Strength Ball Training-2nd Edition

This book is worth twice the price. The accompanying DVD is also worth twice the price. It's a lot of information for the money!Background: until a couple of weeks ago I exclusively lifted weights for strength training. Then I hurt my back, and decided I needed to get some more dynamic training into my regimen. I bought a few medicine balls, and immediately hurt my back again! (In a different spot.) I ordered this book (along with Gambetta's medicine ball book) to teach me the right way to use medicine balls. I was a bit unsure about this book because I really didn't want all those stability ball exercises -- I was just looking for med ball ex's.In the meantime I went to a few stability ball classes at the Y because I figured that they wouldn't hurt my back. I actually enjoyed them and looked forward to the book's arrival.The exercises in the sample program look pretty easy, that is until you watch the DVD and learn the *correct* way to do them. For all you macho guys out there who think that stability balls are for sissies, well let's just say that after I completed the beginner workout, I felt like I had been beaten by hammers all over my body. But in a good way! :-)The DVD is very professionally produced. They film the exercises from multiple camera angles, and use slow- and stop-motion liberally to illustrate the critical parts of each exercise. (My 3 and 6 year-olds were mesmerized!) There is narration during the slow/stop sequences telling you what to watch for.Short story, I sent Gambetta's book back because it pales in comparison to this one.By the way, today I went to the Y and it was a beautiful day (60 degrees in February!) so the place was empty. I had my choice of an empty weight room or an empty aerobics studio. I chose the studio and the stability balls! What does that tell you?

I'm pretty happy with this purchase. This a good-sized book at over 280 pages and most of the book is filled with exercises. The book divides exercises using medicine and stability balls by muscle groups and provides photographs and text explanations for each exercise. The exercises have a range of difficulty and includes exercises you can do with partner. Thankfully, most of the exercises are perfect for a solo individual. Lots of exercises took you busy with only a few pieces of equipment (stability ball, medicine ball, dumbbells)The book is well-thought out. It provides example routines, guides to quickly find a particular exercise throughout the book. It has the obligatory fitness introduction but the writers are very direct about their thoughts on fitness, exercise, techniques, modifications, etc. No unnecessary wordiness that you might find in other exercise books.My only complaint might be that though the photographs do the job in depicting the exercises, they are a bit dark and should have probably been shot in a better environment.If you are interested in medicine and stability exercises, this book is a must-read.

For a number of years I have been doing a challenging program involving fairly heavy weights, stretching, and aerobic exercise. I was in good shape but not making progress, even when I increased the weight load. Lots of work on ab machines helped but did not completely shape up my core.Last summer a trainer introduced me to a few exercises using stability balls. A few weeks later I found this book on Amazon. The first thing that impressed me was the quality, the amount of care that has gone into every aspect of the book and accompanying dvd. The introduction explains the approach and cites recent research. The instructions and photo accompanying each exercise are clear and helpful and the beautifully produced DVD demonstrates proper form for many, though not all, of the exercises.I tried the sixteen-week program and saw dramatic changes not only in my core but also in my upper arms and legs. I'm now following the same pattern using some of the exercises from the program and some new ones, changing the selection every four weeks. Each exercise has advice about progressions so the possibilities are really endless. Some strength training programs are illustrated with photos of people who resemble the Michelin Man. The people in this book look like regular people in very good shape. That's how I'd like to look. Thank you Lorne Goldenberg and Peter Twist.

with "Audio/Video", but didn't have them. The Kindle read the book in "voice" mode, but that was no different than any other book on the device.I also thought the program at the end of the book was incomplete since they didn't include how many days of the week each weeks' session was to be done. At least, in two readings I didn't see that info....The exercises seemed to be adequately explained, though I think the picture sequences should've included some "middle" shots - not just the start and end.In other books from Human Kinetics, the page number for an exercise was given in the workout session, and you could click on that page number to go directly to the exercise. This feature is very helpful when you're just starting and can't remember all the stuff.This book may be of more use in the print version, provided the DVD and "audio" are included, but (at least for me) the Kindle version is a bit ponderous.As far as the exercises, my only reservation is that it takes too much time to do a workout if you want to include it in with other forms of exercise. What I mean is that each technique I've read touts all these benefits so that you want to do them, but then you're spending more time than there are hours in the day if you do them all!

This books is basically good. There are many exercises at different levels and I feel an improvement in strength after using it. That said, the pictures could be better. It is not always clear the movement from the pictures and it takes careful reading.

Overall this is a usefully book for using gym and medicine balls. Like my other books it is not complete in itself but it has a good number of exercises that are usefull. Some require a partner, special gym equipment or dumbell weights but even if you don't have these there is enough here for it to worthwhile. Excercises have tips for keeping correct form and are well written as well as using multiple groups of muscles (which is my point for using medicine/gym balls). Many are fun to do.

The book itself is outstanding, however it is not precised that the audio/video enhanced parts will not work on kindle fire hd.In fact those parts will only work on apple based devices with iOS since it is in fact an app for apple devices. One would ask himself why the price is the same for apple users and kindle users if the product is in fact different and somehow incomplete.Other than that - Very good book with plenty of new exercises well explained and divided sensibly into appropriate sections. Great job !Waiting for an app from Amazon completing this book.1 star less for the missing app for Kindle Fire HD.

10;10

A great source book and really useful support DVD.

Great book if you love to train with the stability ball