BOSU Exercises Are Rubbish
Go to almost any gym in America and you will find a wide variety of exercise balls, balance disks, and wobble boards that are used to build core stability. The core muscles act like a corset around the spine to provide stability for lower and upper body movements.
For example, squatting on BOSU balls (ball with flat surface on the bottom) requires activation of the core muscles so that you can maintain balance and perform the exercise. Unfortunately, BOSU exercises decrease the capacity to lift heavier weight during the exercise.
Consequently, stability training and BOSU exercises decrease the capacity to strengthen major muscle groups. Not good! Jeff Willarclson, a strength coach from Eastern Illinois University, concluded that training on unstable surfaces is not effective for developing core strength and power because the exercises involve light loads, long tension times and slow speeds.
Free-weight exercises from the ground using dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells are the best ways to develop core strength because the movements are more similar to the physical demands of sport and daily life. [sources: Strength and Conditioning Journal, Fitness RX]
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06-04-08 at 5:25 am
That doesn't make Bosu exercises rubbish! They're still a great way to build stability--just don't hop on a Bosu every single time you lift weights. They can add another dimension to your training...and I still stand by the fact that the Bosu is a great tool for doing ab exercises on.
06-24-08 at 9:03 pm
Check your research again. Instability requires increased stabilizer activation. So while exercises on unstable surfaces won't necessarily increase prime mover activity, they will increase neuromuscular demand on stabilizers requiring more efficient movement. This can therefore lead to more efficient use of prime mover during free-weight exercises due to ease of stability.
In fact, some of the top Strength Coaches utilize instability (within reason) to promote this very thing.
06-25-08 at 11:36 pm
I'm not an expert, just someone who is very out of shape. My trainer started me on the Bosu and working on other balance type exercises. It has increased my strength, agility and balance so much that other people I see in the gym have commented on it. All this in a short amount of time. It has been very successful.
06-27-08 at 3:15 pm
Okay you just sit there and the keyboard and type up your criticism while us others are increasing our stability, balance, reflexes balance and exercising! It's a tool! You don't use every tool in your toolbox, every time on every job.
09-03-08 at 7:58 am
I agree with everyone else here, this is a ridiculous article. Bosu training is great for stability and form, and nobody is going to be using it every day, at every workout.