How to Exercise on a Balance Board: Basic exercises + Abs

Usually, varying different kinds of training loads is perceived by most people as being completely incompatible. This has been due to the bodybuilding industry which “said” that only the weight training is good, and the only thing you can add to it is a lazy jogging on the track. However, such misconception is already history and the huge popularity of functional training is the testimony to this fact.

People began considering that just going to the gym and pumping muscles is neither the best nor the most exciting thing to do and when it comes down to exercising they’d rather do it for specific purposes such as becoming stronger, faster, getting a lot of stamina, learning to balance, developing good motor coordination, etc. Of course, muscle building for the most of these purposes plays very important role. But instead of just muscles size, their functionality becomes more important meaning ability to use them in completely different tasks. This is exactly where the Balance Board will help.

This at first glance simple device will take your overall physical fitness to a totally different level. That will have an impact not only on your overall look but also on your physical ability. In addition, you don’t have to do any intricate and quirky movements that will make others smile and feel puzzled.

Almost all the exercises are the set of basic movements from bodybuilding, fitness and even high school PE. But using the Balance Board even with light weights will allow you to feel what is a really effective load impact is.

Balance Board Exercises

For your convenience, we have put all the exercises into several categories according to different types of muscle load and to target full body muscles or specific muscle groups.
However, you must remember that even if you perform a simple movement like dumbbells biceps curl using the Balance Board, not only hands but also legs, abs and back will be involved in the work. We talk not only about the involvement of the core muscles but also about all the stabilizer muscles.This will provide the maximum possible loading at the same time.

Basic exercises + abs

1. Thrusters (3 sets of 10 reps)

Description: this is one of the most commonly used exercises in CrossFit that provides an incredibly intensive load on all the body muscles. However, you will be able to significantly improve your results if you use the Balance Board. This exercise is ideal for developing all the muscles and the Board improves your balance which loads core muscles even more.

Technique: Grasp dumbbells with the appropriate weight and step on the Board, shifting your weight to prevent any of the board’s edges from touching the floor, then do squats, holding the dumbbells in each hand near your shoulders without shifting them. Quickly raise up to standing as you press the dumbbells overhead

Tip: It is important to do the entire exercise as one fluid motion: squat- return to the starting position – squeeze the dumbbells up.
Balance Board: Exercises-Thrusters (pic).

 

 

2. Medicine Ball Tosses (start with up to 20 tosses in a row)

Description: It’s a great exercise for those who finds the regular fitness or bodybuilding dull.

Tip: It is better to perform along with a partner tossing the medicine ball to each other, but you can also do the exercise on your own tossing the ball up or against the wall.

Technique: there aren’t any special restrictions and the exercise is good both for beginners and for advanced athletes. The main objective is to learn to keep balance. Watch the ball, not the board. This will help you to catch it well. You can throw the ball in any direction using any technique you like such as side throws, chest tosses, throws starting with the ball at belly button height, etc.).
Balance Board: Med.Ball Tosses (pic).

 

 

3. Forearm plank (3 * 30 seconds or more)

Description: Everyone knows this exercise, but the Balance Board can make it sparkle with new colors and add more effectiveness. In fact, the Board is the ideal way to add some hardness to the regular plank exercise.
Technique: take a regular plank position with legs extended and elbows bent and directly under shoulders. Distribute the body’s weight borne on forearms, elbows, and toes. (it is important to evenly distribute the body’s weight on the whole Balance Board).
Balance Board: exercise — Regular(forearm) plank(pic).

HARDER VARIATION #1:

If you’d like to complicate the task much more do the plank on the Board trying to roll it over to the one side and to the other side. It will really explode your muscles and more then this adds the necessary stretch and improve flexibility.
Tip: It is very important not to do too long roll-overs to keep balance. Check the proper Board position while performing.
Balance Board: exercise — Regular(forearm) plank. Harder variation 1(pic).

HARDER VARIATION #2:

You can also do the plank with one leg raised which makes this exercise much more harder.
Balance Board: exercise — Regular(forearm) plank . Harder variation 2 (pic).

Read the continuation  Balance board: exercises for the back

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