Clients sometimes ask us if there are any additional exercises they can do to improve their abdominal and core area muscles on the off-days from their Genesis Exercise Sessions.  We have found The Bender Ball Ab Exercise Program to be valuable in helping to add more tone and definition to this difficult area.

If your abdominal muscles seem to lack the muscle tone you wish they had, or this has been a stubborn area that you wish you could improve on more, consider doing a short 10-15 minute abdominal routine with The Bender Ball on your off-days from Genesis.

While your abdominals get both direct and indirect work during each Genesis Exercise Session, we have found The Bender Ball Ab Exercise Program to be valuable in helping to add more tone and definition to this difficult area.

The Bender Ball: What It Is?

The Bender Ball is a 9-inch inflatable plastic exercise ball used to perform a variety of abdominal and Pilates-type exercises. The ball is part of the Bender Method fitness system, developed by trainer Leslee Bender.

According to Leslee Bender, by giving you a greater range of motion during exercise, the ball provides an abdominal workout that's up to 408% more effective than ordinary floor crunches. She also says the soft, flexible Bender ball produces a higher intensity workout than you can get with large exercise balls.

There are 3 DVDs that come in the Bender Ball Ab Exercise Package:  #1 - Core Training, #2 - Selective Core Training, and #3 - Strong Healthy Back.  The Core Training DVD includes instruction on ball inflation, exercise technique, ball placement, and breathing. It also provides you with three levels of workouts.  In Level 1, which lasts approximately 3 minutes, she demonstrates basic crunches with the ball. Level 2 (about 6 minutes) includes additional ab exercises.  In Level 3 (about 6 minutes), Bender adds several Pilates exercises. With each level, the exercises become more intense.

The Bender Ball: What We Found

To use the Bender Ball, the exerciser places it behind the lower back, under the hips, or between the knees, depending on the exercise.

In our Metabolic Assessment Lab at Genesis Personal Fitness, we put The Bender Ball to the test.  I performed all three levels of the Core Training DVD and felt my abs working during each one. But in workout 3, my abs were shaking like nothing I had felt before! Don't let the short length of these workouts fool you. I found them to be extremely effective and challenging. Remember that you don't need to do hundreds or thousands of repetitions to get a good workout. These short workouts get the job done!

The Bender Ball: The Bottom Line

Overall, I thought the Bender Ball was fun, different and effective.

I found the ball to be easy to use and appropriate for most people, though we did not test it with very obese people or those with physical limitations.

The workout instructions were clear, the exercises were safe, modifications were offered, and the participants were pretty relatable (middle-aged women), but men would find this workout just as challenging as women.

Do I recommend this product? Hands down, YES... as a good "off-day from Genesis" supplemental ab exercise program! The exercises on the Core Training DVD, in my opinion, are more effective than just doing regular floor crunches alone, especially as there's a lot of variety and levels to choose from.

The Bender Ball Ab Exercise Package we chose to endorse here at Genesis Personal Fitness also addresses how to improve your lower back fitness in a DVD all its own. I believe this gives balance and strength to ALL the core muscles which includes the abdominal muscles.

One Word Of Caution

If you're considering the purchase of this product in the hopes that it will burn off more excess fat that is covering your stomach area, save your money. 

Remember, during each Genesis Exercise Session, your abdominals get both direct and indirect work.  If you are using enough resistance on the Abdominal Nautilus machine during the session and doing the movement during the 2-minute interval so you can barely perform the last repetition in the last 14-20 seconds, you are getting more than enough exercise to yoiur abdominals.

If you want to shed more fat off your toned abs, you're going to have to diet the correct way and reduce your body fat, NOT do more repetitive exercises for your core muscles.  No additional amount of strength or toning exercises at Genesis or at home on your own will get rid of the flab that covers your fabulous abs... so diet is still essential!  If you're struggling to be consistent on your diet, perhaps you should consider one of our Weight Loss Nutrition Coaching Programs.

Where You Can Purchase It

We reviewed all the packages and ways The Bender Ball can be purchased both online and in stores, and as I said above, chose to endorse the one that addressed ALL apsects of your core muscles, including your abdominals and your low back. 

At Genesis Personal Fitness, you can purchase it directly right at our Front Desk for only $29.95.

You can also order the Bender Ball exercise system from their web site starting at the single DVD package for $12.98 (plus $7.93 shipping).  That price includes the Bender Ball, Bender Method Manual, and a single Core Training DVD/video.

But if you order it online at their website, be aware that when you place an order, you're also agreeing to buy two additional workout DVD/videos every month for a monthly fee of $19.99 plus $6.99 shipping. This could come as a surprise when you see additional monthly charges on your credit card bill. If you don't want the additional workouts, I would recommend that you just purchase it in person at Genesis Personal Fitness.

If you have any further questions about The Bender Ball, feel free to email me at Rich@GenesisPersonalFitness.com