Bosu Ball Plank: How To Do, Benefits,…

You can use a Bosu Ball to change up a variety of exercises. Discover the Bosu Ball plank variations and what they can do for you.

Bosu Ball planks are a variation of the high plank where you do the exercise with either your hands or feet on the Bosu Ball.

You can say that Bosu Ball planks are slightly harder for your obliques and balance than the regular version.

At the same time, you want to know that the Bosu Ball plank is not that much better than the regular version either.

To see a lot of muscle growth and strength progress you will likely still need to turn to weighted planks or more dynamic core exercises.

Similarly, to really train your balance in this position, there are a good amount of more effective alternatives.

How to do a Bosu Ball plank

There are different Bosu Ball plank variations.

The walkthrough below puts a good Bosu Ball with the round part on the ground with your hands on the flat surface. You can also put the ball under your feet.

For both of these placements putting the round part on the ground is generally more helpful for training core muscles.

Take the following steps to do a Bosu Ball plank:

1. Put the Bosu Ball with the rounded part on the ground.
2. Sit on your knees in front of the Bosu Ball and put your hands about shoulder-width apart on the flat surface. Keep your shoulders above your wrists throughout the exercise.
3. Step back with your feet until you are in about a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.
4. Hold this position for an extended period of time.

You mainly want to focus on keeping your body in a straight line when doing Bosu Ball planks.

Besides that, you can also do the typical plank variations like plank leg raises, plank toe taps, etc. on the Bosu Ball.

Another option is doing a forearm plank if your wrists hurt.

Muscles worked with Bosu Ball planks

Bosu Ball planks are an ab compound exercise that mainly works muscles like your abs, hip flexors, and to some extent obliques

You can also say Bosu Ball planks work your triceps, quadriceps, deltoids, and latissimus dorsi a small amount.

Something important to note is that Bosu Ball planks are still mostly an isometric (static) exercise for your abs and hip flexors.

This is important because more dynamic exercises tend to be better for growing and strengthening muscles.

How many Bosu Ball planks you should do with how much weight depends on your current strength level.

That being said, it is very possible that you need something like a weighted vest to reach your fitness goals with Bosu Ball planks.

Bosu Ball plank vs regular plank

The instability of the Bosu Ball plank makes it so this variation works your obliques and balance slightly more than regular planks.

At the same time, these will not be the biggest differences. It is likely not worth investing in Bosu Ball for the plank exercise alone.

Besides that, you can also consider more challenging Bosu Ball alternatives like the exercise ball to get the differences above to a larger extent.

Benefits of Bosu Ball planks

As you can expect from the things above, the positive effects of Bosu Ball planks will be very similar to the benefits of regular planks. Some of these include:

1. Stronger muscles: While not everyone will see muscle growth from Bosu Ball planks, you should at least be able to get muscle endurance improvements.
2. May reduce or prevent back pain: Making your core muscles stronger with the help of Bosu Ball planks can help you reduce or avoid back pain (1, 2).
3. Balance and coordination: Bosu Ball planks are not the most challenging in terms of balance and coordination but they could potentially be enough to improve your skills in these areas to some extent.
4. Can make daily activities easier: Improving your ab muscle endurance can make daily activities like standing up, walking around, and climbing stairs easier to do.
5. Could be more comfortable: More static exercises like Bosu Ball planks may not be the most effective but they can be more comfortable on your spine.

These benefits are not completely unique to Bosu Ball planks but if you like this exercise you can definitely consider it.

Bosu Ball plank alternatives

You could also conclude that your body is able to deal with the more effective Bosu Ball core exercises and other Bosu Ball plank alternatives.

Some examples of these are:

• Exercise ball planks
• (Bosu Ball) Crunches
• (Bosu Ball) Sit-ups
• Bicycle crunches
• Ab wheel exercises
• Hanging knee raises

What muscles you want to work, how you want to work them, and what fitness equipment you have will influence what Bosu Ball plank alternatives you like the most.

Is the Bosu Ball plank a good exercise?

The Bosu Ball plank is a decent exercise to work your abs and hip flexors in a relatively static way. You can say that they work your obliques and balance just a bit more than regular planks.

People who find more dynamic core exercises uncomfortable on their spine could consider Bosu Ball planks.

At the same time, you want to know that regular planks basically offer the same effects.

Additionally, they make it easier to add weights which is likely needed for fitness goals like muscle growth and strength progress.

People who don’t have an issue with more dynamic plank alternatives want to consider these for their effectiveness.

That being said, if you find Bosu Ball planks more enjoyable than the regular version, they could still be a good choice.

Enjoying your workouts at least somewhat more can make it easier to follow your exercise plan consistently.

Related posts:

• Bosu Ball Squats: How To, Benefits,…
• 15 Bosu Ball Exercises To Work Your Body
• Bosu Ball Lunges: How To, Benefits,…

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