One of my favorite pieces of equipment to use in the gym in regards to versatility is the Bosu Trainer.
It’s likely you have seen this big half-circle blue ball around your gym and you may have wondered what to do with it. I’m going to take you through a workout that utilizes the Bosu in several ways in order to work not only your core but also your upper and lower body and cardio conditioning.
What I love about the Bosu is that working on an unstable surface makes any exercise you do on it quite a bit harder. (Just wait until you try the bicycle crunches in this workout to see what I’m talking about!) It builds core strength, stabilization, balance and coordination. You get more bang for your buck when performing movements on the Bosu instead of a stable surface. Even standing on the Bosu to do dumbbell movements like bicep curls, overhead presses squats will up the difficulty of the exercise.
Here is the written version of the workout. I recommend 10-15 reps of each, 3 to 5 rounds through. It should take about 4-5 minutes to complete a round. You want to keep moving at a pretty consistent pace so that your heart rate stays up but be mindful of form and technique, especially given that you are working on an unstable surface.
And here is a video where I take you through a complete cycle with all of the reps and talk you through the form and technique for all the movements.
Give it a try and let me know what you think. As always, your feedback is welcome!
Thanks! I’ll have to try this!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve always seen it at my gym but never knew how to use it. Thanks Jen!
awesome! let me know how it goes!
🙁 so sad. just realized Ive been using that Bosu ball upside down. Hum. Credit for trying? Looking forward to trying it the RIght Way!
Em, BOSU stands for “BOth Sides Up” so you haven’t been using it wrong at all – just differently!
em – you were not using it wrong! i use it flipped over all the time. it’s even harder to do squats on it flipped and i also love to use it flipped for push ups and burpees – i make my clients lift the bosu overhead! 🙂
Oh, how I love the BOSU!!! I was on a big BOSU kick w/ all of my clients last week. Thanks for sharing some new ideas.
This workout looks great! Thanks for taking the time to do the video. My husband and I are looking at joining a CrossFit gym. Do you have any suggestions on how to find a good one or can you make a recommendation (we live in Kansas City)?
Thanks for the tutorial! I’m gonna try it, I love using the bosu but didn’t know all the ways to use it.
there are even more ways than posted here!
This looks killer! Love your workout circuit posts – this is a must try! As always, your video was very straightforward and informative, and your form impeccable. Great to see how to do these moves correctly, more people that go to my gym need to watch this 🙂
christianna – glad you are enjoying the workout posts. they’re fun for me to put together. thanks for the kind words about my video!
Thank you so much for posting this whole body bosu workout – I cannot wait to try it!
you’re welcome. let me know how it goes!
I love the new-ish direction of your blog! I’m really enjoying your posts lately. This workout looks great, I’m going to try it out tonight. Thanks!
thank you amanda! i’m digging it too! let me know how it goes.
Nice bosu workout! ! We do so much with it. We combine it with TRX, single leg squats, jumps, etc…yesterday I did lateral jumps from the bosu to the pylo box while holding the TRX straps.
linda – those variations sound really interesting. i want to know more!
Great work out! I am going to give this a shot this weekend. Keep the videos coming!!!
i love doing the videos! let me know what you think!
Great video. Your instructions are so clear and easy to understand. I can see fitness videos on the inernet featuring you in the future! Watch out, “bodyrocktv”!
that’s the plan (please god!!!!) 🙂
thanks pam!
OOhhh yah! gave your bad boy tutorial a go after my long run this morn. Wow! did my usual stretching then tuned in to your fantastic video. Simply awesome way to end a long run. Thank you, my body thanks you. Nama-youkickass-te.
yay zoey! thanks for trying it. i’m glad it was a winner!
Thanks for putting together this wonderful workout. I’ve been on the fence about getting a bosu ball for a while but I think I’m sold!
Your tutorial is great.
that’s great joy! i’m glad you enjoyed the post! you won’t regret the bosu. there’s so much you can do on it!
Just did this workout at my gym and a guy came up to me after I finished the walking push ups and said “Wow, I know some guys that can’t even do that! That’s impressive!”
Thanks for an awesome workout!
that is so awesome! thanks for the feedback. glad it made you look like a badass! 😉
I just tried this today! I know you said the bicycle was hard, but wow!! It really made me work. Loved it, thanks for posting! 🙂
i know! it’s crazy hard on the bosu!
I love your accent!
aw, thanks!
As a Ironman triathlete this routine is a great off season tool! Thanks!
Hey! I pulled this bosu ball workout out this morning as I felt my boss moves were getting stale. While I already do the lunges, bicycle and walking push ups, I had not done the others and I loved the combo of all the moves. I only did 2 rounds as I had already done a treadmill sprint workout and some stair climbing. The 2 rounds kept my heart rate up and kicked my but! Awesome workout and will be repeating it! Thanks!
yay! glad it was good for you and helped you mix it up!
I’ve been wanting to incorporate bosu workouts into my schedule..can’t wait to try this tomorrow!