Category Archives: chops

Strength Workout #4: Bosu Challenge

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Again, all these exercises can be done without the use of a Bosu ball so don’t fret!

Active Warmup. Focus on warming up your hip flexors with some leg swings and hip rotations (among other things)!

The Workout – Bosu Challenge:
20 regular pushups
20 regular crunches with your heels raised
20 leg lifts
boat pose (30 sec)
20 shoulder dips
20 shoulder shrugs
20 leg lifts from a shoulder shrug position (i.e., with your butt hanging off a chair and all your weight supported by your arms, raise each leg in sequence. You only need to lift your leg a couple inches to get the benefit. This will target your hip flexors!)
20 chops with a medicine ball
20 chops with a medicine ball while standing on a bosu ball
20 pikes on a yoga ball
20 supermans
20 bird-dogs
20 pushups with a twist (Watch the video… but bring your knee to your opposite elbow while you are lowering into the pushup – instead of while in the plank position. Keep your twisted knee off the ground and raise back up. Switch legs. We’ll make our own video of this at some point.)
side planks (each side, hold for 45 sec and do 10 leg lifts during that time)

20 side crunches on a bosu ball (each side)
10 single leg squats on a bosu ball (each leg; with opposite leg balanced behind, i.e., not a pistol squat)
10 lunges on a bosu ball (each leg)
10 side lunges on a bosu ball (each leg)
**Challenge**:
Balance on one foot on a bosu ball for as long as you can. Record the amount of time for each foot so that you can compare when you get stronger!
Do as many regular pushups as you can. This means to exhaustion (i.e., you fall on the floor because you can’t push up or lower yourself down, you absolutely can’t do anything else, and after you collapse you have to roll over to get yourself up to a sitting position because your arms are too tired to help push you up). Keep a record for later comparisons.
Cool down. Stretch with focus on your hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, and also on your pecs. If you have a foam roller, pay that baby a visit!

Strength Workout #2: Bosu Fun

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Don’t worry if you don’t have a bosu ball. All the exercises in this workout can be done without one, but the bosu adds an extra challenge in balance. Balance is an important aspect of any strength regime because it works the small connecting muscles that are especially ignored during traditional weight machine workouts. Small connective muscles and ligaments help distribute forces during exercise that would otherwise be absorbed by large muscle groups, possibly overloading them and causing injury.

Don’t forget the active warmup!

The Workout – Bosu Fun:
** Note: I will include links to videos when the exercises are new, otherwise see previous posts if you’re just jumping in and need some guidance.

15 regular pushups
20 regular crunches
12 spiderman pushups
20 crunches on the bosu ball
20 pushups on the bosu ball (do this with the ball-side facing the floor)
12 stationary inchworms
10 side to side planks on the bosu ball (take the same pushup position as above and shift the weight in your upper body from hand to hand to get a rocking motion – do this 10 times to each side)
20 dips
20 shoulder shrugs
30 sec plank with leg lifts (do 4 leg lifts for each leg – lift about 6 inches off the ground toward the ceiling)
30 sec side plank with leg lifts (each side – do 6 leg lifts for each leg, again about 6 inches upward from the floor)
10 arm circles while standing on the bosu ball (each side – include the squat)
20 situps with a medicine ball throw (I do these without someone holding my feet and my partner is standing up)
20 plank pushups (10 times pushing up with each hand)
20 side to side crunches with a medicine ball (I do these with my feet on the floor, but if you want a bit extra, go ahead and pick them up)
Circle touches while standing on the bosu ball (couldn’t find a good video so here’s my explanation – Stand on the bosu with the flat side on the floor. Place 1 object each at 9, 10:30, 12, 1:30, and 3 o’clock about 5 inches from the edge of the bosu. Balance on one foot. Do a mini squat with your opposite leg back for balance, reaching toward the object at 9 – actually touching it is just a bonus. Come back to a standing position. Repeat for the other objects and then work your way back to the beginning for a total of 9 squats. Switch legs and repeat. Good luck holding your balance. The first time you try this you may want to do it without the bosu ball! This is a great exercise for balance and building ankle strength which is essential to any running activity, especially ultimate frisbee.)
10 chops while standing on the bosu ball (with a medicine ball)
10 backwards leg extensions while standing on the bosu ball (balance on one leg, extend the opposite leg backwards about 6 inches while clenching the glute)

Don’t forget to cool down and stretch. Focus on stretching those leg muscles and hip flexors!