Get On The Ball With Turbo Jam

By Author: Derek Cladek
Total Articles: 63
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An exercise ball is an inexpensive piece of home equipment. Turbo Jam now has a workout package that uses the exercise ball. Turbo Jam creator Chalene Johnson has blended the funkiness of Turbo Jam with the challenge of maintaining stability on an exercise ball. The result is the Get on the Ball workouts Kickin' Core and Total Body Blast.

Using an exercise ball is an excellent way to get a good workout. It is unusual to find a workout that uses an exercise ball as a part of a cardio workout. Often exercise ball workouts focus on strength training. Typical ball exercises include either crunches or pushups on the ball. Turbo Jam uses the ball in an entirely new way.

The beginning of Kickin' Core is similar to the Turbo Jam's Cardio Party workouts. It is very high energy and gets the heart rate up. But after the Turbo, an anaerobic drill found in most cardio-focused Turbo Jam videos, things get challenging. Chalene incorporates the ball into some of her Elite 11 moves. Try doing the Zig/Zag while clutching an exercise ball between your knees. It's not easy. And that exercise ball weighs more than it looks.

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... name Total Body Blast says it all. This workout is like dynamite. If there were ever a reason to hate an exercise ball, this workout is it. Using intervals, Chalene transitions from standing ball exercises that raise the heart rate to sitting exercises that work the stomach, arms, legs, or back. About 5 minutes in, you will already wish that the workout were over. The screen will say that you have 55 minutes to go, and you had best believe that it's going to be a grueling 55 more minutes. It is a workout that kicks your butt, yet leaves you wanting more.

There are some keys to successful use of an exercise ball. There should be a specific amount of air in the ball. The exercise ball should be inflated to the point that your knees are at a perfect 90-degree angle while you are sitting on the ball. Proper inflation allows the exercise while using the ball to be effective and safe. It is also important to learn how to sit on an exercise ball without hurting yourself. This is no easy task. Sitting on the ball will be easy. It's the staying on the ball that presents a challenge. Chalene offers helpful tips throughout the Kickin' Core and Total Body Blast workout to help with balance and safety. There is also a segment at the end of these workouts that gives tips on finding the perfect inflation level and how to inflate the ball in a timely manner.

Turbo Jam's Get on the Ball workout package actually makes the exercise ball useful beyond crunches and pushups. Chalene teaches moves that can be done while on the ball or moves that can incorporate the ball. These workouts make the exercise ball an even more valuable piece of home workout equipment. The most important weapon in your workout arsenal may actually be your Turbo Jam videos.