Bosu squat and press
Loving the water is just one more great reason to live in Austin. In addition to looking great on the water this summer, you know you want to pull off some rad moves behind the boat. Pure Austin Fitness Specialist Kathy Redden’s loves to get behind the boat and “wakesurf.” Wakesurfing involves “surfing” the wake behind a ski boat
on a surfboard. It’s so fun! Now is the time to get prepared for the season by starting your cross-training.
Kathy says: Work the Wave
You have to be strong in your obliques and hips to be able to stabilize the board while you move up and down the wave. The fol- lowing two exercises are great for the obiques and hips.
Side to Side Medicine Ball Slams.
Start seated, holding a medicine ball, with your feet in the air. Twist side to side and hit or “slam” the ball to ground on each side of your hips…..hit hard, make some noise! Work up to 30 slams (15 each side) per set. Start with 2 sets, with 30 seconds rest between sets, and progress to 3 sets. Be sure to maintain good posture, and keep your abs tight but don’t hold your breath. To add extra challenge, bring your gaze up towards the ceiling.
The second exercise is a medicine ball chop.
Stand with feet hips-width apart holding the medicine ball. Swing down, bringing the ball towards your left foot, then swing up and reach up in to the air to right side. Imagine you are hitting a target above and behind you (keep your arms 90 percent straight throughout the whole movement). Repeat 15 times on this side, then switch sides. Start with 2 sets, with a 30-second rest between sets. Progress to 3 sets. Here’s another important wakesurfing tip: Don’t dip the nose! If you catch an edge, you will go down! These exercises can help you prepare for smooth surfing.
Bosu isometric staggered squats.
When wakesurfing, most of your weight is on your back leg, so it needs to be as strong as steel. The front leg is agile and light, steering the board but not dipping the nose. Turn the Bosu so the blue side is down. Carefully, with a spot or the wall, get on the flat side. Take a staggered (surfboard) stance, basically a shortened lunge stance. Keep your front knee bent while dropping the back knee toward the ground. Hold at the bottom for 30 seconds, then switch feet. Do 3 sets on each leg. This is an awesome exercise for your surfboard-legs strength!
Bosu squat and press.
Again, turn the Bosu so the blue side is down. (Very) carefully step up to the flat side, and be sure to use a spot or a wall if you need one! Have some handweights nearby that you can grab once you get on.
Holding a weight in each hand, squat down, and then come back to standing while pressing the weights into an overhead shoulder press. The Bosu will add to instability and challenge the core while the legs are stabilizing. Practice getting steady on the unsteady surface! Do 15 reps, take a break, and repeat. Do 2-3 sets.
