NordicTrack exercise balls are pieces of workout equipment for core and strength training. NordicTrack makes two kinds of exercise balls. There are the regular inflatable exercise balls and the exercise balls with tubing. Both balls work your core. The tubing on the NordicTrack exercise ball with tubing refers to two elastic resistance bands that stick out of the side of the ball and give you more exercise options.
Exercise Ball Situps
Exercise ball situps on a NordicTrack ball make your abdominal muscles stronger. This strength improvement includes not just the rectus abdominus muscle that is normally referred to as the "abs," but also the transverse abdominus and obliques. The oblique muscles form "X"s underneath the rectus abdominus and the transverse abdominus muscle wraps corset-like underneath the obliques. To perform the situp, lie on the NordicTrack ball with the feet on the floor and knees at right angles. Next, lift your head and shoulders toward the ceiling without letting the ball roll in any direction.
Exercise Ball Pikes
The exercise ball pikes on a NordicTrack exercise ball strengthen all the muscles of the abdomen as well as the shoulders. This includes the front, back and side portions of the deltoid muscles, which are the main shoulder muscles. The rotator cuff muscles work too. To perform this exercise, lie face down on the NordicTrack exercise ball and walk the hands forward, arms straight, until your body is parallel to the floor from head to toe. Then, hike your hips toward the ceiling and roll the exercise ball forward with the legs straight.
Exercise Ball Tubing Military Press
The military press works the shoulders using a NordicTrack exercise ball with tubing. Sitting on the ball during this exercise challenges your core muscles to balance while you pull on the tubing attached to the ball. To perform the military press on the NordicTrack exercise ball with tubing, sit on the ball with your knees at a right angle and grab the handles of the tubing. Hold your arms at your sides with your elbows bent at right angles and your palms facing forwards. Then, extend your arms straight toward the ceiling until they align with the tops of your shoulders.
Standing Biceps Curls With Tubing
To strengthen your biceps using a NordicTrack exercise ball with tubing, you need to stand up. Sitting on the ball like you do in the military press exercise for bicep curls doesn't work because the bands are too long to get resistance from bicep curls. Standing has an advantage of increasing the challenge to your core. To perform this exercise, stand behind the ball and place the top of one foot on the ball with the knee bent. This requires balance and core strength so the ball doesn't roll away. Grab the handles with your arms at your sides, palms forward, and then curl your arms toward your shoulders. Which leg you have on the ball is irrelevant because this is an arm exercise.
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