FitMethod

For this week’s exercise of the week (EoW) I have chosen BOSU Ball Pushups.
I think that the pushup is the greatest exercise ever created. Why? Well besides that fact that you can do pushups anywhere and at any time, it is the most effecient exercise in the world: its like hitting a pack of birds with one stone. A proper pushup targets the chest, back, arms, and core. Basically its an all-in-one kinda deal.

Unfortunately, too many of the average gym-goers neglect this wonderful exercise. Little do they know about the power that it beholds. For instance, two years ago I was trying to increase my one rep maximum bench press. I incorporated pushups to all of my workouts. I noticed that after a period of time my max kept increasing and increasing. Six months after following my intense regimen of pushups I was able to reach my personal best (285 lbs for those that are curious). Since then I have lost a lot of muscle mass, but through my continuing utilization of pushups, I can still bench press 225 lbs. So there you have it.

I believe in pushups so much that they are a regular part of my clients’ workouts. This week’s exercise of the week is a variation of the pushup that I have my more advanced clients do. It is done on a BOSU Ball which you should find at your local gyms. BOSU stands for BOth Sides Utilized and its simply a stability ball that has been cut in half. By placing your hands on the flat part of the ball, your muscles are forced to work as stabilizers (to prevent the ball from moving) in addition to providing the force that allows you to push up and down. This makes the pushup more effective, because it forces your muscles to do two things at once. Not only is that conducive to more results than regular pushups, but it also burns more calories.

So here’s how it goes:

First you want to grab onto the edges of the ball and fully extend your legs. Try and make a straight line with your body. Engage the abdominals by bringing your tightening up your belly button towards your spine.

Next you want to lower yourself until your triceps/upper arms are parallel with the ground. Keep your abs, back, and chest tight as you do this. The trick is to keep the BOSU ball from shaking, try to make it as stable as possible as you push up and down on it.

If you are feeling adventurous, rotate the ball to one side, do a pushup, and then rotate to the other side and do a pushup. This will make your shoulders work a little harder.

So there you go. Try it out and let me know what you think!