Fitness Friday… Late!

Better late than never, right?

So every Friday I meet with Amanda for 30 minutes, and get a new fitness routine.  We are on a rotation. One week is strength, then endurance, and then stability. Of course if you have read previous entries you know “Stability” better as “Damn it, there is that Bosu again”.  And so we go…

Stability Week.

The last few Stability weeks, Amanda didn’t give me too much Bosu. Just a few things. This week was all bosu, except one.

All of my workouts start with a plank.  Since I am not very good at the regular plank, last week we changed it to a plank off the bench. So my hands are on the bench, I am standing at an angle, and up on my toes. There is a mirrored wall next to me, so I can see my form and make sure I don’t have my “bum” too high up,  which is the problem I have with the plank on the floor. Sort of like this…

I hold that for 60 seconds. Holding in that core!

Now comes Bosu time…

First a one arm chest press standing on the bosu, using the cable machine. It’s like what this link is showing, except instead of sitting, I am standing on a bosu, and I am using weights on a cable machine, not just resistance bands like on this site. And I do 20 reps per set with both arms.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/CBOneArmChestPress.html

Squats

Pick up a 15 lb kettlebell

Hold it with both hands, get on the bosu and do 20 squats.  It’s like this, except holding the kettlebell in both hands, instead of a dumbbell in each hand. BTW, I fall off a lot!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1261

Skull Crushers

The Skull Crusher is my only non-bosu exercise this week. I am using a stability ball and rolling out on my back. Take 25 lb kettle bell in both hands, and Crush! Your! Skull!  Basically you are holding the kettlebell with both hands and holding it up above your head. Only bending at your elbows, bring the weight down above your forehead. And back up. Do 20 of those. And remember you are on the stability ball, so hips up and suck in that core!

One Arm Row

Now you are back at the cable machine, standing on the bosu, and facing forward (as opposed to the chest press where you faced backwards).  Pull the cable towards you. 20 reps a set, each arm.

Good Mornings

I just did these for the first time a couple weeks ago.  You stand holding a kettlebell in both hands and then you bend at the waist, slightly bending your knees. Then you are standing back up, using your legs, not your back.  This shows someone  doing it with dumb bells. With Kettlebells you are have just one weight, holding it with both hands.

Again you are doing 20 of those.

And lastly….

Weighted Crunches off the Bosu with Tempo

Get a 10 or 15 lb kettle bell. Lay down on the bosu so the middle of your back is on the top of the bosu. Hold the kettlebell in up in front of you.  Pull up on a one-count, and then slowly go down on a 5-count.  Repeat 20 times. This video shows the guy adding weights except he is holding it close. Instead I hold the weight out in front of me, and I am doing with tempo (the 5 count on the way down) and he isn’t.

http://www.livestrong.com/video/5086-six-pack-abs-bosu-ball/

And once you are done… start with the plank and repeat it all over again.

I wouldn’t mind stability week so much if I didn’t have to attempt to stand on the bosu. Laying on it, or using it to do lunges are fine. Standing on… I just don’t have the coordination. Give it a try and tell me how you do!