Strength Training on the Ball: A Pilates Approach to Optimal Strength and Balance

by Colleen Craig

A unique series of Pilates strength-building exercises using the Swiss exercise ball, resistance bands, and weights

• From the bestselling author of Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball

• Features specialized strength-training workouts for readers of all ages and fitness levels

• Chapters include check points to help readers set realistic goals and tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers

In Strength Training on the Ball Colleen Craig shows readers of all fitness levels how to build strong bones, improve balance, and reduce body fat while toning and defining the body. Combining the unique functions of the exercise ball with the endurance- and flexibility-building benefits of strength training, Craig presents 75 ball exercises using weights, resistance bands, and the body's own resistance. Her exercise variations make strength training safe for beginners, children, teenagers, and seniors and challenging enough for the seasoned athlete.

Strength Training on the Ball is modeled after Craig's groundbreaking and bestselling works Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball. It contains step-by-step photographs for each of the exercises, check points to help readers set realistic yet motivating goals, and teaching tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers. The book concludes with three specialized strength workouts: a therapeutic workout for those recovering from injuries, a basic workout for absolute beginners, and a challenging workout for athletes and gym enthusiasts.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2005

About the author

Born and raised in western Canada, Colleen Craig studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia. She then lived in South Africa during the 1980s and observed apartheid firsthand. In 1991 she moved back to Canada and settled in Toronto where she continued her career as a playwright. In 1997 she became a Stott Pilates teacher and in 2001 began to publish the bestselling Pilates on the Ball series which has been translated into six languages. Afrika is her first novel.