BOSU Lunge Jump

I call these jumping lunges. I don't have my own BOSU, so I just do it in place. It's great for the quads, and it's good cardio. Do 10 of these on each side, and you might be done for the night.

Remember: Don't let your front knee go past your front toes.































Plyometric Power Lunges
Stand facing BOSU with the right foot in the middle of the dome, left foot back in a lunge stance. Bend the knees and lower into a lunge. In an explosive movement, jump up and switch legs in the air landing with left foot on the dome, right foot back. Repeat, trying to land each foot right in the middle. Repeat, alternating sides 8-10 times. March in place for 16 counts and repeat.

BOSU SQUATS

Squat Jumps over the BOSU
Begin standing next to BOSU and place the right foot in the middle of the dome. Squat down and quickly jump over the dome landing with the left foot on the BOSU in a squat. Continue back and forth over the dome, jumping higher for more intensity.

Don't have a BOSU of your own? No problem!

You can do this anywhere!

Below is an alternative:


This photo is Gary Boring and I doing side lunges/squats at Golden Gate Park.

We have our hands in front of us to maintain balance. We are making sure that our knees are not extending too much over our toes. Always smile when you do this.

BOSU Ski Jumps for Cardio

Ski Hops
Stand on top of bubble with feet spaced evenly. Bend the knees and jump up, angling feet and body to the right, hands up for balance and abs tight. Hop towards the left and continue hopping from right to left with feet together, as though 'skiing' down a mountain. Repeat for 30 seconds, march in place (on the floor or the BOSU) for 8 counts and repeat for another 30 seconds.

Hopefully, this series of photos makes sense. The one at the bottom is the end move.

Notice the cat in photo 2. Always exercise with your pets - it brings you closer together.

Don't have a BOSU at home? This one won't be as fun without the BOSU, and it'll be tough to do with similar results. You can jump laterally and get in ski position and back up. Then jump laterally (about 4-5 feet) and ski, get back up and jump to the other side. Does this make sense?

BOSU Side Jumps

Side Hops
Stand to the left of the BOSU and jump sideways onto the BOSU, landing with right foot in the middle of the dome, left knee bent and body upright. Step back down and repeat, each time trying to land the foot right in the 'bull's eye' of the dome. After you land, hold your balance for a couple of counts before you step back down. Repeat 16 times on the right and then switch sides.



In addition to being a good cardio and core work out, you are gaining a lot of strength in your legs by doing this.

A good alternative, if you don't have a BOSU, is to do a series of short jumps from side to side and alternate them with long side jumps.

You'll get a good cardio workout from this!

BOSU & Squat Jumps

Squat Jumps onto the BOSU
Stand behind the BOSU. Bend the knees and keep the abs tight as you hop onto the top of the dome, landing with the knees bent in a squat. Step back down with the right foot and repeat 16 times. March in place for 8 counts and repeat, this time stepping down with the left foot. Be sure to land right in the middle of the ball. If landing with both feet simultaneously is too hard, go for a staggered landing, one foot at a time.

Squat Jumps
Stand on the BOSU with feet spaced evenly. Bend your knees and squat, as though you're sitting back in a chair. Then jump up as high as you can and land with soft knees, lowering back into a squat. Repeat for 10 reps and march in place (on the floor or BOSU) before repeating.

The BOSU is pretty fun, though I don't have one at home right now. It's a great tool for balance and core improvement. The best alternative to this, if you don't have a BOSU, is to do jump squats on the floor. You won't achieve the same level of core training, but you will get the work out in your legs, and if you go quickly, yet safely, you'll get some good cardio in, too.