Fitness Magazine
I tried this new exercise today, I’ve seen it done before without a Balance Ball ball, but I didn’t like the flow of the movement. Doing this squat with the Ball creates balanced support and places bigger tension on the back of your leg and butt, vs doing this squat without the Ball.
Since it’s best to work several muscle groups at once, by placing your hands behind your head you are working the back as well (this is where the Prisoner name comes from).
Begin by standing on one leg and leaning on the ball, hands placed behind your head. The position of your leg should a little further than your body ( You’re not standing in a straight line ).
The leg you will be squatting one should be tense, your abs as well as your back should always be engaged in the exercise. The opposite leg is bended.
As you begin to lower your self down into a squat, the bended leg goes backward ( But never touches the floor at the bottom )
Your knee should never go past your toes.
This is not like the regular squat because you are balancing your whole body as you are performing the squat, and since the back of the opposite leg or foot doesn’t touch the floor, the dynamic of the lunge changes ( vs the regular lunge where you would step you foot back ).
Complete 10 – 15 reps on each leg, with 3 rounds total.
As you get more advanced you can increase the amount of time of the actual squat, meaning you will do the exercise much slower. You can also add weights if you like, but this exercise is pretty challenging without the weights if do it correctly.