Be Well Workout of the Week: The Ultimate Bosu Ball Workout

Get ready to use that one piece of gym equipment that's always confused you.

You know that half-physioball, half-balance-board thing you always see at the gym but don’t know what to do with? Well, that is called a Bosu ball, and today we are going to use it. All of the exercises in this workout will utilize your new friend, the Bosu Ball, and it will be fun — I promise. (Note: If you don’t have access to a Bosu ball, use a physioball (that’s the totally round one) to substitute for the exercises where you can, and just the floor and your bodyweight for the others.) Now, let’s get sweating!

Be Well Workout of the Week: The Ultimate Bosu Ball Workout

Instructions: Repeat circuit 4 times.
5 squat thrusts with Bosu Ball
10 jumping push-ups on Bosu Ball
15 ab twists on Bosu Ball (Do 15 on each side)
20 lateral up-and-overs with Bosu Ball (Do 20 on each side.)
25 mountain climbers with Bosu Ball (Do 25 on each side.  )
20 single-leg bicep curls on Bosu Ball
15 straight-arm crunches with Bosu Ball
10 knee drives on Bosu Ball (Do 10 on each side.)
5 plank rows on Bosu Ball (Do 5 on each side.)

Explanations of exercises: 
Click links for how-to videos. 

Squat thrusts with Bosu Ball: Start holding the Bosu with the flat side at your chest. Put the ball on the floor, and still holding onto it, jump your feet back to a high-plank position. Jump your feet in, stand back up, pick the ball up and press it overhead.

Jumping push-ups on Bosu Ball: Start in a push-up positions with the round side of the Bosu Ball on the ground and your hands holding the handles on the handles on the flat side. Do a push-up and on the way up, jump the ball off the floor if you can. If you can’t, simply do a push-up while stabilizing on the ball.

Ab twists on Bosu Ball: Sit on the round side of the ball and lean back, lifting your feet off the ground. Once you find your center of balance, twist your torso from side to side.

Lateral up-and-overs with Bosu Ball: Lay the ball on the ground, flat-side down. Standing sideways, place your left foot on the ball. Drive up to stand on top of the ball, and then step your left foot to the floor, keeping your right foot on the ball. Repeat this motion as fast as you can from side to side, always keeping one foot on the ball.

Mountain climbers on Bosu Ball: With the round part of the ball on the ground, hold the handles of the flat side and perform mountain climbers.

Single-leg bicep curls on Bosu Ball: With the round part of the ball on the ground, stand on the flat part, balancing on just your left food. Do 10 bicep curls with dumbbells, then switch to the right foot and do 10 more.

Straight-arm crunches on Bosu Ball: With the flat part of the ball on the ground, sit on the ball and lean back into it so your low back rests on the ball. Lifting your hips, lie all the way back and clasp your arms overhead, squeezing your biceps by your ears. Crunch your chest straight up toward to the ceiling, keeping your biceps by your ears the whole time.

Knee drives on Bosu Ball: With the flat side of the ball on the ground, stand on the ball with your left foot then bend into a lunge, keeping your weight in your left foot. As you stand, drive your right knee up toward your chest so that you are balancing on your left leg on the ball. Hold for two seconds then step the right foot back into a lunge position. Complete reps on left side, then do on right side.

Plank row: Get into a push-up position with your feet resting on the round side of the Bosu Ball and your hands on free weights. Row one weight up and back, keeping your hips square to the floor and squeezing your shoulder blades. Lower and repeat on the other side.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

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