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Abs on the Ball: A Pilates Approach to Building Superb Abdominals
Innovative abdominal exercises to help tone the abdomen, improve posture, and build a strong back using the Swiss exercise ball.
The exercise ball has long been recommended by doctors, physical therapists, and Olympic coaches for people suffering from back pain. Now Colleen Craig, author of the bestselling book Pilates on the Ball , reveals why the exercise ball is unmatched as a tool for building superb abdominal strength. She presents a selection of over 80 innovative exercises, including some of the key powerhouse-builders from the Pilates Method, all of which she has adapted specifically to the ball.
Craig shows how traditional sit-ups and "ab" machines actually limit the degree to which abdominal muscles can be trained and can even aggravate lower back pain and neck tension. In contrast, the very mobility of the ball targets underutilized muscles, recruiting both deep and superficial abdominal muscle fibers to enhance results.
Abs on the Ball includes exercises for all ability levels that show how to properly use the breath and how to activate the correct muscles during a workout--from the core exercises of the Waterfall, Oblique Curls, and Full Abdominal Curls to the more advanced Side Twist Plank, the Teaser, and Backward Crunch. The author also offers a 10- and 20-minute workout designed not only to build the abdominal core, but also to strengthen and train deep muscles in the back and hip in order to soothe lower back pain and increase overall body strength, balance, and coordination.
The exercise ball has long been recommended by doctors, physical therapists, and Olympic coaches for people suffering from back pain. Now Colleen Craig, author of the bestselling book Pilates on the Ball , reveals why the exercise ball is unmatched as a tool for building superb abdominal strength. She presents a selection of over 80 innovative exercises, including some of the key powerhouse-builders from the Pilates Method, all of which she has adapted specifically to the ball.
Craig shows how traditional sit-ups and "ab" machines actually limit the degree to which abdominal muscles can be trained and can even aggravate lower back pain and neck tension. In contrast, the very mobility of the ball targets underutilized muscles, recruiting both deep and superficial abdominal muscle fibers to enhance results.
Abs on the Ball includes exercises for all ability levels that show how to properly use the breath and how to activate the correct muscles during a workout--from the core exercises of the Waterfall, Oblique Curls, and Full Abdominal Curls to the more advanced Side Twist Plank, the Teaser, and Backward Crunch. The author also offers a 10- and 20-minute workout designed not only to build the abdominal core, but also to strengthen and train deep muscles in the back and hip in order to soothe lower back pain and increase overall body strength, balance, and coordination.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2003
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About the author
Colleen Craig
25 books3 followersBorn and raised in western Canada, Colleen Craig studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia. She then lived in South Africa during the 1980s and observed apartheid firsthand. In 1991 she moved back to Canada and settled in Toronto where she continued her career as a playwright. In 1997 she became a Stott Pilates teacher and in 2001 began to publish the bestselling Pilates on the Ball series which has been translated into six languages. Afrika is her first novel.
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May 14, 2012Yeah... I'm cool... I actually read a workout book.
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