BOSU SHOULDERS & CORE

I LOVE using a variety of equipment to spice up exercises and try new movements!

The BOSU is an awesome tool that will challenge your stability and add a level of difficulty to exercises you may have tried before.

This sequence requires just a BOSU and a set of dumbbells. My recommendation: perform each exercise for 30-45 seconds. Take a 60-second rest after completing all of the exercises. Repeat for a total of 2-3 sets. 

Kneeling Shoulder Raise

  1. Kneel on the rounded side of the BOSU with your knees about hip-width apart.
  2. You can leave your toes on the floor, but try to lift them as you progress in this exercise.
  3. With your palms facing down and elbows softly bent, lift the dumbbells to about shoulder height.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells.
  5. Repeat.

*Form Notes: I always prefer to lift my arms slightly forward of my shoulders so my arms make a very wide V shape. This is a bit easier on the shoulders.

Pushups with Hand on BOSU

  1. Place your hands about shoulder-width apart or a little wider with one hand on the ground and one hand on the rounded side of the BOSU.
  2. Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels as you bend and extend your elbows to perform a perfect pushup.
  3. Repeat on the other side.

*Modification Tip: Feel free to try this exercise on your knees before progressing to your feet!

*Progression Tip: Try lifting one foot into the air through the pushup. Talk about core stability!!

Dead Bug

  1. Sit on the rounded side of the BOSU with your feet planted on the floor.
  2. Lean back, maintaining a contraction in your abs (it should look like you’re going to do some crunches).
  3. When you’re ready, lift both feet off the ground and bend your knees to about 90 degrees.
  4. Reach your hands up toward the ceiling.
  5. Keep your gaze diagonally forward & your tongue at the roof of your mouth to protect your neck.
  6. Hold this position – it’s going to burn!

Dead Bug with Alternating Arm & Leg Reach

  1. While in your perfect Dead Bug position, extend your right leg forward and left leg back.
  2. Repeat on the other side for your next set.

*Modification Tip: This is a progression from the Dead Bug exercise. Perfect the Dead Bug first – then move onto this dynamic exercise!

Lateral Crunches

  1. Lay down on the rounded side of the BOSU so that your waist and hips are supported.
  2. Cross your top leg forward of your bottom leg, with both feet on the ground.
  3. Lightly place your hands on either side of your head.
  4. As you exhale, crunch to the side (up) and slowly rotate your torso toward your legs.
  5. Inhale as you lower back down.
  6. Repeat on the other side for your next set. 

Lateral Leg Raises

  1. From your Lateral Crunch position, lower your bottom side elbow to the ground.
  2. Stack your feet on top of each other.
  3. Make sure your hips and shoulders are stacked, perpendicular to the floor.
  4. As you exhale, lift both of your legs off the ground.
  5. Inhale as you lower both legs down.

*Form Tip: It will be hard, but be sure to keep your feet & legs together on this exercise!

Reverse Extension

  1. Lie face-down with your hips on the apex of the rounded side of the BOSU.
  2. Place your hands on the ground, wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend your elbows so your chest is about the same height as the BOSU.
  4. Exhale as you lift your legs toward the ceiling. You only need to lift your legs until you feel a squeeze in your glutes.
  5. Inhale as you lower your legs.

*Form Tip: Gaze diagonally downward to keep your neck in a neutral position.

Back Extension with Rotation

  1. From your Reverse Extension position, scoot your body down the BOSU so your stomach is positioned at the apex.
  2. Place your toes on the ground and hands behind your head.
  3. Exhale as you lift your chest, arching slightly through your low back.
  4. If you’re ready to progress, you can rotate your chest to one side, then come back to center.
  5. Inhale as you lower your chest down.
  6. Repeat on the other side.

*Progression Tip: The added rotation is a progression from a Back Extension with no rotation. It may not be tolerable for some with back and spine issues, so only use the rotation as a progression if it feels OK with your body.

Mountain Climbers

  1. Flip the BOSU so the rounded side points down.
  2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the flat side of the BOSU.
  3. Create a straight line from your head to your heels, as though you’re going to do a pushup.
  4. Exhale as you lift one foot and pull your knee toward your chest.
  5. Inhale as you straighten your leg and lower your foot to the ground.
  6. Repeat on the other side.

*Progression Tip: You can make the Mountain Climber more challenging by playing with the speed. I recommend trying them fast (more heart-pumping for cardio) and sloowww (requiring more control and stabilization of your core muscules).

Alternating Sides Mountain Climbers

  1. Follow the same steps as you did with the Mountain Climbers, but this time bring your knee toward the opposite elbow.

 

Enjoy this challenge, ladies!! If you try it, let me see it! Post to Instagram using the hashtag #HMBgirl! Get after it, girlie!