Simple Secrets For A Stronger Core

The other day I got an e-mail from someone asking whether they should be doing more exercises on a Swiss ball.

"I've just started working with a new trainer," he wrote. "Some of the exercises we do, such as the overhead dumbbell press, are done sitting on a Swiss ball."

"My trainer says that doing them on a ball makes them more functional for my core. And the exercise does feel harder, even though I'm using a lot less weight. My goal is to build some more muscle before I go on holiday later in the year. Should I be doing more exercises on a Swiss ball to strengthen my core?"

To cut a long story short, no. You don't need to do anything on a Swiss ball to strengthen your "core" muscles. If your main goal is to build muscle, doing more exercises on a Swiss ball isn't just unnecessary, it may actually slow your rate of muscle growth.

I'll tell you why in a moment. First, let me give you a bit of background.

Why are people sitting on balls?

Doing an exercise on an unstable surface, such as sitting on a Swiss ball or standing on wobble board, is supposed to place a greater emphasis on some of the muscles in your core, helping to improve core stability, protect against back pain, improve athletic performance, and so on.

Such exercises are often a lot harder than their more stable counterparts. That's mainly because you're working so hard to stay balanced. And because they still have a high "novelty factor", they often create the impression that they're superior to their more stable counterparts.

In fact, I recently heard a trainer claim that "performing three set of squats on a Bosu ball is the equivalent of three ordinary sets, because you engage more muscle groups to stabilize yourself." I also get e-mails from people expressing their grave concern that I don't include enough unstable exercises in some of my training programs.

While there are benefits to exercises done on an "unstable" surface (which I'll talk more about in a moment), it's my opinion that they've been wildly exaggerated by the fitness industry.

In fact, the main reason that I don't recommend sitting on a Swiss ball or standing on a wobble board is that — for the vast majority of people anyway — such exercises are not a good way to invest your time and energy.

Let me explain why...

What is the core?

Let's start with a basic description of what the core is. Not everyone agrees on the muscles that make up the core, and different experts include different muscles.

Some will tell you it's just the abdominal muscles, such as transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis. Some will say it's the abdominal and lower back muscles, while others will tell you it's a host of muscles including those in the abdominals, hips and back.

For our purposes, let's define the core as the muscles of the trunk and hips — basically, anything that isn't the head, arms or legs. And it's these muscles that are supposed to benefit from exercises done on an unstable surface, such as a Swiss ball or Bosu ball.

As I mentioned earlier, there are benefits to these kinds of exercises. For example, I remember reading an article about a professional surfer who did a lot of work on unstable surfaces. And I can understand the thinking behind that. This type of training should (in theory at least) help to improve his balance and prepare him for the unstable environment that he's going to experience on a surfboard on the ocean.

And therapists have been using unstable exercise devices (e.g. Wobble boards and Rocker boards) for years to help with the rehabilitation of knee and ankle injuries.

So, there is a time and a place for instability. But it's not a universally effective way to make all exercises better, especially if you're trying to build muscle.

Muscle growth

One of the triggers for muscular growth is a progressive tension overload, which involves adding more weight to an exercise over a given period of time. But if you're exercising on an unstable surface, the amount of weight you're able to use is going to be reduced. And using a lighter weight is a step in the wrong direction if you want to get bigger and stronger.

Let's go back to the example I told you about earlier.

My friend who asked the question about doing the overhead press on a Swiss ball was working very hard just to stay balanced. Yes, the exercise might have felt harder. But he was using a lighter weight than normal, and wasn't working his shoulders and triceps (the muscles you're supposed to be working with an overhead press) as hard as he could have been.

But you don't need to take my word for it. I'm certainly not the only one to question the effectiveness of this type of training.

In this uncensored Q&A, I asked Craig "Turbulence Training" Ballantyne what he thought about the so-called "functional training" and "core stability" workouts that seem so popular right now. Here's how he replied:

"I don't really like those terms, that's for sure, since they can't really be narrowed down to a single definition. They don't really mean anything, because people use them to describe everything. I think people should focus on getting strong in basic exercises, becoming more mobile and athletic, and train with proper form at all times."

"In the gym, nothing irritates me more than watching trainers have a client do some type of squat on a balance implement when the client can't even perform a proper squat standing on the floor. But then again, many times the trainer can't squat properly either."

"Whoever started the rumor that wobble boards build functional core strength should read this report", writes strength and conditioning specialist Jim Smith in his Combat Core Special Report. "Wobble boards do have their place in a rehabilitative setting where a patient needs to re-stabilize an injury or re-establish balance and proprioception."

"But, you should know there is an inverse relationship between the stability of the base support and the power potential of the lifter or athlete. Wobble boards used in an athletic training setting will help the athlete…to get better at standing on a wobble board. If you are looking to develop true core strength, get off the wobble board and get moving!"

And you'd be surprised at just how much work your core does during other exercises. The other week, for example, I went back to doing single-arm dumbbell rows after a few months of doing rows with a barbell. When I woke up the next day, my obliques (the muscles on the sides of your waist) felt really sore. I'd never realized before how much work they were doing just to keep my torso stable and prevent it from twisting.

In other words, I was able to use a weight heavy enough to challenge my upper back as well as working some of my core muscles at the same time.

Safety

This brings me to the subject of safety. Some people are doing exercises on a ball that should really be done on the floor. Not only does this make the exercise less effective at overloading the target muscles, it can also increase the risk of injury.

"I've seen professional athletes who were advised to perform squats without weight or with light weight on the ball," says Joseph M. Horrigan, DC, head speed-strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Kings and co-author of The 7 Minute Rotator Cuff Solution.

"The risk for that movement is enormous," Horrigan continues. "Some trainers actually advise their clients to stand on a ball while squatting. While attempting to develop core strength, you can easily fall off the ball and incur head and/or neck trauma, ankle sprains and fractures, shoulder dislocations, wrist injuries and more. You're not a trained circus seal. Don't stand on balls while performing squats."

So, what's the bottom line here?

Please don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not questioning the value of training the muscles in your core, just some of the methods being promoted to do so. You don't need a Swiss ball, a wobble board or any of the various balance devices in your local gym — exercises like squats, side bridges, rows, pulldowns, and push-ups will build not just core strength but whole-body strength as well. The best exercises don't need to be "new" to be effective.