This is very second hand so forgive me if I am wrong but I’ve heard that Holmes Place, a major gym chain in the UK have pulled swiss ball out of their gyms.
The story told to me was that a man was performing DB side raises whilst kneeling on a ball, he fell off, broke his neck, and died as a result!
It might be cruel to say but when you hear about people losing there lives benching or getting seriously injured squatting I tend to think that at least they were doing a worthwhile exercise, not attempting some poxy swiss ball balance trick!
I just wonder what the chekkie-fied Holmes Place gym instructors are going to teach there clients now? It’s probably back to the treadmills and steppers for the members!
I remember reading a list of gym/workout related injuries several years ago. The yearly # of amputations was 100+ if I remember correctly. A LOT of ppl get hurt because they are not paying attention to what they are doing OR are not using common sence in the first place. If it’s true that a person’s bathroom is the most common place to be injured, it’s easy to see how ppl get hurt around weights.
As much as I don’t like Swiss Balls, and I probably won’t ever use one, but I don’t think they should be banned because of this incident.
I wouldn’t want free weights to be banned just because of an injury or death due to misuse, or even just an innocent accident.
There is always the potential for injury or death when working out, but there is a much greater risk when driving.
If anything is found to be potentially dangerous, the most that should be done is to have awareness about what happened/could happen. I don’t want people restricting my use of something because they don’t think it’s safe enough for me. I’d rather take the responsibility for what I do than be told I’m not allowed to do it.
I echo what SWR said - The equipment doesn’t kill you, the way you (incorrectly) use the equipment kills you. This statement applies to all training equipments and protocols.
SBs do have its places, like core training for example. Even the famous WSSB template from Joe Defranco has a few supplemental exercises that involve SBs.
when i was living in Colombia my neighboor was into weightlifting, he was in his mid 40’s, had a pretty good build, not too much nor too little.
BUT he was diabetic AND he loved to drink, he would always say he drinks whiskey because its not as bad as other types of licour, one day at the gym, according to the poeple who say him die say that he was on flat chest bench press and was just lifiting normally and all of a sudden he just stopped and laid there.
Until the noticed he was dead, according to the Dr’s he had a brain vein or nerve or something pop , or a blood vesel, dont remember the exact detail, this was about 8 years ago.
if ur gonna lift , do it wisely and in a healthy mannor, if u have a hangover dont go ur risking getting seriously f’ed up
[quote]geekboy wrote:
I echo what SWR said - The equipment doesn’t kill you, the way you (incorrectly) use the equipment kills you. This statement applies to all training equipments and protocols.
Youch says;
I can see your point but wouldn’t you say that some types of training equipment and training protocols are more dangerous than others? Whats more if I’m going to do something that could be dangerous I’d want a better return than that given by something like side raises!
SBs do have its places, like core training for example. Even the famous WSSB template from Joe Defranco has a few supplemental exercises that involve SBs.
Just my 2cents,
Geek boy[/quote]
Youch says;
I know its an old argument but don’t heavy squats, deads, and presses work your “core”? I do, however agree that SB’s have there use I even occasionally use them myself; my problem is that they are looked upon by some as the answer to everything.
[quote]Youch wrote:
geekboy wrote:
I echo what SWR said - The equipment doesn’t kill you, the way you (incorrectly) use the equipment kills you. This statement applies to all training equipments and protocols.
Youch says;
I can see your point but wouldn’t you say that some types of training equipment and training protocols are more dangerous than others? Whats more if I’m going to do something that could be dangerous I’d want a better return than that given by something like side raises!
SBs do have its places, like core training for example. Even the famous WSSB template from Joe Defranco has a few supplemental exercises that involve SBs.
Just my 2cents,
Geek boy
Youch says;
I know its an old argument but don’t heavy squats, deads, and presses work your “core”? I do, however agree that SB’s have there use I even occasionally use them myself; my problem is that they are looked upon by some as the answer to everything.
Regards Youch
[/quote]
Youch,
Some very good points there, basically anything that you do while standing up - especially lifting heavy things - will work your ‘core’.
I use a swiss ball myself for agility, proprioception and muscle activation.
Alone, they won’t do much for ‘strength’, but used for assistance work they are great value.
Bit of a urban myth me thinks, mate at work trains at a Holmes and they still have a swiss ball section, come on be serious, it’s like poor lil Johnny standing on a chair and falls off breaks his neck, what we going to do ban chairs?! I used to be a Swiss ball hater until i got back into muay thai and needed to stregthen my core n abs try weighted wood chops on a swiss ball! The swiss ball is my new training buddy (Although you won’t catch me doing anything like dumbrell presses off them or anything silly like that!)
I have no idea if the story is true. However, the swiss ball fad has to be one of the stupidist and most dangerous that I have seen over the past 35 years!
Some fads are simply foolish. The swiss ball is foolish and dangerous!
[quote]ZEB wrote:
I have no idea if the story is true. However, the swiss ball fad has to be one of the stupidist and most dangerous that I have seen over the past 35 years!
Some fads are simply foolish. The swiss ball is foolish and dangerous![/quote]
They are just a tool like anything else, Zeb. Don’t be so dogmatic! They are fine for training abs and other core work, can be used safely for doing db presses and such, and of course in their original role in rehab.
[quote]deanosumo wrote:
ZEB wrote:
I have no idea if the story is true. However, the swiss ball fad has to be one of the stupidist and most dangerous that I have seen over the past 35 years!
Some fads are simply foolish. The swiss ball is foolish and dangerous!
They are just a tool like anything else, Zeb. Don’t be so dogmatic! They are fine for training abs and other core work, can be used safely for doing db presses and such, and of course in their original role in rehab.
[/quote]
Ever watch the fitness infomercials? The products sold on those TV spots do work! The problem I have with them is that they don’t work better than the basics already available.
This is one problem I have with the swiss ball (among others). Sure you can do abs on them and plenty of other safe activities. However, does it work BETTER than other more traditional types of implements? No.
To make matters worse they promote these things as a be all and end all. Some people end up trying to Bench Press off of them and every other movement. They then become dangerous.
There’s some guy on this forum who says he can squat over 200lbs on a swiss ball. I don’t care if I’m inside a power rack, there is no way I’m getting on a swiss ball and squatting, I think that’s just asking for trouble.
I’ve found a very good use for the SB: if you lie on your back and roll back until both your feet and hands are on the ground, you can get a really good ab stretch. Sometimes I’m just too tired to get into a bridge, OK?
Zeb - Comon give these babies a try! at first i couldn’t use weight on this exercise, and bodyweight was enough, now i’m using various weight, it’s a great exercise, give it a go, you never know you may like it Alternating swiss ball chops - Just imagine you are a big bad lumberjack cuttin down those trees!
(Although you won’t catch me doing anything like dumbrell presses off them or anything silly like that!)
