3 Advanced Swiss Ball Exercises
The exercise ball, also known as the Swiss Ball, was developed in 1963 by Aquilino Cosani, an Italian plastics manufacturer. According to Wikipedia, the term "Swiss Ball" was used when American physical therapists began to use those techniques in North America after witnessing their benefits in Switzerland. And According to Dwight Schrute,
"This ab workout is specifically designed to strengthen your core. It has numerous health benefits, strengthens your back, better performance in sports, more enjoyable sex."
I agree with Dwight and the physical therapists. But is there any research to back these claims?
Escamilla and colleagues performed a surface electromyography study to figure out which exercises elicited the most significant muscle activity throughout the core musculature.
The authors found that some Swiss Ball exercises activated the core musculature more than the abdominal crunch and bent knee sit-up (1). To be specific, the three exercises below caused significantly more muscle activation compared to the other exercises. These three exercises were found to be the most effective exercises in activating the abdominals, and obliques while minimizing lower back and quadriceps involvement(1).
Highest Core Activation
Swiss Ball Rollout (highest abdominal activation)
Swiss Ball Pike (highest oblique activation)
Swiss Ball Tuck
Based on the research above, I highly recommend incorporating the exercises below into your current or future exercise program. However, these are advanced exercises and should only be done by advanced trainees.The focus should be on quality repetition instead of quantity. Perform each exercise for at least three to six weeks.
1.Swiss Ball Knee Roll-Out 3 x 6-12 reps
2. Swiss Ball Knee Tucks 3 x 6-12 reps
3. Swiss Ball Pike 3 x 6-12 reps