Exercise of the Day: Push-ups on Exercise Ball

Even people who are good at push-ups will find this movement challenging!

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Push-ups on Exercise Ball

A standard push-up is already a challenging exercise that includes the use of many different muscle groups, including the abdominal and lower-back muscles that collectively make up your "core". By doing this movement on an exercise ball, not only do you radically increase the recruitment of those core stabilization muscles, but you change the way the upper body muscles are recruited as well. By modifying the way a muscle is used, you get the double benefit of strengthening it from a different "angle" while at the same time increasing your level of neuromuscular coordination - the mind-muscle link.

Exercise of the Day: Exercise Ball 1-Leg Push-Ups

Adding an exercise ball and a bit of instability can make an already challenging exercise even harder!

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Exercise Ball 1-Leg Push-ups

The idea behind this exercise is to make the push-up more difficult by doing it from a feet-elevated position, but then adding in another level of difficulty by adding the instability of the exercise ball, as well as the additional neuromuscular coordination needed to lift 1 leg off of the ball. Don't let the seeming difficulty of this movement stop you from making the attempt, however! It is a great exercise on many levels, and even if you can't do full range of motion repetitions at first, start out by going down and up just a little bit, and then increasing your range of motion as you get stronger.

Exercise of the Day: Exercise Ball Oblique Crunches with Medicine Ball

Looking to actually accomplish something with your ab workout instead of just doing crunches day after day?

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Exercise Ball Oblique Crunches with Medicine Ball

Although this movement targets the oblique (side) abdominal muscles, it exercises your entire core musculature at the same time. By balancing yourself on the exercise ball and also adding outside resistance (the medicine ball), you force all of your core muscles to activate just to keep you stable, and that is before you even start moving back and forth to exercise the oblique muscles!

Exercise of the Day: 1-Arm Squat

Using a kettlebell, a dumbbell, or a medicine ball, you can develop incredible strength, stability, and neuromuscular coordination with this one-sided movement.

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1-Arm Squat

Be sure that the weight you are holding does not migrate in front of your head during this movement. The idea is to create a "counter-weight" situation where the weight pulls you slightly backwards and you have to compensate for that by using your core stabilization muscles. Also, be sure to practice perfect squat form - feet flat on the floor, toes parallel and pointing straight forwards, head and shoulders up and not rounded forward.

Exercise of the Day: Calf Raises with Exercise Ball

Ever wanted to get a great calf workout, but standard calf raises just weren't doing it for you? Try Calf Raises with an Exercise Ball!

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Calf Raises with Exercise Ball

When doing this movement, lean into the ball at about a 10-degree angle. You want enough of an angle to both cause the exercise ball to be needed as a stabilizer, and also to change the angle on your calves as you do the exercise. Be sure to go all the way up as far as you can onto your toes with each repetition, and also hold that peak contraction for 2 seconds before returning to the start position. Also, once you start a set, never let your heels touch the ground until that set has been completed.

Exercise of the Day: 1-Legged Cross Hop

Think that you need some fancy cardio equipment to get your heart rate up? Think again!

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1-Legged Cross Hop

Many people discount their ability to get a great cardio workout using absolutely no equipment, when in fact not only can you get a great workout using just bodyweight, but the exercises are more natural as well. In the case of the 1-Legged Cross Hop, choose a distance of around 10-feet and hop from one side to the other on one leg, and then go back using the other leg. Be sure to focus on the working knee and keep it slightly bent at all times. Also, start with hops of very low height and then work your way up to higher vertical hops as you get more conditioned.

Exercise of the Day: Medicine Ball Toss Up

Much like the Medicine Ball Throwdown, this exercise allows you a full range of motion throughout the entire repetition

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Medicine Ball Toss Up

When throwing the medicine ball into the air, remember that the idea is to make this a "whole body movement". By squatting down before you toss the ball, and beginning to move your arms upward as you stand up, you will be creating energy. Also, be sure not to "throw" your arms behind your head at the completion of the movement. Your arms should be straight overhead and roughly on either side of your head when you release the ball.

Exercise of the Day: Medicine Ball Throwdown

Not only is this a great exercise, but it also allows you to vent some frustration at the same time!

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Medicine Ball Throwdown

This exercise may look like it isn't going to accomplish many things, but looks are deceiving in this case. Most exercises require a very definied stopping point that your brain knows about in advance. The body's instinctive desire to keep itself from harm will cause you to slow down the output of energy as a result of anticipating that stopping point. In an exercise such as the Medicine Ball Throwdown, that stopping point doesn't exist, so you can put a full-out 110% effort into every single repetition. Be sure to raise your hands all the way up over your head to recruit the maximum muscles in your back and shoulders, and also to squat slightly during the downward thrust.

Exercise of the Day: Dumbbell Chest Press on Exercise Ball

Using your exercise ball as a bench or platform for traditional exercises is a great way to build up your core stability while at the same time increasing your levels of neuromuscular coordination.

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Dumbbell Chest Press on Exercise Ball

A common mistake when doing this exercise is to rest the small of your back against the ball, which eliminates much of the core stabilizing effect. Instead, rest only your shoulders on the ball, and be sure to use your core muscles to keep the rest of your body parallel to the floor throughout the entire exercise. Also, if you've done the Dumbbell Chest Press on a standard bench DO NOT use the same weight on an exercise ball, since you will not be able to lift as much weight on the unstable surface.

Exercise of the Day: Lateral Step Ups

The Lateral Step up can be done on any stable surface, and in addition to the muscular benefit, it is great for building up cardiovascular endurance as well as balance.

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Lateral Step Ups

When choosing a surface to step up onto, keep in mind that the higher that surface is, the more you will get out of this exercise, and the more difficult it will be. Also, you can add in a higher level of balance training as well as muscular involvement by lifting the non-working leg as high as possible into the air on each repetition.

Exercise of the Day: High Jump

The High Jump is one of those exercises that looks easy, but it's not! This basic movement that requires no equipment is more effective in some ways than using the high-tech cardiovascular training equipment at the gym.

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High Jump

This exercise is hard on the knees if you are not accustomed to jumping type of movements, but do not let that stop you from starting out slow and working your way up. The biggest variable in this movement is the vertical distance that you actually jump, so start out by just barely getting your feet off of the ground, and then move on to increasing heights after your joints have had a chance to recuperate from previous workouts.

Exercise of the Day: 8-Count Bodybuilder

This exercise hits every major muscle group at some point during the movement, and gives you a great cardiovascular workout at the same time.

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8-Count Body Builders

After you do the push-up portion of this movement, remember to kick your legs apart and then back together before returning to a fully upright standing position for the next repetition. If you are not strong enough to do a regular push-up, you can substitute a supported push-up where your knees are on the ground, but bring your knees back up before kicking your legs apart and back together for that portion of the movement.