Stable And Balanced

Posted: August 15, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Oops! I forgot to catch you up on this weekend’s posts earlier. So, in case you missed it -

Today was the big day. I mentioned tearing up early this morning at the thought of Makenzie starting preschool officially today. I cried a bit after dropping her off.

And then…I got home and realized the blessing of extra time to rock out some productivity. I love my little munchkin and thought about her consistently, but I can certainly see the bright side to this whole preschool thing now. Plus, her beaming grin when I picked her up let me know how happy it made her. I can’t argue with that. 🙂

Before dropping Makenzie off at preschool, I decided to keep things as normal as possible for her routine. I didn’t want her noticing me hovering extra and then thinking something was up with this whole preschool thing. That meant hitting the gym for my Monday morning weights session as usual. I did something a little different this morning and incorporated a plethora of stability training into the mix.

I coupled a bunch of exercises together in supersets with one traditional exercise and one stability exercise for the larger muscle groups (legs, chest, back) and a couple stability exercises together for the smaller muscle groups (arms, shoulders, abs).

  • Legs: deadlift superset lunge on upside down Bosu
  • Back: cable high row superset dumbell pullover on the ball
  • Chest: flat dumbbell bench press superset alternating incline press on stability ball
  • Shoulders/Biceps: side raises and bicep curls on upside down Bosu
  • Triceps/Abs: dips on stability ball, ball crunches

I did three sets of 8 to 12 reps for each superset. It went rather quickly but I really felt the challenge on doing two exercises for the same muscle back to back. Plus, I have recently fallen in love with stability training! I used to think it didn’t add much of an extra challenge or benefit, but it really does. I can feel it work my body in new and different ways. Plus, from my personal training studies, I have learned the large benefits in focusing on stabilization muscles for a broad spectrum of fitness improvements. Gotta love a solid foundation to help better your fitness overall. 🙂

I have recently been loving on the following to add some extra fun in the form of stability or balance training to my workouts:

Doing Moves on an Upside Down Bosu Ball

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Doing Alternating Movements (on or off stability ball)

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For example: Instead of pressing both arms at once in a shoulder or bench press, do one arm at a time. Training one side at a time can increase the need to balance yourself and it can display if a side is weaker than the other.

Traditional Moves Done on a Stability Ball

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Wow. The iPhone takes junky pictures. LOL

Almost any move I would use a bench for I can sub in a stability ball for an added challenge in balance and stability training.

 Staggered Moves

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Having one side of the body slightly higher than the other can increase a need for balance. Another example would be doing squats with one leg higher on a step with risers.

I gotta say that I love putting into practice a few of the things I have learned. Hopefully I can stay on track to get certified sometime in November and start up with the online training stuff by the new year. Sometimes I even brain storm ideas of having an end of the year or start of the year (depending on timing) program to host for all of my blogging friends. What a fun way that would be to kick off the new venture! Who would be with me? 😉 Okay…getting ahead of myself. Sorry, but I just can’t wait!

Well, now I must get to making up lost time with my little M before settling in for an exciting night of leftover lasagna straight out of the tupperware and Bachelor Pad viewing. Peter’s Monday night meetings this month will equal high class evenings around here. Ha!

  • Do you ever incorporate stability or balance training into your strength training workouts? What ways do you like to do so?
  • What things do you tend to do when by your lonesome for the night?

Disclaimer: This post is not meant as advice on how you should train. I simply strive to share my personal fitness journey and some fitness ideas along the way. Use them at your own discretion. 🙂

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46 Comments to “Stable And Balanced”
  1. Great job holding it together for M! You’re such a great mommy. I love the Bosu ball! I don’t use it nearly enough!

  2. I’m glad Makenzie had a great first day!

  3. Awww that picture is so cute, good for you looking on the positive side of preschool!
    I love the bosu ball except when i have to do burpees while holding one, ick – lol 🙂

  4. OHHH EMMM GEEE that pic is sooo stinkin cute!!! I think it is an automatic reaction for moms to cry when there kids go to school. My mom balled when I went to college. It was funny/embarresing/cute!

  5. Erica says:

    Glad the day went well and that you enjoyed your extra time!!!! I definitely eat random meals and watch trashy tv when j has night meetings!

  6. Kiah says:

    Funny that you should post this–I was just writing about stability balls! I like laying (face up) over the ball to relax my back. It feels so good after all the upper body weight lifting! 🙂

  7. I am home alone at night a lot with Lee’s police schedule and you can almost always guarantee the night will include walking the dog, having a mish-mash of things for dinner, and trashy reality TV! 😀

    I hope M enjoyed her first day! So exciting!

  8. Mellissa says:

    She looks so cute with her little socks and shoes. Make an album with all those first day of school pictures.

    I love balance work, especially a hamstring curl with my feet on a ball.

    • Tina says:

      Oh, that is a good move. And I really need to do that with pictures. I’m so bad about getting pics printed and organized.

  9. Maria says:

    Doing planks on a stability ball takes them to a whole new level! I also enjoy sit-ups on there as well. One stability move that is SUPER hard for me is doing one armed should presses with a medicine ball. Trying to balance that thing is in and of itself, a great shoulder workout!

    So glad that M (and you) survived your first day.

    p.s. I want to move to Atlanta so we can workout together. Cool with you or super creepy? 🙂

  10. Kinley says:

    Your little girl looks so cute and so ready for school 🙂

    I love my BOSU! I use it almost every time I do weights. Like you said, it really seems to force you to use a couple extra muscles. One of my favorites is tipping the upside down BOSU with your arms to trace the alphabet while in a plank!

  11. For the very first time yesterday I thought of my little guy heading to preschool in 2 years (we also have a 5 mo old)…now that I’m working part-time, I thought to myself, just think of everything I can get done while he’s at school! Like you I love them to death, but I also know he’ll love school and it will give me a chance to do a little for myself:)

  12. Oh my goodness – I would totally be with you on the workout program! Can’t wait to hear more about that!

    Your little girl looks so precious heading off to Pre-K! Enjoy the little bit of extra free time you get now! 🙂

  13. I would love if you hosted an end of year/start of year workout party! I would even welcome the idea of traveling to Atlanta for it! I have 2 best friends moving to Atlanta this week and hope to be in the area quite a bit over the next year! Count me in!

  14. I remember last year when my DD started preschool. I cried, too. Don’t worry. It’s completely normal. 🙂 BTW- who takes your pictures of you doing the exercise moves at the gym?

    • Tina says:

      Peter. I drag him with me and make him take pics. Although today I actually asked two random ladies for a pic I needed. they looked so confused. LOL

  15. Awww I love lil M’s pic and her cute outfit and baby bear <3

    Hubby's schooling for work starts back up next week on Monday's and Wednesday's and that means I get a lil me time! Of course I love being with him but do relish some alone time to watch some trashy reality television – I'm right there with you on Bachelor Pad, love all the drama!

  16. My plyo workouts are killing my knees, making it more difficult to run so I’ve been looking for a replacement that would help increase my strength. Maybe stabilization exercises would help?

    When I’m alone for the night, I always end up eating something the husband and stepson would never eat but that I like and watching recorded reality TV.

  17. I love my stability ball! I do most of my strength training on it! Great workout moves! can’t wait to try 🙂

  18. Great ideas..I definitely need to include some balance and unstable surfaces to my training!!

    I’m glad M had a nice day at school 🙂

  19. Kendra says:

    Love the idea of a bosu ball, and i use the stability ball occasionally. I have one workout that uses it for a killer leg work, with squats and pressing ball against wall with your back and holding heavy dumbbells in your hands, and anything to do with planks or pushups or curling the hamstrings with one or both feet on the ball and laying on the floor is a tough workout! Love the variety, though.
    Question for you Tina: what does your hubby do for exercise? Do you ever workout with him? Does he work at being healthy or is just naturally fit because of his good choices? My husband and I are still trying to find balance between enjoying a healthy lifestyle while still having fun with treats occasionally and not being in bondage to food rules.

    • Tina says:

      Peter is right on the same page with me. He works out 3-5 days a week and has recently taken up some running (25-30 mins a few times a week). He eats pretty much the same things I do, just bigger portions. He also has a raging sweet tooth so we usually have a bigger dessert as part of our date nights because we both enjoy savoring some DQ blizzards or something together.

  20. you daughter is unbelievably cute! I love that picture. Thanks for the great workout ideas! I’ve taken too much time off from the gym and need to start up again – i’ll try some of these!

  21. awww, little m is growing up so quickly! she’s adorable though – i’m sure she loved making new friends at preschool! 🙂

    and i bet that extra time was pretty amazing!

  22. I add stability exercises from time to time, but I know I should do them more. The older regulars at my previous gym always told me they wish they had done more of them when they were younger.

  23. Bosu balls are awesome for strength and core training! Unfortunately I don’t use them enough. Glad M had a great first day!!

  24. When I’m home alone I love just curling up on the couch with either a good book or a good movie 🙂 I spend time catching up on blogs and writing new posts. I love my alone time!

  25. Your little girl is adorable! Yay for preschool starting!

  26. Stability training is great! I don’t always do it, but when I do I definitely feel it. When I’m by myself for a night I usually read a book or watch a girly movie 🙂

  27. That picture of M is adorable!! She is just too cute.

    I love incorporating stability workouts into my routine, but my new gym doesn’t have any bosus, but they have those inflatable disks, I want to try some things with them 🙂

  28. helen says:

    Oh so sweet, I am so happy to hear she was smiling and enjoying her day!

    I have never tried the bosu ball…..

  29. yes yes love training with the bosu and stability ball…the mind of a trainer wanders and I am ALWAYS playing around with the equipment looking for new killer ways to incorporate full body moves with with all while keeping a focus on CORE and stability!

    oh my gosh you are going to get certified?!?! so exciting!!

  30. Lisa says:

    Oh geez Makenzie is so cute! 🙂

    & i love the fitness pictures! Bosu ball exercises are awesome!

  31. Mandy says:

    I am so glad to hear M had a great first day of school!

  32. I love stability training, but have a hard time doing it, too. I guess I just forget about doing it myself. I use it while training clients though 🙂

  33. I LOVE the stabiliy ball and the BOSU. I teach strength training classes and the BOSU is by far my favorite piece of equipment to use!

    Which PT cert are you studying for? I have been training for a couple of years now and took the ACE (American Council on Exercise) originally. I just started studying for the NSCA PT cert and it’s a beast of a book but very interesting! 🙂

  34. You’re looking fantastic!!! Congratulations on M starting preschool. It’s so exciting. You’ll be blown away by how much she learns in the next year. How old is she?

  35. Khushboo says:

    I don’t usually use the stability ball but I want to start- these pics are super helpful!

  36. So glad to hear she loved preschool!!

  37. That picture is SO cute, I can’t even stand it. (the one of M, haha!)

  38. Tina, Mackenzie is so stinkin cute in that picture! I can only imagine the emotions of the 1st day of pre-school. Sounds like you made it through 🙂

    Love the workout ideas too. You’re looking GREAT!

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