Bench press.

SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

These balls are rated at like 1000 pounds. And I have seen some really big guys at the gym doing flyes on them.

The first time I was introduced to them was in physical therapy. They are a well established mainstay in assisting people to develope balance. They are incredibley versatile tools.

TKD_McGee · Purple Belt

If you have a bed corner that has open space surrounding it and no walls use that.

Put the center of your back on the edge of the bed and make sure your arms and elbows can move around freely in the air...

Then put a weight on each hand and push upward, make them touch each other with a sound, then pull them back down as far as you can... then repeat the process...

All you really need is a place where you can lay down at. Maybe even sitting upward and pushing up with 2 free weights would be good...

I usually just sit down on a chair and put one weight between my legs, then do a curl with it from the ground to my waist without moving all over the place. That helps a lot. Or you can stand up and do the classic curl...

I personally think that GI pushups are dangerous and not that beneficial... if u want to do a more strenuous push up refer to my "One Arm Pushup post" or put your hands right next to each other and put one leg up on your other leg and do a regular pushup...

KickChick · Black Belt

I posted quite a few push up variations in General MA forum (upper body strength)...
What SaiFightsMS is referring to is SBT (stability ball training) which was used primarily for rehab purposes but is becoming increasingly ppopular for developing core muscle strength.
Studies have also shown SBT to help improve overall strength and most importantly) to help athletes break past plateaus. With SBT-combined exercises such as bench presses, leg presses, squats and lunges, you would see improved weight loads, regardless of where you are now. This SBT process works because the instability of the ball has an impact on the stabilizers of any joint used in movement. A great example is doing a push-up on the ball with hands on the ball and feet on the floor. This movement recruits a much greater number of muscles and stabilizers than doing a push-up on the floor This translates into improved strength and balance... and also the ability to increase the number of floor push-ups.
You can also do flexibility exercises on the stability ball. These are better than than traditional stretching because the ball provides gentle and easy flexion or extension movement. This SB movement helps all muscles become fully engaged in the stretch. Stretches can be done with the ball or on top of it. Beginners need to be careful since balancing on the ball can be an issue ... but end result IS improved balance!

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[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-02-05 09:28 ]

Bon · Black Belt

::edit::
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