Wobbly Boards and Other Contraptions

One of the latest trends in the fitness industry is unstable surface training. Not too long ago I mentioned that walking/running sideways in the frontal plane was another trend that was catching on the industry. I concluded there was merit behind that method of training. Today we move from the cardio area to the "functional" fitness area of the gym. And instead of discussing a particular way to train, I'd like to talk about equipment: unstable surfaces.

There are several varieties of unstable surfaces: Airex pads, Reebok Boards, and Bosu balls. Bosu balls should be called semi-balls, because they have a flat base and a rounded top. Walk into any gym today and you'll see exercisers standing on one of these apparatuses. Even people working with trainers use these quite frequently.

I keep wondering whether or not these are beneficial, but first, we need to get examine the purported purpose of these wobbly boards. Many people will say because it's fun, or because it looks cool, or because everybody else is doing it (training incest, a topic for another article). These are not good reasons to do it.

A good reason might be because it promotes "balance." Let's define the difference between balance stability. Balance is maintaining your weight equally over a center of gravity. Stability refers to the ability to remain in a stable position, or in a static position. You can remain in a certain position despite exterior forces. I doubt most people understand the subtle distinctions between these two.

Another line of thinking is that if you can stay on your two feet on an unstable surface, then surely you'll become that much more resistant on stable surface. Good thinking, but I haven't seen much evidence for this.

Even if these wobbly boards did promote balance and stability, most people cannot manage their own body weight with one foot. So instead of using some expensive, fancy piece of equipment to increase your balance, why don't you make a more logical progression to your exercise and do it on one foot. It makes no sense to stand on a Bosu ball if you can't manage your body weight on one foot on a stable surface.

Also ask yourself why you need to improve your balance. If you're reaching old age and you're worried about falling over, then maybe you need to work on your balance to avoid costly and dangerous spills. Even then, Bosu balls and Airex pads might be overkill. If you're a skier or snowboarder, then you might need some additional balance work.

But I don't see how endurance athletes, strength athletes, hockey players, or basketball players would really benefit. How often are your ever on an unstable surface? How functional is that? If you're a hockey player, and a 200-pound defenseman creams you, you're going to fall down. It makes much more sense to assume a proper stance before a hit, work on your agility, and know how to prepare for a hit.

I also see a lot of stupid stuff on unstable surfaces. I see people doing all your traditional exercises (curls, tricep extension, squats, deadlifts) on Bosu balls. For the life of me, I cannot understand why. All this does is compromise the amount your can lift. As Brett Jones, Kettlebell expert, said in his interview with Mike Robertson, standing on a BOSU ball with five-pound dumbbells is not strength training! If you can normally press 100 pounds, you're not going to press that on an Airex pad. So you've compromised your strength, and you gain nothing by standing on the unstable surface.

What we're looking at here is a case of training incest. Because it looks cool, and everybody else is doing it, we should do it too. Unfortunately, because training is based on science and not fashion, I don't like "trends" or trendy exercises. Either it's functional or it's not. In this case, doing exercises on the unstable surface is non-functional. It might or might not improve your balance, but it definitely won't make your stronger.

If you're going to use one of these devices, then make sure you can answer these questions:

1. How will this make me a better athlete or stronger person?
2. What are the benefits?
3. How does this fit into my larger plan? Is this a natural progression?
4. Is this exercise based on science?

The one instance where I think it's beneficial to use unstable surfaces is during core training. You can do planks on the stability ball, stability ball roll outs, moguls, hamstring curls with your arms folded against your chest, stability ball push-ups, and even crunches. In fact, doing crunches on a stability ball will actually increase your range of motion. So if you're doing core work, a Swiss, or medicine, ball will actually be a logical way to progress your core training.

As for BOSU balls and other contraptions, skip them. If you don't know how to use or incorporate them, or if you don't know have a specific reason why you should use them, then don't. Want to work on your balance? Stand on one leg and close your eyes. Sometimes it's better to keep things simple.

Kevin