Exercise of the Week: BOSU Squat to Dumbbell Front Raise

The STACK Exercise of the Week will help you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility. This week we highlight the BOSU Squat to Dumbbell Front Raise, an exercise that increases full-body strength.

Who’s Doing It

• Abby Wambach, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team forward

Muscular Benefits

• Increases lower-body and upper-body strength
• Improves core stability
• Improves balance

Sports Performance Benefits

The BOSU Squat to Dumbbell Front Raise is a full-body exercise that simultaneously strengthens the lower and upper body. What's special about this exercise? Performing it on a BOSU forces your core to engage and fires small stabilizer muscles to keep you balanced. With improved balanced and strength on the field, you will be able to run faster and change directions quicker while maintaining control of your body.

BOSU Squat to Dumbbell Front Raise How To

• Assume athletic position on hard side of BOSU ball holding dumbbells at sides
• Bend at hips and knees to squat
• Simultaneously raise dumbbells directly in front to chin height
• Extend hips and knees and lower dumbbells to sides, returning to start position
• Repeat for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 4x5

Coaching Points

• Simultaneously perform Squat and Dumbbell Front Raise
• Maintain tight core and flat back with chest and head up
• Keep knees directly over or behind toes; do not let knees buckle inward
• Bend at hips to initiate squat
• Raise dumbbells straight up to chin height

Do you have an exercise that you want to see featured as an Exercise of the Week? Leave a comment below.