BOSU Balance Trainer

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

I was reading Peter Twist's hockey conditioning book and he uses a BOSU Balance Trainer. Has anybody used this for off-ice training? Is it worth getting one?

http://www.bosufitness.com/BOSU-Balance-Trainer.php

[eltonno172 0]

I've got almost a similiar balance trainer, it's worth every penny. Using it while stickhandling improves multitasking, or whatever. Just sit on it while watching TV, great workout for your abs.

[hockechamp14 0]

You are better off spending the money you would spend on a Bosu ball on food, gym membership or something else. If you're not already lifting heavy to get stronger it will not do much for you.

Quote from Eric Cressey's master's thesis:

In fact, one may even be able to call into question the injury prevention benefits of UST interventions in healthy athletes in light of two recent studies. Verhagen et al. (2004) found that a balance board training program reduced the rate of ankle sprains in volleyball players, but this reduction was confined to those players with a previous history of ankle sprains. No preventative effect was noted in healthy athletes, and there was actually an increased incidence of overuse knee injuries in the experimental group players (81). Likewise, balance board training was ineffective at decreasing the rate of traumatic lower extremity injuries in elite female soccer players. The frequency of major injuries - including four of five anterior cruciate ligament tears - was actually higher in the intervention than the control group (69). Previous research has demonstrated that static balance scores cannot be used to predict inversion ankle injuries in soccer players (40), indicating that methods to improve static balance may not be ideal modalities to reduce injury rate in dynamic sporting contexts - especially when dealing with athletes with no recent history of lower extremity injury.

81. VERHAGEN, E., A. VAN DER BEEK, J. TWISK, L. BOUTER, R. BAHR, AND W. VAN MECHELEN. The effect of a proprioceptive balance board training program for the prevention of ankle sprains: a prospective controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 32(6):1385-93. 2004.

69. SODERMAN, K., S. WERNER, T. PIETILA, B.ENGSTROM, AND H. ANDREDSON. Balance board training: prevention of traumatic injuries of the lower extremities in female soccer players? A prospective randomized intervention study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 8(6):356-63. 2000.

40. KONRADSEN, L. Factors Contributing to Chronic Ankle Instability: Kinesthesia and Joint Position Sense. J Athl Train. 37(4):381-385. 2002.

(www.ericcressey.com)

[Trooper 8]

You are better off spending the money you would spend on a Bosu ball on food, gym membership or something else. If you're not already lifting heavy to get stronger it will not do much for you.

Quote from Eric Cressey's master's thesis:

In fact, one may even be able to call into question the injury prevention benefits of UST interventions in healthy athletes in light of two recent studies. Verhagen et al. (2004) found that a balance board training program reduced the rate of ankle sprains in volleyball players, but this reduction was confined to those players with a previous history of ankle sprains. No preventative effect was noted in healthy athletes, and there was actually an increased incidence of overuse knee injuries in the experimental group players (81). Likewise, balance board training was ineffective at decreasing the rate of traumatic lower extremity injuries in elite female soccer players. The frequency of major injuries - including four of five anterior cruciate ligament tears - was actually higher in the intervention than the control group (69). Previous research has demonstrated that static balance scores cannot be used to predict inversion ankle injuries in soccer players (40), indicating that methods to improve static balance may not be ideal modalities to reduce injury rate in dynamic sporting contexts - especially when dealing with athletes with no recent history of lower extremity injury.

81. VERHAGEN, E., A. VAN DER BEEK, J. TWISK, L. BOUTER, R. BAHR, AND W. VAN MECHELEN. The effect of a proprioceptive balance board training program for the prevention of ankle sprains: a prospective controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 32(6):1385-93. 2004.

69. SODERMAN, K., S. WERNER, T. PIETILA, B.ENGSTROM, AND H. ANDREDSON. Balance board training: prevention of traumatic injuries of the lower extremities in female soccer players? A prospective randomized intervention study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 8(6):356-63. 2000.

40. KONRADSEN, L. Factors Contributing to Chronic Ankle Instability: Kinesthesia and Joint Position Sense. J Athl Train. 37(4):381-385. 2002.

(www.ericcressey.com)

You're stirring the "sport specific gadget" pot! :) Great site, BTW.

[ktang 34]

Similar info to the Cressey quote from hockechamp14 above: I used the BOSU when rehabbing my leg. It was good for regaining balance and stability. But I stopped using it once my leg got stronger. I didn't feel that it helped that much with the core.

My main rehab exercises with it were:

(i) One-foot jump onto the ball with the previously broken leg, pause-and-balance, then hop off to the right or left and "stick" the landing; and

(ii) One-foot balance on the ball with the previously broken leg while curling light dumbells.

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

I've got almost a similiar balance trainer, it's worth every penny. Using it while stickhandling improves multitasking, or whatever. Just sit on it while watching TV, great workout for your abs.

I decided to try one out. Wow! I've been stickhandling all around myself while balancing on it with one leg and it was quite the "multitasking" experience. My stabilization muscles such as my adductors were sore the next day. :)

[hockechamp14 0]

I've got almost a similiar balance trainer, it's worth every penny. Using it while stickhandling improves multitasking, or whatever. Just sit on it while watching TV, great workout for your abs.

I decided to try one out. Wow! I've been stickhandling all around myself while balancing on it with one leg and it was quite the "multitasking" experience. My stabilization muscles such as my adductors were sore the next day. :)

*shakes head* ... you can lead a horse to water...

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

:) I know... but I love my gadgets. :P

[biff44 0]

*shakes head* ... you can lead a horse to water...

Almost anybody knows that you need good core strength and proprieception to play top hockey. You might want to "look" up those terms.

Bosu balance ball is fine. It is a lot safer than trying any standing or kneeling exercise on a real ball. Probably the only problem with a bosu is they cost too much.

[phantomowner27 20]

I bought the book about a year ago and added it's excercises into my workout plan. It's really worked great as my strength in other types of excercises started to go up almost imediately after starting. My gym has pleanty of basu and swiss balls so I didn't have to buy my own.

[nni 0]

a wobble board would be better. anything that will force you to balance yourself, hell you could do it on a pile of dirty laundry.

[hockechamp14 0]

*shakes head* ... you can lead a horse to water...

Almost anybody knows that you need good core strength and proprieception to play top hockey. You might want to "look" up those terms.

Bosu balance ball is fine. It is a lot safer than trying any standing or kneeling exercise on a real ball. Probably the only problem with a bosu is they cost too much.

Did you read my previous post?

Why do you need to stand or kneel on a swiss ball? I'm not in the circus, I don't need to be able to do that.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459670

Take the program as is, or do any of the exercises in there. The dragon flag especially kicks ass.

[OhMyGodImOnFire 0]

I've got almost a similiar balance trainer, it's worth every penny. Using it while stickhandling improves multitasking, or whatever. Just sit on it while watching TV, great workout for your abs.

Which one do you get? I looked into it, and they seemed rather pricey, and I want to know which one isn't wasting my time.

[GoHawks 0]

has anyone used something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-364060-Bal...3579&sr=8-2

I've been thinking about getting one, more for my running (core strength is pretty critical in running too, and building all the supporting muscles in the legs could help take some strain off of my knees). They only cost a fraction of what the bosu trainer does, and I think it pretty much does the same thing, but it's smaller. Any feedback about it would be great!

[TheBert 0]

My physio used this with me when I was coming back from knee trouble. So it's great for rehab, but it sounds like it might be effective for general core strength too.

[OhMyGodImOnFire 0]

I know this thread is about the BOSU one, but which one (that doesn't completely suck) has the best bang for your buck?

[hockechamp14 0]

I know this thread is about the BOSU one, but which one (that doesn't completely suck) has the best bang for your buck?

Heavy squats and dragon flags....