Are you loving the texture on the new BOSU® NexGen Balance Trainer? I know I am! Let’s take some of the best of the best leg exercises and add a little “texture” to our approach. Incorporating the BOSU® Balance Trainer adds unpredictable challenges and endless options to these fan favorites.

SQUAT

The squat is probably the Mac Daddy of all leg exercises, allowing to hit your quads, hamstrings and glutes - a great bang for your buck!

How to: 

• Stand with your feet either hip- or shoulder-width apart
• Bend your knees and drive your hips back as if you were going to sit in a chair until you find your deepest, safest, range of motion  
• Return to standing position 

Texture:

• Squat on the dome with feet wide
• Squat on the front of dome in a “V”
• Squat with feet lined up with the channels
• Squat with one foot on the floor
• Squat side to side
• Jump squat to the dome 

LUNGE  

 The lunge is a popular leg exercise, but familiar doesn’t mean easy. Lunges requires a great deal of balance and stability. The stars of this show are the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, but keep in mind the stabilizers in the hips also play a supporting role in this exercise.

 How to: 

• From a standing position, step back or forward with one leg and bend both knees to a 90° angle
• Keep the shin on your front leg vertical, and avoid letting the knee flex beyond the toe
• Be aware of your posture, and make sure your torso is tall and vertical, rather than rounding the back forward
• Pressing out of the front leg, return to starting position

 Texture:

• Alternate lunges from side to side, or perform all on one side before switching sides
• Start your lunge from the floor to the top of the dome
• Start your lunge from the top of the dome to the floor
• Add a knee lift for a balance challenge
• Add weights 

SIDE LUNGE 

Working in the side lunge forces us to move laterally and changes our plane of motion which is so important because our bodies were made to move in different directions. Muscles under fire here include the glutes, quads, and hips.

How to:

• From a standing position, step to one side and on to the dome of the Balance Trainer
• Your stationary leg straightens into full extension at the bottom of your lunge while your bent leg feels as if you are sitting into a squat
• Return to your original position and switch sides OR keep your stable leg planted and perform lunges on the same side for the desired number of reps before switching sides

Texture:

• Add a knee lift for balance challenge
• Push away from the dome so that deceleration is a challenge
• Rotate into a “Runner’s Lunge”
• Alternate sides 

GLUTE BRIDGE

The target markets for this exercise are the glutes, hamstrings and lower back. This is a “go to” exercise, especially if squat and lunge variations aren’t available to your knees and/or hips.

How to: 

• Start by lying on the floor with bent knees and your feet on the dome
• Push your feet down while raising the hips 
• At the top, squeeze your glutes and remember to keep your abs engaged
• Lower your hips back down to starting position

Texture:

• Single leg on the dome
• Both feet on the platform side
• Single leg on the platform side
• Head, neck and shoulders on the dome, feet on the floor

When you learn to add texture, the variations are endless. Keep your legs strong! Keep your BOSU® workouts safe, fresh and challenging!

Elizabeth Lenart, M.Ed, is a BOSU® Master Trainer and Program Director for Balletone. She is the founder of Elizabeth Lenart Fitness in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and functions as a consultant, program creator, instructor and mentor to other fitness professionals. She also appears as a Fitness Expert on Mass Appeal.

Learn, train and engage with other fitness professionals at BOSU® Live Education courses. For information on our cutting edge content, taught by the best in the industry, click HERE.