Balance training with the Bosu ball will support upper back control and improve your ability to stabilize your upper back. This is important for creating good back posture to support your head. If you are a woman, these types of exercises while also help your back's ability to support your chest. Learning a few basic upper back Bosu exercises to incorporate into your weight lifting routine will help you get these benefits.
Initial Set-Up
The reverse fly, partial bent over row, and standing cobra exercise all require you to set-up and get on the Bosu ball in the same way. Getting onto a Bosu ball can be tricky; however, following a few specific steps will make this task easier. Turn the Bosu ball over so the round side is against the floor. Grab a pair of dumbbells and place your right foot onto the right side of the flat circular platform. When the right side of the Bosu touches the floor, place your left foot on the left side of the Bosu ball. Shift the weight of your body to slightly to the left so the flat surface of the ball is level.
Reverse Fly
The reverse fly on the Bosu ball works your rhomboids, middle trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles. From the initial standing position on the Bosu ball, bend your knees slightly and lean forward at your waist. Relax your arms so that your hands, with dumbbells in hand, are hanging straight toward the floor from your shoulders. Turn your hands so that your palms face inward. Bend your elbows slightly and rotate your shoulder blades upward lifting your arms away from each other. Continue rotating until your arms and elbows are parallel to the floor. Return your arms to the initial position by following the same-arched path, but in a reverse direction.
Partial Bent Over Row
The partial bent over row on the Bosu ball targets your lats and rhomboid muscles. After reaching a standing position on the ball, bend your knees two to three inches and bend forward 45 degrees at your waist. If this position is too difficult to maintain, bend more at your knees and hips. Pronate, or turn your hands inward, so that your thumbs face each other. Pull the weight upward while simultaneously allowing your elbows to bend so that your elbows move away from your body. Also, keep your forearms centered under your elbows. Continue lifting by drawing your shoulder blades together. The upward movement for the exercise is complete when your arms are the same height as your upper back. When your arms are this high, hold for a brief moment, and then relax your arms to the initial position.
Standing Cobra
The standing Bosu cobra targets your middle and lower trapezius muscles. Again, mount the Bosu ball with dumbbells in hand. Rotate your hands so that your pinkie fingers touch your body while your arms are fully extended. Bend your knees three to four inches while dropping your butt. Lean over at your waist six to eight inches. Move your hands, with dumbbells in hand, laterally away from your body by four to six inches. While keeping your arms straight, lift your arms upward and behind you so that a "V" shape is formed between your arms and the center of your spine near your neck. As your arms get closer to shoulder blade height, retract or pull together your shoulder blades as close together as you can. Hold this position for 15 seconds and then slowly return your arms to the starting position.
References
- Bosu.com: How To Videos
- Bosu.com: BOSU Pro Balance Trainer
- AsktheTrainer.com; Bosu Ball Exercises; Mike Behnken
- 2Athletes.com: Reverse Dumbbell Fly
- ExRx.net: Dumbbell Bent Over Row
- "Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology"; Selective Recruitment of the Lower Fibers of the Trapezius Muscle; Arlotta et. al.; June 2011
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