ISSA Trainers - A Call For Swiss Ball Sanity!

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Go into just about any gym in the United States, and you will more than likely see them; big, beachball-looking objects, usually scattered around the area set aside for stretching and abdominal training.

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[laugh n rolling]

So there you have it, four guidelines to go by when trying to integrate the swiss ball into a scientifically-based training program. Remember that Arnold never used a swiss ball in his training, yet developed one of the most admired physiques of all time.

In addition, ISSA co-founder Fred Hatfield never touched a swiss ball on his way to becoming the first man to squat over 1000 pounds in competition. In other words, while the swiss ball is a great tool to put in your bag of tricks, it can never replace good old hard work and moving a mountain of iron. Stick with the basics, and you will garner far better results for your efforts.

I've found a person who hates the balls as much as I do!

Actually swiss ball is pointless in muscle or strength building --it helps to maintain body balance, at most.

I liked the article and wanted to add that when training my new clients whom are 50 an over I find helping them build there balance and core stability on the ball is great it gets them in to there body and then I start adding weights they love it. Kevin M

Swiss ball training is excellent for abdominal training and to build the much-hyped core muscles. What most of the swiss-ball 'expert' fanatics forget, though, is that simply making the core strong does not lead to improved performance in sport or real life. The core is just another part of the kinematic chain, and needs to be trained equal to any other muscle in the body.
Let us take a case of a ball-thowing action in cricket or baseball. Having a strong core is beneficial to improved transfer of force from the legs to the upper torso. But if the person doesnt have a strong shoulder-joint complex(deltiods, SITS group) or strong isometric and eccentric ability in his biceps musce, the powerful force transferred through the core will either be lost in the unconditioned shoulder-joint complex and biceps or might also possibly lead to injury to the unconditioned muscles. The point I'm making is that every muscle in the body needs to be trained for optimum performance. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Going bonkers over swiss-ball training makes it a case of 'too much of a good thing is bad for you'

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