It seems unnatural to perform weighted exercises on an unstable surface as opposed to a nice, stable bench, until you realize that the entire purpose of exercise is to progressively stress your body to produce muscular development. According to the American Council on Exercise, the purpose of exercising with an exercise ball is to develop coordination between your muscles. By exercising on an unstable surface, you must create stability with your body by activating every muscle group as it's needed. Add a few sets of dumbbell squats to this routine, and you can get a great full-body workout with just dumbbells and an exercise ball.
Chest Press
This is like a bench press, but you use an exercise ball for support rather than a bench. Sit on your ball while holding your dumbbells. Carefully walk your feet forward and lay back until the ball supports your upper back, right around your shoulder blades. Hold your dumbbells with your elbows out, your upper arms parallel to the ground and your forearms perpendicular to it. Push the weights up. Touch them at the top if you prefer. Lower the weights back down. This exercise works your pectorals, your front deltoid heads, and your triceps, and performing it on a stability ball activates muscles all throughout your core and legs, especially your glutes. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Shoulder Press
Sit on the exercise ball while holding your dumbbells. Raise them up until you're holding them at about the same level as your chin with your palms facing forward. Press them up and touch them overhead. Lower them back down to chin level. This exercise primarily works your shoulders, including your front and center deltoid heads and your upper trapezius, the muscles that you shrug your shoulders with. Your triceps are your secondary movers, and muscles throughout your core are activated to maintain your balance. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Seated Tricep Extensions
Your triceps were the secondary muscle group in the previous two exercises. To finish them off, target them with seated tricep extensions. Sit on your exercise ball holding one dumbbell. Holding it with both hands, raise it up over your head. Keep your upper arms as vertical as possible, and don't move them. Only move at the elbows as you lower the weight down behind your head, then lift it back up. You should feel a good burning in your triceps on the back of your arms. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Seated Bicep Curls
Sit on your exercise ball holding two dumbbells. Hold the dumbbells down by your sides. Face your palms a little outward if you find the exercise ball is getting in the way. Keep your elbows pinned in at your side, and raise the dumbbells until your elbows are fully bent. Lower the dumbbells back down. This exercise isolates your biceps. Because you're sitting on an unstable surface, you can't heave the dumbbells up using your lower back as you might be tempted to do if you were standing. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Pull-Overs
This is a fun exercise that works your chest and back at the same time. Sit on your exercise ball while holding a single dumbbell. Slowly walk your feet forward and lay back in the same manner you did for the chest press. Hold the dumbbell directly over your chest. Keeping your arms straight, lower it behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in your pectorals and your arms are basically parallel to the ground. Then, keeping your arms straight, raise it back over your chest. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Weighted Crunches
Your core has been getting a workout with every one of these exercises, but this will finish them off. Sit on your exercise ball holding one or two dumbbells, whichever you prefer. Walk your feet forward and lay back until the ball supports your lower and mid back. Crunch as you would during a regular exercise-ball crunch, but hold your weights over yourself, reaching for the ceiling with them with every crunch. According to a study published in the May/June issue of ACE Fitness Matters, the exercise ball crunch activates 47 percent more muscle than a traditional crunch. Perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
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