Nowadays, people want to have slim, sexy bodies. That means they want to have lean muscles and beautiful abs. For this reason many people go to gyms to work out and achieve the body they want.
For those who can hardly find time going to the gym, they try to perform some exercises at home. One of the exercises you can do at home is regular crunches. However, this exercise shows little results and that is why people look for an alternative like the Bender Ball.
Overview
The Bender Ball is a ball used for some abdominal and Pilates-type of exercises. It measures 9 inches and is also inflatable. The maker of this ordinary looking ball is Leslee Bender. Aside from these facts, if you are going to use the Bender Method fitness system, you have to know that the ball itself is part of it as a tool for these specific exercises.
The Claim
To help in the reduction of abdominal fats, the developers of this ball claim that if you use the Bender Ball, you will experience up to 408% of abdominal exersion compared to doing regular crunches as your method of exercise. This would seem to make the ball very effective. And compared to large balls, you will also experience a higher intensity workout using the Bender Ball. To sum up, it has been claimed that the Bender Ball is the most effective type of tool for abdominal exercise compared to regular sit ups and the usage of larger exercise balls.
Regardless of these claims and promises, there is still some room for doubt as to the effectiveness of this ball.
The Hype
Leslee Bender is all the hype that the Bender Ball needs. Since she is the spokesperson, and has a body that many women wish to have, they immediately assume that the Bender Ball is the key to unlocking this body in their own life. Since she’s also an older lady, she appeals to both young and old and her workouts seem like they would be effective, but also that anyone could do them.
The Cost
If you are convinced with the claims of the developers of this exercise ball, you can order from their website. The ball costs $13 excluding the shipping fee which is $8.
As you buy this exercise ball you are also going to get the Bender Method Manual and the two Bender Method workouts on DVD which are included in the package. Not only that, when you buy these exercise materials it also means that you agree to buy the twice every month supply of workout DVDs that costs $19.99 excluding the shipping fee that also costs $6.99. If you don’t pay attention, you will be surprised by the additional monthly charges on your credit card. However, if you do not want this part of the order, you are free to call the customer service and cancel that part of the order.
The Commitment
To start your Bender experience, you have to follow the exercises in the video you received along with the ball. The ball will allow you to move freely while you work on your abs. It means that you can do your exercises not only going forward just like regular crunches, but also extending the back and flexing forward. With that, you can assume that you are working your core muscles more effectively.
Evaluation
Some of the experts have tested if the claims of the makers of the Leslee Bender Ball are true. They did abdominal exercises using different methods. They used the standard floor crunch, the bicycle exercise, crunches on a large exercise ball, crunches on a round, 4-inch diameter piece of foam rubber, and crunches using a standard 9-inch playground ball as a comparison to the Bender Ball.
After the experiment, it was found that all the exercises were better than the regular floor crunches and the bicycle exercise. However, it was also found that there is only little difference between the effect of the large exercise ball, playground ball, foam roller, and the Bender Ball.
In addition to that, the testing proved that it is not true that the said ball can perform 408% more effectively than regular abdominal exercise. Yes, there is an increase in muscle activity but the results of the exercises were quite similar to each other, and not four times more effective. Furthermore, it was also proven that you will not get these results from the ball right away.
Final Bender Ball Review
All in all, Leslee’s ball is very effective as you might assume it would be. The claims made about the ball might be exaggerated a bit, but this is common in the industry and can be overlooked. The Bender Ball makes exercising easier and requires less effort on your part. It supports the back portion of your body and is better than the most of the abdominal exercising materials available on the market today.
Our Recommendation
It is recommended that you use the Bender Ball to have the body that you have been dreaming of. Keep in mind that you will still have to stick with the program, and combine your efforts with a healthy diet, plenty of water, and an overall healthy lifestyle if you want to get a body like Leslee Bender. But if you combine all of this, you can be assured that your work will not be in vain.
I like this as a programme, because the smaller sized ball, compared to the large yoga balls which we see in every gym, are going to make you work harder. This smaller ball applies a more acute pressure to the lower back, as you are in contact with a much smaller surface area. My only problem with these programmes is that they are not new, and you can always find something cheaper that will give you all the same information. Also, they always advertise these things with a woman who is slim and toned and they claim that the programme will make you look like that too. It won’t.