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How to make your abdominal workouts twice as effective...

Use a swiss ball!

Swiss balls (often known as gym balls or stability balls) are vinyl air-filled balls often used during rehabilitation programmes. Over the past few years, they have become increasingly popular in gyms and health clubs around the world.

A recent study has shown that abdominal exercise on a swiss ball may be far more effective than conventional floor based techniques.

A research team from the University of Waterloo compared curl-ups on three different surfaces.

• A flat surface.

• A swiss ball (feet placed on the floor or supported on a bench).

• A wobble board.

Muscular activity in the abdominals was almost doubled when subjects used the swiss ball. The table below shows how hard each muscle was working (as a % of its maximum) during the curl-up.

TABLE 1. Muscle activity during the curl-up on a flat surface and swiss ball.

The researchers speculated that the increase in muscle activity (particularly in the external obliques — the muscles running down either side of your trunk) was needed to maintain stability on the ball.

You can order your own swiss ball from Bodytrends (if you're in the United States) or the Physique Management Company (if you're in the United Kingdom). The balls come in several different sizes — the taller you are, the bigger the ball.

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Reference
Vera-Garcier, F.J., Grenier, S.G., & McGill, S.M. (2000). Abdominal muscle response during curl-ups on both stable and labile surfaces. Physical Therapy, 80, 564-569