1. Pull Over Your Routine
Pullovers work your chest, laterals and rotator cuff and compliment weight lifting exercises like bench press or lat pull downs. Sports trainers often use pull over exercises in sport specific training for baseball, tennis and badminton. Using a stability ball as the base for your pull over develops balance.
2. Have a Ball
Stability ball exercises work your body's core and target your abdominal region. While you may think the rainbow of colors adds fun to exercising, the colors represent different ratings for balance balls. The ratings identify the diameter of the stability balls. Your height determines which diameter provides the best benefit. People between 5 feet and 1 inch tall and 5 feet and 7 inches tall should use a 55-centimeter diameter. The 65-centimeter stability ball works best for people between the heights of 5 feet and 8 inches tall and 6 feet and 1 inch tall.
3. Pull a Barbell Over Your Head
To do a pullover with a barbell, lay on the ball face up. You should plant your feet on the floor to stabilize your body during the exercise. Grasp the barbell over your shoulders with your hands no farther apart than your shoulders. Rotate your shoulders to lower the bar behind your head and then bring the ball back toward your starting position until you are level with the ball. Aim for 4 sets of 20 repetitions.
4. Crunch Your Abs
Once you master regular crunches on a stability pall, add a challenge with a cord pullover. You can do this with a crossover machine or using a sports strap. Secure the strap and then position the stability ball at your lower back. Grab the handle and roll away from the crossover machine or the base of the sports strap until you feel tension. Point your chin at the ceiling and straighten your arms before crunching your abs. As you crunch, pull the cord all the way through until your arms touch your thighs. Slowly return to your starting position keeping your arms straight.
5. Add a Dose of Medicine
Changing the way you exercise or modifying an exercise prevents you from reaching a plateau with your exercise program. For a change from the barbell or to add some crunch power to your workout, use a medicine ball in a pullover. If you can, use a medicine ball with handles to secure the ball better; you don't want to drop the weight on your face. Place the stability ball under your shoulders and then pullover as you do with a barbell. Contract your abs to boost your work out. For another variation, use a 5 to 10 pound dumbbell.
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