Michele Cannell

Fitness professional certified in Personal Training, Wellness, CPR/AED, Cycling, Pilates, YogaFit, Tai Chi, and living with Celiac Disease.

Intentional Training or Compound Training

We are all looking for that perfect match that allows us to increase weight (which builds strength and increases metabolism) but also engages your core. This type of training is a combination of intentional training and compound training. You are intentionally focusing on a specific muscle group as well as working as many muscle groups at one time? It sounds like an impossibility but it isn’t. All you need is a Bosu Ball, one set of dumbbells and a caged machine (Smith Machine, Jones Machine).

While you are on the Jones/Smith Machine, you are focusing on the compounding portion of the training while building muscle mass. The machine allows you to increase the weight and move throughout the exercises to engage many muscle groups at the same time.

The Bosu Ball allows you to complete all the exercises from the Jones/Smith Machine while being intentional with your core. While executing the exercises, you are keeping yourself balanced which engages the core. For optimal core engagement, keep your belly button pulled into your spine.

Therefore, this creates a Perfect Match for a Perfect Workout. An example workout is below:

Squat with an Upright Row Combo: the bar is in front or back of you while executing the squat. Alternate 4-5 squats and then 4-5 Upright Rows. Complete 1-3 sets

Bosu Ball Squat and Upright Row Combo: while performing the squat, keep dumbbells at your sides while the upright row starts out in front of the body. Alternate 4-5 squats and then 4-5 Upright Rows. Complete 1-3 sets

Push-Ups and Chest Press Combo: the push-up is executed off of the bar. You set the bar at your own fitness level. If you perform push-ups on your knees, set the bar low. If you perform push-ups on your toes, set the bar a little higher. Alternate 8-10 push-ups with 8-10 Chest Presses (chest presses can be done on the floor, on a bench, stability ball etc). Complete 1-3 sets

Bosu Ball Push-Ups and Chest Press Combos: the push-ups are done with the black side up, balance with hands on the sides of the ball. Lying on the Bosu ball concentrate on keeping the ball at the level of your lower back. Alternate 4-5 push-up with 4-5 chest presses. Complete 1-3 sets.

You have just engaged every muscle in your body in 30 minutes with only three pieces of equipment.