Get Off the Ball

There are plenty of good uses for stability balls, most of which involve core work.

The other day I used one for a core move that involves putting your feet on the ball with your hands on the floor in a pushup position. Keeping your core braced, in other words not sagging in the middle, you pike up your hips, pulling the ball forward. Then walk your hands out a couple of steps so you're back in the pushup position. Repeat. It's tough.

But too many trainers seem to believe they're a good way to make workouts exciting. So they use stability and Bosu balls, those half stability balls, in some pretty dumb ways. At my gym, for instance, I so often see a trainer make a newbie do squats on the Bosu ball. I've yet to see a client do the squat properly, and it makes me want to yell, "Teach them to do bodyweight squats on the ground before you even think about using a Bosu ball."

Super trainer Craig Ballantyne agrees.