strength Archives - Mason Recreation

By: Alison M. Hall

What is that strange mushroom-top looking blue thing you see in the group exercise room, stretch room, and fitness floor? It’s a BOSU Balance Trainer. BOSU is an acronym for Both Sides Utilized. David Weck introduced this half-dome piece of fitness equipment in 2000. Stories told at fitness conferences say he fell from standing on a stability ball injuring himself one to many times, so he cut it in half and created the BOSU. (PLEASE do not stand on a stability ball!) I don’t know if the story is true or not, but I’m glad the BOSU came to be, because it’s a great piece of fitness equipment.

BOSU for Cardio

The BOSU can be used dome side up for a variety of cardio activities. It can replace a step for steady-state cardio classes. The reactive dome, however, makes the workout much harder than using a regular step, so expect to tire out more quickly. The dome also can be used for high-intensity cardio intervals. You can do step-type activities like basic up and down, across the top, straddle, dome toe taps, etc. Most people find it more fun to jump on it. You can power onto the dome from the floor, power across it, or just jump on top. You can use one BOSU, two at a time, or set up a line and jump down them like Marlin and Dory on the jellyfish in Finding Nemo.

BOSU for Total-Body Strength

Both sides of the BOSU can be used for strength training. You can stand on the BOSU with one foot or both feet on the dome to challenge balance while doing traditional dumbbell strength. You can do pushups with hands or feet on the dome or platform, squats on the dome, lunges with the front foot or back foot on the dome, or lunges with your back foot on the platform side and front foot on the floor. (BOSU advises against standing with both feet on the platform side.) It also is a great core trainer. Many yoga and Pilates moves can be done on the dome or platform side, including plank, v-sit, crunches, and bridge lifts.

BOSU for Balance

Anything you do on the BOSU challenges your balance because of the unstable surface. You can challenge your balance more while standing on the dome by moving your gaze left to right or up and down, standing on one foot, or by closing your eyes. Start slowly if you are not used to balance training.

Always work out in a safe environment. If your BOSU gets sweaty, wipe it down. Make sure no equipment is on the floor near your BOSU. You can find some crazy videos online of super fit athletes doing amazing things on the BOSU—some safe and some not-so-safe. To be safe, BOSU.com and BOSU’s social media pages have video clips of recommended exercises using good form. If you still aren’t sure, take a class or work with a personal trainer to learn proper use.

Due to Instagram and Tumblr posts, many believe yoga is all about putting your legs around your face, standing on your hands, or balancing on your head. It seems only the incredibly flexible, or those desiring to be, should practice yoga. These ideas are common misconceptions.

Yoga poses force concentration. The serenity from this concentration discovered in yoga follows you off the mat. It can allow you to discover a deeper sense of power within yourself. For example, when you are strength training. The calm state of mind allows you to function without worrying about injuring yourself because you have learned how to be aware of your body by listening to your body in yoga classes.

The flexibility benefits of yoga translate perfectly into strength training as well. Yoga classes involve activating your slow-twitch muscle fibers when you’re asked to hold poses. Throughout the progression of class your muscles get warmer. Then you may utilize muscles you may not have known you had. The warmth of the muscles allows you to sink deeper into poses, and increase blood flow.As you stretch, and flow through the movements your body tones and balances. The muscles lengthen but are being activated enough to exert more energy than when they were at rest.

Aside from improving on the yoga mat, you can use the flexibility to improve your performance in the weight room. Most gym users find it difficult to complete a deep squat. Improved flexibility will allow you to deepen a squat because of the flexibility in your hips. Lunges are more effective too because of the flexibility of the hip flexors and ankles.

Before setting up a strength training session following your yoga class, consider poses you may not know about that require a great deal of strength. How long could you hold your body in a tricep pushup position, elbows touching your sides, arms creating a 90 degree angle? How long can you balance on one leg, no matter what your arms or other leg are doing? Then, do it again. Simple poses can be difficult, and it’s not unlikely to work up a bit of a sweat in a yoga class. Instead of stacking strength training and yoga back to back, both should be completed separately. Since current research shows too loose or warm muscles (like after yoga) would make your immediate lifting session less effective. Aside from being too relaxed to offer a full power push, some yoga poses are actually quite intense, and could hinder your strength training performance.

Don’t just take my word for it. Tracy and Hart (2013) found that, “Yoga subjects exhibited increased deadlift strength, substantially increased lower back/hamstring flexibility, increased shoulder flexibility, and modestly decreased body fat when compared with a control group.”

Sweat or no sweat, the self reflection period at the closing of a class leaves any yogi with a new awareness of themselves. An optimum collision of strength, flexibility, and soul saturating success.

References:

Tracy, B., & Hart, C. (2013). Bikram Yoga Training and Physical Fitness in Healthy Young Adults. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 822-830.