Cathe Live: Stability Ball Total Body Weights

Stability Ball Total Body Weights was an excellent live workout–much better than I expected. I like stability ball work, but I am wary when it is used in every single exercise in an entire workout–especially when lower body is involved. It is great and very functional for lots of exercises, but not every exercise. But this workout delivers an excellent and challenging total body strength workout with every single exercise (except one) done on the stability ball. In fact, there are zero weighted lower body exercises. Everything for your lower body is done using the stability ball and Cathe worked my lower body very well. She also didn’t short change a single muscle group. She hit each one thoroughly. I also think that due to the fact that every exercise is done using the stability ball, this is a unique workout due to the combination of exercises.

The workout starts with a very brief warm up that is extended into lower body conditioning using the stability ball. Once that is finished you jump into the weighted strength work. Equipment needed for this workout is a stability ball, a fitness mat and a wide variety of dumbbells. I used 7-25 pounds.

Stability Ball Total Body Weights is 54 minutes long; 3:30 minute warm up, 6:30 minutes core and a 3 minute stretch. You do not use the ball for the warm up but you do use it for the stretch. It aired live on 7/31/14 and here is the video clip. As mentioned above, the workout begins with lower body conditioning holding the stability ball.

Exercises (remember, every single exercise uses the ball except one and I will note that one):

1. Squats w/ stability ball (pulsing squats while bouncing ball and full squats bringing ball overhead at top of move)
2. Side lunges w/ ball (rolling ball back and forth during singles and resting hands on it during pulses)
3. Front lunges bringing ball to side at bottom of lunge (single and pulses)
4. Reverse lunges bringing ball overhead at bottom of lunge (singles and pulses)
5. More squats bringing ball overhead at top of move
6. One arm rows, 24 reps; Cathe uses two 10# DBs held in one hand, I used one 25# DB
7. Rear delt flys, 2 sets 12 reps; 10# DBS
8. Pullovers, 12 reps; Cathe uses two 10# DBs, I used two 12# DBs
9. Chest flys, 12 reps to 2/2 count; 2 reps w/ 5 partials at bottom of fly, and 4 more reps at 2/2 count; Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 20# DBs
10. Push ups w/ feet on ball; 1 set 12 reps, 1 set of 8 reps
11. Seated overhead tricep extensions, 8 reps to 2/2 count, 4 reps w/ 2 partials at bottom; Cathe used two 10# DBs, I used one 25# DB
12. Seesaw push ups, 16 reps
13. Double arm tricep kickbacks (no ball), 19 reps; Cathe used 8# DBs, I used 10# DBs
14. Outer thigh lifts (lay on side on ball, bottom leg bent on floor; raise and lower top leg); lots of reps both pulsing and full with toe pointed and flexed
15. Remain in same position as #14, grab one DB and raise from floor to just above shoulder level w/ straight arm, 16 reps; Cathe used 8# DB, I used 7# DB
16. Repeat 14 & 15 on other side
17. Front raises on on incline, 8 reps; Cathe uses 8# DBs, I used 7# DBs
18. Same as #17 except arc DBs at top so they touch, 4 reps; Cathe uses 8# DBs, I used 7# DBs
19. Sitting ball, do straight arm lateral raises, 14 reps; Cathe uses 8# DBs, I used 7# DBs
20. Repeat #17 but do 4 reps
21. Repeat #18 but do 6 reps
22. Repeat #19 but 12 reps
23. Incline bicep curls, 16 reps; Cathe used 10#DBs, I used 15# DBs
24. Sit on ball and do overhead press, 16 reps; Cathe used 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs
25. Repeat #23 & 24; Cathe increases her DBs to 12#s
26. Lay on back w/ feet on ball and raise hips and hold, arms raised to ceiling (this is a balance move that works your entire posterior chain); in this position she has you do different arm movements
27. Hamstring roll ins (feet still on ball, hips still raised); 16 reps
28. Repeat 26 & 27 two more times
29. Roll ball in w/ hips raised and raise one foot to ceiling, other foot still on ball and raise and lower hips in this position 16x; repeat on other leg
30. Inner thigh toss (lay on back, legs straight in air and open in a V; toss ball and catch it (and squeeze it) between ankles); 8 singles, 4 reps squeezing the ball to a count of 3, then 8 more singles
31. Stay in end position of #30 with ball held between ankles and slowly rotate ball from one side to the other using ankles; 4 reps
32. Sit up and place ball between knees, feet on floor and squeeze ball w/ knees/thighs 40x
33. Ball exchange (pass ball from hands to feet, lowering ball almost to ground but ball never touches the ground ,and head/neck raised throughout); do 4 w/ knees bent and 8 w/ legs straight
34. Keep ball between ankles w/ball/ankles raised to ceiling and do reverse crunches; 16 reps
35. Windshield wiper legs w/ ball still between ankles; she has you do 3 reps then rest then do 8 more reps; all reps done slow to count of 4
36. Reverse crunches w/ ball resting on shins (legs bent and raised off floor); 24 reps
37. 4 slow full sit ups holding the ball
38. Banana holds to count of 8 (holding the ball in hands and over head, but raising off ground during banana hold); 5 reps
39. Roll outs (get on knees, ball in front of you; put palms together and place them on top of ball then roll ball out and in, using only arms/core and extending body into nearly plank position); 11 reps
40. Same position as you were in for roll outs; actually roll out, but hold in rolled out position, and circle arms while pressing them down into ball, as if stirring a large pot; 8 reps in each direction