MASTER CLASS: Try adding twists to traditional sets

LITTLE ROCK — Tinkering with the standard set-up of a traditional exercise is no longer a surprising and strange thing to do. Whether you’re using a counterbalanced weight or simply adjusting your posture for a body-weight move, modification of an old standby is a commonplace approach.

People do it all the time. And modification can make an otherwise ho-hum exercise a real crowd pleaser.

But learning how to customize an exercise to fit your needs takes time. You have to develop a keen understanding of your limitations and abilities while hanging on to the desire to get the most benefit from every workout. And you need to understand what you meant to accomplish by doing the original exercise, so you don’t change it in some fundamental way that decreases its benefits or puts you in a damaging position.

Here’s a common modification: Say you’re looking for ways to make an exercise more challenging without necessarily using a heavier resistance. Try using a less stable platform. Modifying stability can be achieved by changing the stance, seat or surface in which you are performing the exercise.

One of the more common methods of decreasing stability is replacing an exercise bench with a Swiss ball. A chest press or biceps curl becomes considerably less stable when you’re working off a Swiss ball. You’ll recruit more core muscle fibers and increase the difficulty of the exercise without even changing the movement pattern.

If the goal is to make an exercise a bit easier without changing the weight you lift, try adding a form of assistance. While not possible in all cases, many exercises can be modified to let you get a little boost from a stretch band or counterbalanced weight.

A squat, for example, can be made a great deal easier by holding a stretch band that’s anchored to the top hinge of a door frame. The stretch band will help pull you upward, thereby making the squat motion less difficult.

This week’s exercise is designed for modification to assist the movement and add efficiency. The Swiss Ball Stretch Band Sit-up is an innovative, exciting way to spice up your abdominal routine.

1. Select a stretch band and anchor it on an immovable object about 5 feet off the floor. Sit on a Swiss ball facing the anchor point and 3 to 4 feet away.

2. Grasp the ends of the band and get into a sit-up position on the ball, with your feet on the floor.

3. Slowly curl your arms as you would during a biceps curl, and sit up at the same time.

4. Perform two or three sets of 12 repetitions for best results.

This takes pressure off your abdominals and lower back. Plus, you get a bonus arm workout.

I liked this exercise from the first time I tried it. It makes the sit-up portion of the movement far more comfortable, and the associated arm workout is nothing to sneeze at. You’ll definitely feel the biceps working with each repetition.

Remember to keep a slow, steady pace throughout the movement and exhale as you sit up. This will ensure that you get the most out of this cool new move.

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

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