UNSTABLE

One of the recent fads in "fitness"  has been the wholesale employment of unstable surface training  ( e.g. Bosu ball, stability ball, wobble board) in the general and athletic populations.

Unstable surface training was first employed in a rehab setting, and has some applicability to abdominal and lumbar exercises.

The problem is, "trainers" ( and I use this term very loosely) started using these unstable surfaces for strength training. I cringe when I see all sorts of squats, dead lifts, presses, and so forth performed on an unstable surface. The truth is, all the research shows that, for both upper and lower body strength training, unstable training is inferior to stable surface training.

In athletic populations, the use of unstable surface training may be particularly detrimental to performance.

Finally, unstable surface training does not mimic the conditions of real life( unless you are experiencing an earthquake). We manage unstable loads ( shifting packages or a moving child) on stable surfaces. Therefore, training on stable surfaces transfers more readily to real-world activities.

So, throw in a Swiss ball ab exercise here and there, but perform the majority of your exercise on terra firma.
You'll get better results and won't look like a doofus.