Bosu Core Synergy

Part of the BOSU Pro Series, this little gem is brilliant. Difficult to explain or even recall the endless variation of core exercises because so much focus and concentration is required to execute the novel movements on the bosu. But the feeling is more like the dream state you experienced as a child, during all those fun activities that involved balance. The time flies and after the activity you are left feeling energized and happy, ready to do it all over again. And the clean Ikea set with low oversized red plastic chairs, pillows and artful paintings on the wall perfectly evoke the joy of little people playing on the floor, which is what you are doing, effectively, for 50 minutes.

But the workout is tough, athletic and fierce. My entire body was quivering the entire time. If you have any doubt about the veracity of functional fitness, this is it! The last sets of “plank crunches” with the bosu turned on its other side and your legs extended out to the side 45 degrees then diagonally crossing over the opposite leg were killer and make the core work performed on a stability ball seem like real kid stuff.

Rob Glick and Jay Blahnik are the background exercises and I noticed on Rob’s face several times that he was close to bursting out in hysteria because some of the moves are so foreign and difficult to perform. And even Rob is flailing around on the bosu, as I am, too, so it makes the experience more real. But, shrewdly, Jay does not acknowledge that he even knows Rob because otherwise they would both succumb to uproarious laugher and have to take it from the top one more time and how painful would that be?!

I love this tape and highly recommend it. In fact all the tapes in the BOSU Pro Series are top notch and a joy to use.

This half step, half hi/lo workout is one of my favorites. You start with 30 minutes of fun step routines followed by
about 25 minutes of even more fun hi/lo. In between the two segments, there's a warmup/cooldown, depending on whether you're going on to the hi/lo.

I always do both segments together. I love combo workouts like this, and I have a strong opinion that the step should always be the first segment, as this one is. (If it's not first, your legs get tired and you trip over the step.) The complete workout, including warmups, stretches, etc., is about an hour and 10 minutes.

The intensity and choreography are both at an upper-intermediate level. And the choreography is fun, a lot more than your traditional step and hi/lo. The music is really good, too.

I give this tape an A. It's my second-favorite of Candice's workouts. (The first one is Step Ahead.)

Set-Recent CIA with pinkish red IKEA-style set.

Music-A familiar Dynamix soundtrack that I recognized from Cathe's Stepworks.

Warm-up-Nice series of squats, t-steps and stretches including doing some unique moves where you "track" with your eyes as you reach and twist, and even close your eyes at some points to get acclimated to the Bosu. I found it very thorough and enjoyable and I am someone that hasn't met very many warmups that I'd rather not skip altogether.

I'll just hit a few high points in each section because it would take forever to describe each exercise.

Synergy 1-Uses supine, sidelying and prone positions.

She starts with curls, that she varies almost immediately with rotations. She leans way back over the Bosu to get all of your core muscles involved.

My favorite part of this section was the stabilization section.

Supine, you put one shoulder in the middle of the Bosu, get yourself into a bridge position with your arms extended to the sides while trying to keep your shoulders level. Then, your arms are to be extended over your head at the same time that you lift your inside leg and extend it. This is tough and very unlike anything I've ever tried. There is some nice bridge work for your lumbar area followed by some side-lying extension work, and prone postion "airplane" style balance moves. All--very effective and unique.

Synery 2-This was mostly standing and kneeling drills where you are working on balance with both feet, then one foot at a time and doing similiar moves on your knees.

There were several really innovative exercises in this section, but I'll try to describe the toughest one for me.

Picture yourself on your hands and knees extending one arm and one leg on opposite sides of your body.

Now, slowly crunch together until your elbow and knee meet underneath your body and THEN...you extend out and flex your leg and reach your arm back so that your hand touches your foot behind you. Switch sides and keep doing it. YOWZA! This is so hard to do while you are balancing on the Bosu. I remember thinking, "I'm sure glad no one can see me doing this--I must look ridiculous!".

Synergy 3-She calls this a more advanced section with strength, balance and stabilization progressions.

You start out sitting on your dome with your legs in front of you lifting them one at a time, and varying it by lifting them higher, then to the side, faster and slower.

There is a plank section with the dome face down where she has you lifting one leg at a time, extending it out to the side, bringing it back behind you, bending it, turning it in under your other leg, bringing it back to an extension position and putting it down to switch sides. Tough stuff! There is also a sort of "crunch" where you pull the flat side of the Bosu toward you as you pike in. I can't describe it well, but I remember thinking that V-pikes were a cake-walk compared to these.

Stretch-There is a brief stretch at the end, but there are stetches placed throughout this workout just where you would like them to be!

This is a tough one to review because none of the exercises really have a "name", so I hope the descriptions helped.

Overall impression:

This is a wonderful tape! I have been looking for a new tape to challenge my core and I know this is it. If you like Cathe's core work which was my first introduction to that type of work, and you have a Bosu-this is a must have! Grade A+