Q. On my last few visits to the fitness center, I’ve noticed a number of fitness trainers getting their clients to do exercises on stability balls or wobble boards. Is this more effective than doing the same thing on the floor?
A. The use of Swiss balls and wobble boards is becoming very popular in gyms these days. Working out in an unstable environment is purported to enhance your stability and develop the core muscles.
There are a few exercises that are made better if you do them on an unstable surface. Research has shown that curl ups on a Swiss ball, for example, boost the amount of work done by your abs when compared to the same exercise done on the floor.
But there are numerous exercises which aren’t suitable for doing on a stability ball.
We’ve seen some folks performing movements such as the dumbbell chest press and shoulder press while seated on a stability ball. The problem is that you will need to work with a far lighter resistance than normal, since you have to put so much effort into staying balanced.
Keep in mind that your muscles grow larger and more powerful when you force them to do additional work, either by working out with a heavier weight, or by doing more repetitions with the same weight. That’s how to get bigger muscles.
The outcome of performing these exercises on a wobble board is that your muscles will lose out on the growth signals they require. Take into account that there is only a finite amount of time and energy to spend in the gym. Don’t waste 50% of it attempting to do the barbell squat on a wobble board.
Q. I hope you can stop a debate about squatting that I’ve been having with 2 pals. One friend states you must never go past parallel, while another claims you must go to the floor. Which one of my friends is right?
A. How deep to go when you squat has long been a topic of concern for bodybuilders. One notion is that full squats (once your upper thighs are past parallel to the floor) can be used to place more focus on your hamstrings.
To answer the question of how the depth of your squat influences muscle activation, scientists from South Carolina, conducted a study using seasoned lifters.
Making use of electromyography (EMG), the researchers measured muscle activity in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes of the subjects during partial, parallel, and full-depth squats.
They found that the deeper the men squatted, the butt muscles became more active during the upward phase of the lift. Surprisingly, the amount of work done by the other muscles tested didn’t differ with increased squat depth.
This research suggests that that full squats might not be as effective in emphasizing hamstring development as many people think.
Q. The only free time available for me to exercise is for half an hour when I have my lunch break. Is this enough for me to get a decent workout?
A. If you struggle to find the time to exercise, why not try supersets.
Supersets are simply two movements teamed together and done back to back with no rest in between.
You could match an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise (for example pull ups followed by squats) or 2 opposing muscle groups (such as the bench press followed by the seated row).