Arm Circles
This exercise will help improve your coordination, help your body build elastic energy, increase flexibility, speed and improve your strength. Being able to move your arms freely and quickly is beneficial in many sports. You want your arm muscles to have a “whipping” motion.
Procedure:
Start by laying supine on the exercise ball. Make sure that your head remains in constant contact with the ball; this helps engage the spine. Begin by spreading your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Your weight is on the inside ball of your feet with all your toes contacting the floor. Grab a dynamic bell for each hand and hold with your fingers. Place your arms at your hips.
You may start with either arm, but for this example start with the right arm first. Stagger your right foot. Your left arm and left foot are back. Take your right arm and slowly make a giant circle behind your head (clockwise or counterclockwise) as close to the exercise ball as possible. Extend the dynamic bell down toward the floor and relax. Start slowly then increase your tempo and range of motion and stretch speed. After you feel comfortable with the motion, stop and repeat in reverse direction. After you finish with your right arm, (or the left, depending on which you started with) switch to the left arm and repeat. Now take your left arm and make a giant circle. Your left bicep should come close to your right ear. You want to move both arms at the same time.
Advanced Arm Circles: Alternate both arms. Move one arm clockwise and the other arm counterclockwise and then reverse.
Tips:
Keep this image in your mind: Think of arms like rotors on a helicopter. Try to make arms spin in a perfect circle and if you can, as fast as possible.
If you find yourself always starting with the right arm, change it up and start with the left.
If you always start in a clockwise motion, change it up and start with a counterclockwise motion. This will help to keep your mind engaged and help prevent the exercise from becoming rote.
Required Equipment:
Exercise Ball
Hand Bells
Focus:
Acceleration Strength
Dynamic Flexibility
Speed Strength
