Why I Banned Swiss Balls From My Gym (And What We Do Instead)
Alright team, Coach Dane here.
Let's get straight to it. You've seen them in every commercial gym on the planet: the big, bouncy yoga balls, also known as Swiss balls. You see people doing crunches on them, trying to squat on them, or even using them for wrestling drills.
I'm here to tell you why you will never find one in my gym, and why I consider them one of the biggest wastes of time in a serious athlete's training program.
My job as a coach is to get my athletes the best possible results in the limited time we have. Every single exercise we do must have a massive Return on Investment (ROI). It has to deliver a powerful, transferable benefit that will show up on the wrestling mat.
The Swiss ball fails this test in every single category.
I get asked about this a lot, so I put together a full video breaking down my entire thought process, point by point. If you want to understand the difference between training that looks fancy and training that actually works, you need to watch this.
The Key Principles: Why The Swiss Ball Gets Fired
For those who want the hard-hitting summary, here are the core reasons we choose proven tools over this popular gimmick.
1. It Teaches the WRONG Kind of Balance.
People think "unstable surface = better balance." This is absolute nonsense for a wrestler. A wrestler's balance is about their ability to apply massive force from a stable surface (the mat) to control an unstable object (their opponent). Training on a wobbly ball reverses this. It teaches your nervous system to be timid and hesitant, not powerful and aggressive.
2. It Prevents You From Getting Truly Strong.
You cannot produce maximal force on an unstable surface. Period. Your brain's number one job is to protect you. When it senses instability, it puts the brakes on your ability to recruit muscle fibers and produce power. It’s like trying to shoot a cannon out of a canoe. We are here to build cannons.
3. It Fails to Replicate a Real Opponent.
Using a Swiss ball for wrestling drills is a poor substitute for the real thing. It doesn't have limbs, it doesn't fight back with intelligent pressure, and it doesn't replicate the feel of a human body. The single best tool to get better at wrestling is another tough, resisting human being.
4. The Social Proof is Clear: Champions Don't Use Them.
Look at the training halls of the best wrestlers in the world. Look at the programs of the most dominant NCAA champions. You will find barbells, bumper plates, pull-up bars, and heavy dumbbells. You will not find a room full of guys balancing on Swiss balls. The results speak for themselves.
The Final Word: We Build With Tools That Work
The bottom line is simple. Why would you spend 15 minutes trying to do a wobbly squat on a Swiss ball when you could spend that time doing a heavy, perfect-form Back Squat that will actually build the horsepower to drive an opponent across the mat?
We have a limited amount of time and energy. We invest it in the Hierarchy of Movements—the Squats, the Deadlifts, the Cleans, the Presses, the Pull-ups—because they have been proven for decades to deliver the highest ROI.
We don't do gimmicks. We build monsters.
Sound Off in the Comments.
What's the most useless piece of gym equipment you've ever seen? Let's hear it.