Gymnastic balls are the same thing as stability balls, exercise balls, balance balls and Swiss balls: air-inflated spheres of tough plastic that are prone to rolling easy in any given direction. This inherent instability makes gymnastic balls a great exercise aid; as soon as you sit, lay or prop your feet up on the ball, your core muscles are working extra hard to stabilize your body on the ball.
Chest Press
The gymnastic ball makes a devastatingly effective replacement for a flat weight bench, letting you work your core muscles at the same time you train your chest and upper arms with a chest press. Always use a puncture- or burst-resistant gymnastic ball when working out with dumbbells, since the extra weight could bring you close to the ball's maximum weight load.
Position yourself on a gymnastic ball, upper back and ribs supported on the ball. Squeeze your core muscles, including your glutes, to keep your body in a straight line from head to knees, as if you were impersonating a table. Your feet should be planted directly beneath your knees. Have a partner hand you a pair of dumbbells and perform a chest press as usual, pressing the weights up and together over your chest, then lowering down and apart until your elbows are even with your shoulders.
Pullover
This is a punishing version of the pullover exercise that works almost every muscle in your upper body, particularly the latissimus dorsi or lats, your most powerful back muscles. Kneel on the floor with both hands resting on top of the gymnastic ball, arms slightly bent at the elbow. The ball should be 1 to 2 feet in front of you. Lean forward on the ball, letting your body rock forward from the knees; keep your body as straight as possible from knees to shoulders. Your hands will roll forward across the ball as you lean forward; stop when your elbows are level with your head, then squeeze your back muscles, pushing your arms down into the ball to lever yourself back into starting position.
Hamstring Curls
Doing hamstring curls on a gymnastic ball strengthens an often-undertrained, injury-prone muscle (the hamstrings) while also challenging your core to keep the ball stable. It's notoriously difficult to isolate the hamstrings without a gym weight machine, but the gymnastic ball does so admirably.
To do hamstring curls on the gymnastic ball, lie down on your back and drape both legs over a gymnastic ball; your heels should sit right at the peak of the ball. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the ground--your body should be in a straight line from shoulders to heels--then bend your knees, pulling your heels toward your hips. The ball will roll with you, and your feet will end up flat on top of the ball. Slowly release back to straight-body position, then repeat.
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