Thanks Missjane. I just googled them. They look like they take up a fair bit of room.
I'll keep my eye out for one--hopefully one can be had 2nd hand.
I'm sorry to say, I practiced the squat last night holding a broom stick and I had trouble keeping my arms in that position. Maybe I was holding it wrong, I don't know, but it felt as though I'd cut off all circulation to my arms.
Well, I went and had a look at the balls today--and I hadn't realised they came in different sizes.
I'm going to go back out now and get the 26" (65 cm) one--I hope that will be OK. I read on-line somewhere that I don't have to "inflate it as much" if it is too big.
I think you should use whatever you feel comfortable with for the squat to begin with. Also, search for threads on proper squat form, or invest in Starting Strength by Rippetoe. It's important to get your form right from the beginning so you don't have to unlearn bad form later. The bar should be farther down your back than most people put it. I.e. not on your cervical spine, but just below the spine of the scapula. Also, make sure your wrists are not flexed when holding the bar; they should be in line with your forearms. You don't want your hands holding the weight. When the bar is in the right place and your wrists are properly positioned, and you squeeze your traps together and raise your elbows, the bar is pushed into your back and held there easily. This makes the move much easier.
For stage one squats, you can use dumbbells. Just put one in each hand, hold them down by your thighs at your sides (don't lock your elbows) and squat. I find that the barbell squat is a bit more difficult and the book states, on page 157 on the bottom, that you can in fact use db's.
Yes, you can substitute db's for a barbell when doing a deadlift. Although Lou doesn't talk about it in the book, I have seen it done in Oxygen Magazine (a women's fitness magazine). It is a bit harder to reset your grip, as the weights on the bb sets the bar higher off the floor, but it can be done. In fact, I have done it. Try to keep the db's even with each other as you come up- as if you were using the bb. Practice a deadlift as well as your squat before you start using weights, especially the deadlift, if done wrong, you can really wrench your back. In the deadlift, keep your thumbs next to your thighs as a kind of guide, you don't want your grip too close or too wide. In stage one, really focus on your form, the weights will come when you are ready.
Will any swiss ball be OK?
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