Banded Posterior Single Arm Shoulder Press

Whether you are currently participating in winter sports, or if your sport comes up in the summer, now is the season to be training for sport and life!

A woman practicing her balance
Woman making squats on balance trainer

I’d like to incorporate the BOSU ball into today’s lesson.  Back in the day, I used to teach an entire course on its use, and believe me the applications, variety, and fun was endless!  BOSU remains, for me, one of the most essential tools I own and use regularly.

This brings us to BOSU T-Drills.

BOSU T-drills are a great exercise to challenge you in multiple planes of movement.  They certainly prepare you in those planes directly related to winter sports like downhill skiing, cross country and snowboarding, but I challenge you to find one sport they don’t directly relate to.

BOSU T-drills improve integrated movement, toe to fingertip.  Why is this important?  Because the body moves and operates as one unit.  We are not made of individual parts.  Not now.  Not ever.  So, by training the body this way it learns to move together, which leads to better movement, which can also lead to more efficient movement, which means less wasted energy. When you’re energy efficient you can last longer. Think about how that helps you when playing sports or doing daily activities.  AND, if your goal is weight loss, the longer you go the more calories you burn.

BOSU T-drills improve inter-muscular and intra-muscular co-ordination.

BOSU T-drills help to build a solid CORE, better body awareness and they help to improve your reaction and agility skills, and muscular endurance.

BOSU T-drills are great for working on your deceleration skills. This is important because as you walk, run, squat, sit, etc.…muscles need to lengthen to slow down.  They need to be “eccentrically strong” so you don’t end up falling on your behind!

BOSU T-drills help us adapt to the ever-changing surface underneath us. Every jump and land are slightly different, so every jump and land require some adaptation to the changing surface.

Lastly, they stimulate the Somatosensory System which is regulated through the eyes, ears and receptors. The movement of your eyes helps the body to know where it is in space by being able to see the horizon.  No vision, no view, no sense of where you are.  Our ears have fluid filled canals in them, as we shift so do they, giving us a sense of balance.   Golgi tendons are located in the joints, letting the nervous system know about changes in pressure which occur when muscles contract.  Muscle spindles regulate change in muscle length. They prevent you from going too far into a stretch or during any quick force actions.

Exercise Execution:

Begin in an athletic stance, approximately 6-12 inches behind a BOSU ball, feet about hip with apart, ¼ squat, CORE braced, shoulders set in their “set position” (elevate, retract and pull straight down), your upper arms behind your torso with elbows bent at about 90 degrees. Remember that the arms play a critical role in the efficiency of this movement.

  1. Jump and land on the BOSU ball.
  2. From there, jump left off the BOSU and land on the floor to the left of it.
  3. Jump right and land back on the BOSU.
  4. Jump right off the BOSU.
  5. Jump left back onto the BOSU.
  6. Jump backwards and land behind the BOSU, in starting position.

You have moved through a T-formation.  This is one rep.

NOTE: Remember to use the arms by driving them quickly backwards then forwards as you begin your forward jumps. In reverse jumps the arms will drive in reverse.

Exercise Protocol:

This movement works best based on time ranges from 15-30 secs, or rep ranges.

Apply the exercise based on your client’s fitness level.  In other words, regress and progress as required.

Questions? Email Coach Kennedy at kennedy@coachkennedyonline.ca

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Coach Kennedy (Kennedy Lodato) is a 27-year veteran of the fitness industry with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for teaching and running his CK Mentorships, CK Private Coaching sessions, and Fitness Educator of LIVE education to the fitness industry.

Before pursuing the role of Fitness Educator, he occupied the positions of Personal Trainer, Sport Conditioning Coach, and Personal Training Manager. Kennedy is a three-time recipient of the canfitpro PRO TRAINER of the year award, co-founder of the CFEA (Canadian Fitness Education Alliance), and master instructor for various industry companies including canfitpro and EBFA Global (Evidence Based Fitness Academy). For more information visit  www.KennedyLodato.com