Bodywedge: Balance Training

Jon Giswold, Adam Figueroa

Categories: Total Body Workouts


I have all four BodyWedge DVDs. They are produced by Greg Twombly, so the set, music and production quality area all fine. Not outstanding, but acceptable. I like the music better in this one.

Each DVD starts out with a 10 minute instructional segment led by BW inventor, Rich Decker. He explains the 21 BW exercises, while a woman named Ann demonstrates. He gives form pointers and modifications for the exercises.

Balance Training is approximately 35 minutes long. It is supposed to be 21 exercises (and 21 reps), but I counted only 19 exercises. Nineteen was more than enough! I found this workout to be difficult. I might say advanced. It is core and balance work. While some of the moves ARE very creative using the BW, they are very tough on the wrists. I only did about ten reps of each exercise and I could see that more would be trouble for my wrists. And, although the BW surface is soft, my elbows felt squished during the planks. When doing floor planks, your weight is more distributed from your fist to your elbow. With the BW, it’s all on the elbow and that felt uncomfortable. If you have strong wrists and elbows, this won’t be a problem.

Several of the exercises with weights use compound moves. The two instructors take turns leading the exercise.

Anyway here is the list of exercises:

Crunches
Pelvic lifts
Planks with leg lift
Side planks with arm raise (rotator cuff)
Superman
Push-ups
Weighed squats standing on BW with military press
Weighted squats with waist pivots
One-legged squats with balance on BW
Seated shoulder press
Side planks with weighted arm raises (rotator cuff)
Biceps curls standing on BW
One-legged squats on floor with arm reach
Weighted lunge/shoulder press on to BW
Weighted lunge/hammer curls on to BW
Side crab walks on and off the BW with push-ups (hard to describe, but I didn’t DO them!!!)
Weighted bench press in bridge position
Bridge position with front and side leg lifts
Stretches

I’ve tried three of the four BW DVDs and none is a keeper for me yet. I have gotten more ideas about how to use the BW with my OTHER workouts. Which is why I got it in the first place!


Instructor Comments:
Adam Figueroa - The strong, silent type. He needs a bit more experience in front of a camera. But has a nice, calm manner.

Jon Giswold - The talker, moaner and groaner. The counter and joker. He did make me laugh when he told Terri Herbert she was “Looking good!” (An obvious reference to her Urban Rebounding workouts with JB “Looking Good” Berns).

Alta

03/09/2004