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November-December 2007
The Magnificent Stability Ball?
The stability ball is among the most offered pieces of equipment in fitness facilities today. Is all the buzz unbalanced, or does the hype hit the mark? According to researchers at the department of Kinesiology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, there is a solid foundation for the popular piece of equipment. The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2007; 21[2], 506-509), set out to determine whether the stability ball offered greater abdominal activation than the traditional floor-based crunch, and whether changes in ball placement had any effect.Researchers fitted 41 apparently healthy volunteers (average age 20) with electromyography (EMG) equipment and then instructed them to perform the following move from the floor: lift head, shoulders, neck and shoulder blades as closely as possible while positioned on the ball.
According to EMG reports, crunches performed on the stability ball resulted in significantly greater abdominal activation compared with their more "traditional" counterparts: activity in upper rectus abdominis, lower rectus abdominis and external obliques was 31%, 38% and 24% higher respectively. Testing two different ball placements, researchers found a sharp decrease in abdominal activity when the ball was positioned below the scapulae as opposed to below the lower lumbar region of the spine. According to the study authors, these findings give credence to the stability ball as a viable piece of equipment that can provide trainers with an effective method for helping clients progressively improve abdominal strength. "For those with abdominal muscle weakness, a high ball placement will allow them to perform the crunch motion with less effort than when the performed on a stable bench or floor." Once strength gains have been achieved, trainers can then progress to floor crunches or change ball placement fort a more challenging crunch
- Ryan Halvorson