lying over the ball, and finally lat raises while in active sitting.

For most of the exercises, Charlene shows options to make it harder. There are some breaks but not between every exercise. I found I needed these breaks to rest. Charlene also does excellent stretches using the ball after many exercises.

I liked this workout. I couldn't do every exercise, but with practice I know I'll get there. I would rate it intermediate/advanced. Charlene gives great form pointers as always.