To BOSU or Not To BOSU?

Here is an article that I found on Men's Health that is looking at the perspective of one of the best performance coaches in the world, Mike Boyle.

Don’t worry, I promise this is not another article on the benefits or detriments of “functional training.” Every expert has their own opinion, and to be honest, I fall somewhere in the middle. It’s not the end all, be all of training (just because not everyone views what is functional the same way)—but it has its place in any routine.

Some might argue that the BOSU ball is a functional trainer’s best friend (thus making me think that those in love with functional training have a serious love for blue balls…but I digress). For the bottom line on BOSU training, I consulted with Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning. Boyle’s words carry significant weight as there are very few in the game who know more than him, and his advice might help your training and save your body from injury. Here are his thoughts on the BOSU:

It’s primary uses:“I really only use it for push-ups and some hip extension stuff. We never stand on them. I like unstable upper body stuff but don't really have much use for instability of that type with lower body. I do like it as "platform" for various hip extension exercises for glutes. I like unstable upper body work as it adds a stability effect that really stimulates the scapula stabilizers. I also think it adds additional core demand to a push. Lots of bang for the buck.”

On what to avoid:“I avoid lower body work because the dome shape makes it not real world. I think lower body instability should be subtler, like an Airex pad versus something overly unstable like the BOSU. Too unstable limits loading. Moderate instability promotes use of stabilizers.”

On how to use it to improve hips/glutes:“The BOSU is great for hip work as it is more stable than a stability ball. It makes a comfortable platform but is not too unstable when it is flat side down.”

The bottom line: The BOSU has a place, but it’s not for unlimited exercises. Any training program that completely revolves around the BOSU is probably flawed, and thus inherently limiting the amount of progress you can make. And if you want to make your pushups more difficult using the BOSU, just wear a weighted vest for added resistance, or prop your feet up on a bench or step.