EXERCISE / WORKOUT In Strength Training on the Ball, Colleen Craig shows readers of all fitness levels how to build strong bones, improve balance, and reduce fat while toning and defining the body. Combining the unique functions of the exercise ball with the endurance and flexibility benefits of Pilates-based strength training, Craig presents over 140 exercises using weights, balls, bands, and the body's own resistance. She introduces innovative work using two balls for developing core stability, the hallmark of the Pilates approach and a key to building a strong body and functional movement patterns. Her exercise variations make strength training safe for beginners, children, teens, and older adults and challenging enough for the experienced athlete. Strength Training on the Ball is modeled after Craig's groundbreaking and bestselling works Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball. Step-by-step instructions and photographs outline every exercise, and each chapter contains checkpoints to help readers set realistic yet motivating goals. Personal stories throughout the book illustrate how strength training can improve quality of life. The book concludes with three specialized strength-training workouts: a therapeutic workout for those recovering from injuries, a basic workout for beginners, and a challenging workout for athletes and gym enthusiasts. COLLEEN CRAIG, author of the bestselling Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball, is a certified Stott Pilates trainer and a writer. She lives in Toronto and teaches workshops worldwide.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction: Function Versus
Strength
Liuda’s Story
Recovering Function and Strength
Connecting the Dots: A Pilates Approach
Not a Recipe Book
1. The Ball and The Method
Aquilino’s Story
The Pilates Method: Over Ninety Years
Old and Growing Strong
Why Pilates-Based Ballwork?
Check-In: Getting Started
2. Breathing and Releasing
Maria’s Story: Freeing the Rib Cage
The Three-Dimensional Breath
Rest As You Go: An Italian Story
The Breathing Exercises
Ball Breathing • Chest Opener with
Arm Circles • Breathing and The
Hundred
Check-In: The Right Ball for You
3. Stability Before Strength
Dawn’s Story: Achieving “Moving
Stability”
“Big Engines” Versus “Control Engines”
Nervous-System Error
The Pre-Pilates Stabilizing Exercises
Navel-to-Spine • Tailbone Curls • Pelvic
Floor and Knee-Lift Stabilizing Exercise
• Heel Slides and Single-Leg Circles
• Scapula Isolation and Rib Cage
Stability • Half Roll-Downs with
Resistance Band
Check-In: The Work of Attention
4. Strength Training, Posture, and Balance
Arthur’s Story
Posture: Staying in Line with Gravity
Uncovering a New Neutral Spine
Strength Training and Balance
The Footwork
The Footwork Exercises • Squats
with and without Weights • Single-
Leg Footwork and Lunges
Check-In: Balance Tests and Postural
Assessment
5. The Abdominals: The Powerhouse
to Strength
Cindy’s Story: Activating the Elevator at
the Base of the Powerhouse
The Powerhouse: A Three-Dimensional
Cylinder
Crunches Versus Curls
The Key Powerhouse Builders
Pelvic-Floor Elevator • Knee-Lift
Stabilizing Exercise • Abdominal Curls
• The Roll-up • Single- and Double-Leg
Stretches • Oblique Twists • With the
Small Ball • Ab Curls on the Ball
• Abdominal Challenges • Side-Twist
Plank with Leg Lift
Check-In: Dieting Blues
6. Strength Training and Antiaging
The Long Slow Goodbye of Aging
The Antiaging Benefits of Strength
Training
Osteoporosis--The Silent Bone Saboteur
Light Versus Heavy Weights
The Pilates-Based Arm Work
Ball as Bench • On the Belly • Bicep
Curls/Wrist Curls • Side-Lying Arm
Work • Sitting on the Ball with
Weights
Check-In: Weight Training and Women
7. Strength Versus Flexibility
My Summer Yoga Class
Stressful Lives, Stressed Bodies
Functional Flexibility
Band and Ball Stretches
Single-Leg Stretch Series • Inner
Thigh Stretch • Hip Stretch • Spinal
Twist • Hip-Flexor Stretch • Kneeling
Hamstring Stretch with Ball • The
Tabletop and Quad Stretch
Check-In: How Are You Doing?
8. Rebuilding Strength
Sadie’s Story--Battling a Crippler
The Science of Back Pain
Extreme Sports and Weekend Warriors
The Resistance-Band Exercises
Sitting on the Ball: Upper Body
• On the Mat: Lower Body • Extensions
• Roll Downs with Pull
Check-In: Treating Your Low-Back Pain
Options and Home Care for Low-Back Pain
9. Recovering Strength and Playfulness
in Youth
One in Four: A Page from a Teen’s Diary
Out-of-Shape Kids
Balls in Schools
Hyperactive Kids and the Ball
Strength Exercises for Children and Teens
Sitting • Extensions and Airplane
• On Elbows • Side Star • Throw and
Catch • Ball Squat forTwo • Teaser for
Two • Balance Test
Check-In: Solutions for Inactive Families
10. Strength Training for Older Adults
A Tolstoyan Story
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Aging
Older Adults and Exercise
Sitting and Pelvic Movements
• Resistance-Band Arm Work
• Bridges • Planks • Hamstring Curls
with Two Balls
Check-In: Posture Control and How to
Complement Your Strength Workout
Final Words
Workout 1: Restorative Strength
Training
Workout 2: Basic Strength Training
Workout 3: Intermediate Strength
Training
Resources
Ball and Video Ordering Information
Acknowledgments
