Bosu Xplode Burn - Power Core

The DVD is part of the 5-DVD Bosu Xplode Cross Training series. It clocks in at about 65 minutes and focuses on core work and agility moves utilizing the Bosu. There are five circuits, plus a warm up and a cool down, and the last two circuits utilize two bosus and one-two stability balls. A small medicine ball is optional. Todd shapes the entire workout on a 20 second on / 20 second off circuit. He rarely repeats moves. He works out with two background exercisers, a male who gives advanced modifications and a female who gives beginner modifications.

The first circuit is very short and only has a few exercises: mountain climbers with hands on dome side (advanced exerciser uses unstable side), burpees then burpees with raising Bosu over your head in standing position, and bridge with feet on the dome, first with both feet, then alternating feet, pulses, and holds.

The second circuit is more cardio-focused and includes squats on the dome, then jumping squats on the dome (fun!), over the top, lunges off of the dome, lunges with one foot on the dome behind you and you can pulse or hop (repeated with very light medicine ball). My heart rate really got up in this one and I would say this was my favorite circuit along with the third circuit.

The third circuit is all about core work and includes lots of plank variations – up/downs with elbows on the dome, up/down with pushups on the dome, explosive pushups, two sets of side planks, one pulsing your hip into the air and the second reaching the top elbow to the top knee (hard!). My core was really burning in this one and I have a feeling I’ll be feeling those planks tomorrow!

The fourth circuit is where Todd started to lose me. They worked out with TWO Bosu trainers (my goodness, what average home exerciser has the extra cash and space to have two Bosus?!) for several agility moves, such as fast feet from one to the other (several variations of this), then having one foot on each dome as you do plyo lunges (looked fun!). Some of these moves could be sort of applied to one Bosu with some creativity, but there were certainly no demonstrations for those with one Bosu.

The fifth circuit continues to feature workouts that require a lot of equipment. The first few exercises only require one stability ball, and have lots of plank variations with elbows on the ball (hard!) and crunches on the ball. I was hoping there would be some stability ball-Bosu exercises but there were not any. Then Todd went from one ball to two balls and did some crazy advanced work such as pushups with one hand on each stability ball. This felt more like a “look what we can do” stand down between Todd and his male backgrounder (Doug?) than a workout. Also, Todd seemed to have forgotten the 20 second on/20 second off schedule and was just playing around. I felt more like this was an impromptu filmed gym session between buddies than a workout.

I didn’t have a timer on me but felt like the 20 seconds off felt like MORE than 20 seconds, because Todd just kept talking, and talking, and TALKING. That’s not usually a problem for me but this guy would NOT shut up! So, I took the breaks to jump on the rebounder to keep my heart rate up. I’m ranging around high-intermediate right now and thought this workout would be a lot harder for me. Instead I found I had to go out of my way to challenge myself. I also got frustrated towards the end (with the two bosus and two stability balls, and the disorganization) and IF I do this workout in the future, I will only do the first 3 circuits, which with warm up and cool down would be about 40 minutes. I think it would be a good workout with Todd on mute and with the first three circuits only. It was a good cardio and light toning workout with lots of core strengtheners and balance challenges. The DVD is very well chaptered (each exercise is chaptered) so it would be easy to customize. The workout is on the same DVD as Fuse and Amp, also in the Xplode series.

Final thoughts: if I had paid the shockingly high price of $99.95+ship for the series, I would be disappointed (so far). However, I got the series at a good buy at about $25 so, and at $5 per workout, I am adequately pleased. The workout didn’t have a huge fun factor but the Bosu does provide stability and agility moves that my normal workouts don’t have. This workout will not be in my permanent rotation but I might pick it up every once and a while for a change of pace. Overall grade C.

Instructor Comments:
Todd is a nonstop talker during the entire workout. Again, that’s not a pet peeve for me and other known chatterers (Chalene, Jillian, etc.) but this guy talks an enormous amount. For the first time in six years of doing videos, I told the instructor, stop talking PLEASE and demonstrate the exercises! I would not buy his workouts again. To his credit though, he did demonstrate many of the moves during the break time so you knew what was coming.

Emily B.