About Me

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Hi! I am a fitness professional, a father of two gorgeous girls, a serious football fan and a LOVER of FOOD! I believe that to maintain balance in life we need to enjoy everything in moderation. But sometime during the past two and a half years, since my first daughter was born, I have lost my balancing ways. I'm addicted to food...my main addiction; chocolate. My workouts have taken a backseat to parent and tot gymnastics, crafting, and singing the ABC song. I NEED to find balance again. Please join me as I embark on this journey. I hope you too can find the balance in your own life.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Home Gym Equipment -SIMPLIFIED!

~Written by Chad and Kate

Balls, bands, chin up bars, Equilizers, ropes, balancing boards etc, etc, etc...

The list for home gym equipment can be very extensive and very confusing, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog we are going to fill you in on our top 8 pieces of home gym equipment. And over the next few weeks we will be showing you different exercises and workouts using the equipment we feature.  Sound good?  Okay, let's begin.

Our Top 8 
1. Stability Ball
2. Resistance Bands
3. Lebert Equalizer
4. Medicine Balls
5. Skipping rope
6. Gliders
7. Bosu
8. Foam Roller


In a category of it's own, is Chad's favourite piece of equipment: the TRX. This thing is awesome. Anything designed by a Navy Seal would be. If you are already super-fit and looking to really push yourself with some tough workouts, you NEED one of these.  More on this piece of equipment later.


Today, we are going to take a closer look at the stability ball and show you just how awesome this piece of equipment really is.  We say it's awesome and we mean it! Why you ask? Good question...to start with, it's relatively inexpensive.  On top of that, the stability ball is virtually limitless in exercise options. Perhaps the best thing about it, is the level of core training that it brings. Every single exercise you perform on the stability ball requires a significant level of core muscle recruitment.

Stability Ball

Before we get into some stability ball exercises, we want to make sure you're getting the right ball for you.  Stability balls come in various sizes. If you look at the height measurements located on the box when purchasing your stability ball, you will see they suggest that your thighs should be parallel to the floor when sitting on the ball. The problem with this, is that unless you are using the ball as an office chair (which isn't a bad idea) you will rarely be sitting on the ball. We find that a 55cm ball has the best overall use when exercising. Be sure to buy a higher quality ball, the cheap ones are just that - cheap.

Now that you're all set with your ball, let's get into some exercises.  The following video shows 15 ball exercises to get you started.



Exercise Notes


Hamstring Roll-ins: Keep your core tight and arms out to the side for balance. Don't over arch your back. The wider your arms are the more stable you will be. Keep your arms off the floor for an added challenge.

Hamstring Curls: Same as the roll-ins, but be sure to keep your hips up!

Jackknifes:Keep your core super tight! The movement is in the knees and hips, not the back. The greater the distance between your hands and the ball the tougher the exercise will be.

Jackknife Pikes: Same as the jackknifes, except you keep the knees straight. the entire movement comes from the hips and shoulders.

Rollouts: Keep your core super tight and your arms as straight as possible. Toes off the floor with the weight always on your hands. Push your hands down into the ball and drive your shoulder up to return to the starting position. Do not drive your hips back! The entire movement comes from the shoulders.

Military Plank: Keep your core tight. The movement comes from the hips. The greater the distance between the ball and your feet the tougher this will be.

Plank Rollouts: Keep your core tight and reach out as far as you can. This is one of the very best ways to get a super strong core!

Stir-the-Pot: Keep your core tight and make the circles as big as you can. Be sure to do the same number of reps in each direction.

Push-ups:  Keep the core tight. Don't bounce off the ball, touch it under full control.

Inverted Push-ups: Keep your core very tight and get as close to the floor as you can. Always try to look in front of your hands. You are trying to get your chest to the floor, NOT your face!

Inverted Press-ups: Same as the Inverted Push-ups, except this time your face is leading the way. Still try to kep your face in front of your hands, not between them.

Superman: Keep your abs tight. This is not ONLY a lower back exercise! Focus on keeping your glutes and hamstrings tight. Keep your body line straight. Keep the arms straight also and reach as far up and away (I couldn't help it) as you can.

Back Extension: Keep the abs, glutes  and hamstrings all tight. Think of crunching over the ball, not collapsing into it. Try to limit the amount of ball you touch. Further your hands are away from your hips the tougher the exercise is.


Side Crunch:You want your entire upperbody off the ball to start. Don't collapse into the ball, think of crunching over the ball, touching the ball as little and as gently as you can.

Crunches: Don't let your hips drop as you crunch up. This is a small movement, really think about squeezing the abs.

If you've purchased your ball but aren't ready to jump into these exercises yet, then we suggest you have some fun together. Use your ball to sit on while watching your favourite tv show.  During the commercial breaks, see how long you can balance on your ball. At first you may only be able to lift one leg off the ground, but over time you'll be able to sit atop your ball with both feet and hands in the air -FUN! Once you've mastered this, try balancing on the ball in a kneeling position.  It's always best to have a spotter around (or cover the surrounding area in blankets and pillows) just in case you REALLY lose your balance and the ball goes firing out from under you sending you face-first to the floor.  If this happens, don't get discouraged. Get back on the horse (or ball in this case) and try again.

The stability ball is a wonderful workout tool making exercises both fun and challenging.  Your core muscles will thank you!







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