How to do a Medicine Ball BOSU Core Workout
Two great tools to work the core are the BOSU and the medicine ball. BOSU is an acronym meaning BOth Sides Up. It is a dome shaped piece of equipment that can be stepped on, sat on or laid on in various ways to work the body from various angles. A medicine ball is a hard rubber ball that comes in weights generally ranging from 1 to 30 pounds. It is used to do swings, chops, lifts, rotations and throws to activate the core. When used in conjunction with the BOSU, the core has to work even harder, making the effect even greater.
Instructions
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1
Hold ball in both hands and step on to the BOSU (dome side up) and lift the ball up to the ceiling while lifting opposite knee. Envision a string attached from the knee to the med ball. Then step back off the BOSU, place the foot that was on the BOSU behind the body, then go right into a lunge. While lowering into the lunge, extend arms straight out in front of the body. Hold down lunge position and rotate to the right with head in line with ball. Slowly rotate back to forward, step out of the lunge and back on to the BOSU while tucking the arms back in. Repeat the whole sequence. Perform 10 reps on each leg.
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2
Stand on the flat surface of the BOSU in a wide stance, with the med ball tucked in against chest. Slowly lower into a squat. Rise back up while extending arms straight out in front of the body. Rotate torso all the way to the right then all the way to the left with head in line with ball. Bring arms back to center, then slowly lower back down while tucking arms back in. Repeat 10 times.
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3
Stand on the flat side of the BOSU with feet about shoulder width apart. Extend arms straight out in front of the body with ball in hand. Draw imaginary circles in the air. Make them as wide as possible. Do 10 in one direction, then 10 in the other direction.
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4
Perform "upchucks." Stand on the flat side of the BOSU in a wide stance with ball in extended arm position. Lower into a squat while swinging the ball between the legs. Come back up and forcefully swing the ball overhead. Do this motion with the intention of throwing the ball through the wall but not actually doing it. This really engages the core. Repeat sequence 10 times.
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5
Lie on the dome side of the BOSU with ball in both hands. The shoulders should be just off the BOSU, knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat of the ground. Extend the arms overhead and slowly rise forward. Come up to a 45-degree angle with arms now in front of the body. Hold for 1 second then slowly lower back down while letting the arms go over the head. Repeat 10 times.
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Perform above steps all the way through with no rest, as this workout is in a circuit format. In between circuits, do single knee balances on the BOSU for 30 seconds on each leg.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a medicine ball that is a challenging weight but not too heavy. The best size to start with would be a 4 pound for women and a 6 pound for men. This is just a reference. It really varies on the individual.
When stepping up onto flat side of BOSU, it is a good idea to practice standing on it first just to get use to it. A good idea is to stand near a rack or doorway to place hands on it for balance until comfortable.
