Gym ball training

[premier]

I bought one of these bad boys today and I'm sitting on it while writing this. Kinda tricky, but fun :D This is the 75cm diameter model from reebok. Looks pretty good and I got a new chair :)

Anyway. I've seen some nice websites about gym ball training, but I was thinking how do you guys use gym balls in your training? What exactly can you do with these? Have you noticed some benefits from training with a ball? If you tend to sit on a ball how exactly you do it? legs on the ground, and if not, where?

[Robinf]

I love mine too.

You can do anything on the ball you can imagine (just be careful).

The ball will work the muscles you "target" and build your core.

You can do pushups with your feet on the ball or your hands on the ball (harder with your hands).

Sit on the ball with your feet in front, wrapped around the ball. Kneel on the ball or work up to standing (ultimate in balance training).

You can use the ball instead of a freeweight bench for your workout (if you use free weights).

You can do all sorts of abdominal exercises--anything you do on the floor you can do on the ball with practice.

There are more advanced exercises, too. But this should be enough to start. There are good videos out there for this, I'll find the titles of mine and get back to you. They're by Juan Carlos Santana.

[Shaolin-Do]

Can use it to practice back hand springs too :)