the

total
gym ball workout
Trade secrets of a personal trainer

Steve Barrett

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contents
Disclaimer and advisory

1 the basics of exercising with dumbbells

The S.A.F.E. trainer system (Simple, Achievable, Functional Exercise)

How to use this book
FAQs
Find your starting point
Assess, dont guess
Isolation vs integration
Learn it, then work it
First you need stability
Add some strength
Power and speed come with practice

8
12
17
23
25
32
35
37
40
41

2 the portfolio of moves

Which moves should I do?

The classic moves
Gym ball stretches
Gym ball moves with dumbbells

43
48
99
106

3 training with a gym ball

How to use the gym ball training sessions

And finally
Fitness glossary
About the author
Index

118
141
142
157
158

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the total gym ball workout

the classic moves

exercise 1 sit-up arms at waist
l

stability

l Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands at your waist. The ball
should be between your pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Lift your upper body from the ball, then lower under control.

tricks of the trade

Dont just rest the hands at your waist actively press them against the
hips and you will find the entire move feels stronger.

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the portfolio of moves

exercise 2 sit-up hands at head

l

stability l strength

l Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands at your head so that
the weight of the arms increases the challenge. The ball should be between
your pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Without throwing your arms forward lift the upper body from the ball, then
lower under control.

tricks of the trade

If you find that your neck aches, press your tongue into the roof of your
mouth. This increases activity in the muscles of the neck and throat and
causes your head to feel less heavy.

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the total gym ball workout

3bicep
sit-upreverse
arms extended
exercise 2
curl, over grip
l

stability l strength l power l isolation

l Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms raised above your
head (in the correct position they should be covering your ears). This shifts
your centre of gravity to make the upper body feel heavier. The ball should be
between your pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Lift your upper body from the ball and lower under control, maintaining good
arm length.

tricks of the trade

If this move feels like you are swinging your arms and cheating, place a
towel between your knees and squeeze it. This will tidy up the move and
help you to focus your strength.

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the portfolio
section
of moves
head

exercise 4 sit-up rotation, feet apart

l
l stability l

strength l power l isolation

l Start with your feet shoulder width apart. The ball should be between your
pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Using the opposite leg as a target reach across your body at the same time
as lifting the spine off the ball, i.e. when using your left arm, reach towards
the right leg and you will feel the work in the right side of your body, and the
reverse when using your right arm.
l There is a tendency to sit upright, but because of the leverage the top part of
the movement is wasted, so go past the point where you can still feel tension
in the muscle.

tricks of the trade

Position yourself on top of the ball rather than leaning against it. You
may not be able to curl as high but you will be putting more force
through the muscles.

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the total gym ball workout

exercise 5 sit-up, rotation, feet together

l

stability l strength

Here your narrow foot position increases the challenge with the feet being
closer together you need to accept that you wont be able to lift or rotate as much
as you can on the wide foot version above.
l Start with your feet together. The ball should be between your pelvis and your
shoulder blades.
l As you lift and rotate aim to take the hand down the inside of the opposite leg.
l As you lower back down make sure you let the shoulder release back down to
the ball.

tricks of the trade

Punch the arm across the body as you lift.

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the portfolio
section
of moves
head

exercise 6 sit-up reach, toe touch

l

stability l strength l power

This move is performed quickly and therefore may look a little messy, which isnt
really a problem and, in fact, if you keep it neat, the chances are that you are not
really working fast enough.
The straighter you are able to keep the leg, the greater the resistance you are
working against, so try to avoid simply sitting up, bending the knee and moving
your foot towards the hand. It is much better to keep the leg long and to reach the
foot by getting the upper body right up off the ball.
l Start with your feet shoulder width apart. The ball should be between your
pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Lift one leg and keep it extended straight out, you are going to reach for the
foot with one hand.
l Your arm and leg start to move at the same time it is hard, but try not to
generate all the movement with your arm and leg: make sure some of the work
is coming from the torso.

tricks of the trade

Some of my personal training clients think they have failed on this if

they dont touch their foot, but dont worry it could be that you have
really long legs!

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the total gym ball workout

exercise 7 seated pelvic tilt

l

stability

This is one of the first moves a physiotherapist will do with patients to encourage
them to generate more muscle activity in the lower abdominals. You need to sit
tall on the ball (for some people even this is hard).
l Start with your feet hip width apart. You should be sitting tall on top of the ball
rather than leaning against the side.
l Hold the start position for a couple of seconds, then roll your hips/pelvis
underneath the body until the spine has gone from its extended start position
to flexion. The best way of knowing that you have the move correct is that you
will feel your bottom being rolled into the ball.
l This move is most productive when performed slowly so really prolong the
movement as you work through the complete range of motion.

tricks of the trade

OK, so you may feel rather silly doing this move in the gym. If you need
to make it look more exciting, raise your arms in front of you and press
the palms of your hands together. Personal trainers need to be experts
at keeping their clients focused and this little trick keeps them tuned
in and produces a contralateral contraction within the muscles of the
chest, shoulders and arms.

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the portfolio
section
of moves
head

exercise 8 sit-up knee raise, feet apart

l

stability l strength

Timing is important in this move; you should aim to be lifting your leg at the same
time as you lift your upper body. Try to make the movement smooth avoid any
punctuation during the move.
l Start with your feet shoulder width apart. The ball should be between your
pelvis and your shoulder blades.
l Throw your arms forward to create a small amount of momentum, then reach
between your legs towards your knees.
l You really know when you are doing this move well when you are able to push
the supporting foot hard into the floor as you lift up.

tricks of the trade

When I have a client with limited coordination I make them practice the
rhythm of this move while standing up, which really helps.

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the total gym ball workout

exercise 9 sit-up knee raise, feet together

l

stability l strength l power

Speed is essential to the success of this move. Finding a balance between the
amount of leg lift and upper body lift is key, so aim to lift the leg to the same
height as the chest.
l Start with your feet together. The ball should be between your pelvis and your
shoulder blades.
l Throw your arms forward to create a small amount of momentum, then keep
your hands beside your head.
l While it is tempting, dont simply fall back onto the ball lower yourself back
down under control.

tricks of the trade

I find that pretending you are holding a ball in your hands and that you
are throwing the ball over your knee as you lift helps you to achieve the
right amount of speed in this move.

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the portfolio
section
of moves
head

exercise 10 back extension, arms assist

l

stability

This move should be performed very calmly. The amount of lift depends as much
on the level of mobility in the spine as it does on your strength.
l Start with your feet shoulder width apart (or together if this is more comfortable).
The ball should be on your abdominals rather than ribs. Rest your hands just
in front of the top of the ball.
l Lift your chest off the ball by using a combination of lower back strength and
some gentle assistance from the arms.
l Try to keep the legs in one set position, otherwise bending the knees will cancel
out the extension you need the spine to move through.

tricks of the trade

I find that I need to give my clients the freedom to have their feet
together or apart it seems to be a comfort, rather than a functional,
issue.

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the total gym ball workout

exercise 11 back extension, hands at head

l

stability l strength

Placing your hands at the side of your head means that you are now lifting them
up, which makes the upper body feel heavier.
l The correct start position is achieved by having your legs straight and the toes
firmly planted into the floor. The ball should be on your abdominals rather than
ribs.
l Begin the move from a relaxed position lying over the ball to ensure that the
fullest range of movement is achieved.
l This move is as much about the glute muscles as it is about the low back
extensors, so as you reach the top of the movement ensure the buttocks are
squeezed together firmly.

tricks of the trade

Note: Bending the knees might let you get a little bit higher, but it is
cheating because the glutes and hip flexors are no longer fixing the
pelvis. With the knees dropped down your start position is forward
flexion meaning that the extra height is really coming from the hips
rather than the spine.

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the portfolio
section
of moves
head

exercise 12 back extension, arms extended

l

stability l strength l power

l The correct start position is achieved by having your legs straight and the toes
firmly planted into the floor. Your ball should be touching your abdominals
rather than ribs.
l To achieve the correct arm position I find it better to have the two hands
touching together as this tends to stop the arms waving around.
l Extend your arms then lock them in position and lift the upper body off the ball.
l Avoid the temptation to gain extra height by bending the legs.

tricks of the trade

I find a surprising number of clients hold their breath while performing

this move, so I either ask them to stop doing this or keep them talking
throughout the exercise you simply cant hold your breath and talk at
the same time.

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disclaimer and advisory

Before attempting any form of exercise, especially that which involves lifting
weights, always ensure you have a safe working environment. Ensure that the floor
surface you are on is non-slip and do not stand on any rugs or mats that could
move when you exercise. Also, clear your exercise space of items that could cause
you harm if you collided with them; this includes furniture, pets and children. Pay
particular attention to the amount of clearance you have above your head and
remember that for some of the exercise moves you will be raising your hands and
the weights above head height, so keep away from doorways and light fittings.
The information, workouts, health related information and activities described
in this publication are practiced and developed by the author and should be used
as an adjunct to your understanding of health and fitness and, in particular,
strength training. While physical exercise is widely acknowledged as being
beneficial to a participants health and well-being, the activities and methods
outlined in this book may not be appropriate for everyone. It is fitness industry
procedure to recommend all individuals, especially those suffering from disease
or illness, to consult their doctor for advice on their suitability to follow specific
types of activity. This advice also applies to any person who has experienced soft
tissue or skeletal injuries in the past, those who have recently received any type
of medical treatment or are taking medication and women who are, or think they
may be, pregnant.
The author has personally researched and tried all of the exercises, methods
and advice given in this book, on himself and with many training clients. However,
this does not mean these activities are universally appropriate and neither he nor
the publishers are, therefore, liable or responsible for any injury, distress or harm
that you consider may have resulted from following the information contained in
this publication.

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Trade Secrets of a Personal Trainer

Packed with a wide range of tried and tested exercises

Note
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this book is as technically
accurate and as sound as possible, neither the author nor the publishers can accept
responsibility for any injury or loss sustained as a result of the use of this material.
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
4951 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
First edition 2011
Copyright 2011 Steve Barrett
ISBN 9781 4081 4199 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any
means graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping
or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior permission in writing
of the publishers.
Steve Barrett has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act,
1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Acknowledgements
Cover photographs Grant Pritchard
Inside photographs pp 6, 9, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 26, 40, 43, 45, 99 Shutterstock;
pp 1, 5, 13, 31, 41, 106 courtesy and Copyright of Escape Fitness Ltd
Illustrations by David Gardner
Designed by James Watson
Commissioned by Charlotte Croft
Edited by Kate Wanwimolruk
This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable
forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and manufacturing
processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.
Typeset in 10.25pt on 13.5pt URWGroteskLig by Margaret Brain, Wisbech
Printed and bound in China by C & C Offset Printing

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