By Elizabeth Towe
This is an easy go-to exercise for upper body strengthening. It is multi-tasking and challenges core and hip stability. The main objective is creating strength and mobility with shoulders and arms while maintaining stable hips and torso on the stability ball.
Exercise:
- Start in seated position on the Stability Ball (SB) holding your dumbbell (Db)
- Walk your feet out and roll your torso down the SB until torso is parallel with floor (tabletop position)—feet are hip width apart, knees should be at 90 degrees.
- Extend your arms towards the sky, holding Db with both hands over the chest.
- Keeping arms straight, with shoulder blades anchored down towards pelvis, begin reaching overhead with Db. Be sure to brace your core through entire movement. Do not take arms past your ears.
- Return to starting position by driving the shoulder blades down to engage the lats and brace the core to maintain tabletop position on the ball.
- Be sure to maintain the tabletop position throughout the entire movement-keeping glutes engaged and maintaining neutral spine.
- 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps with a Db that is a challenging weight without compromising neutral spine and stable shoulders with each repetition.
To increase your challenge, walk your feet closer together to create a smaller base of support.
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Elizabeth Towe is a runner and a cyclist and the owner of Balanced Movement Studio in Carrboro. She graduated from East Carolina with a degree in exercise and sports science and has been personal training for over 20 years. Her ultimate goal for all of her clients is to help them realize and achieve the optimal quality in their life – and to remember to have fun doing it.
