The wheel may have been the greatest invention on land...but in the water, we're going with Aqualogix Resistance Bells for the win! We utilize the all purpose bells as part of our daily resistance training work and during our S'WET circuit drills in class to provide students with a high-intensity, low-impact workout.
**** SPECIAL DEAL: GET $20 OFF YOUR PAIR OF BELLS when you download our latest DVD - WAVE WARRIOR featuring the Aqualogix Bells & Fins! ****
Below are just eight of our favorite S'WET moves using just the bells and the incredible power of water resistance!
1. Jumping Jills
For our Jumping Jills, think of your body -- arms and legs -- forming the letter T (with your legs together while your arms are wide apart) and then move into the letter A (arms together in front, with your legs apart). The key is to work in OPPOSITION, allowing the natural resistance of the water plus the added resistance of the bells to really give your lats and delts a solid workout.
2. Jumping Jennis
Of course I just HAD to name a move after myself! Similar to the Jumping Jill, a Jumping Jenni works with the same style of movement -- legs and arms still working in opposition. This time, instead of forming the letter A with your arms down in front of you, move your arms transverse across your body to come together in front of the chest, and then open them back up again to once more form the letter T. This works your upper back, shoulders and chest.
3. Abdominal Rotations
The key to working your abs in the water is focusing on your core. For our Abdominal Rotations, maintain proper balance and form, with your arms steady at your sides, keep your feet firmly planted on the floor and use your obliques to rotate slowly around the spine. This move is NOT about speed...It's all about FORM! If you find yourself moving around, you need to move more shallow and anchor those feet so your abdominals are doing the work!
4. Abdominal Presses
Just like the Abdominal Rotations, our Abdominal Presses require your feet to remain planted firmly on the ground, feet shoulder width apart with a soft bend in your knees. Slowly pull your parallel arms down towards the floor and then up again to the surface of the water. You should feel this in your abs! Again, proper form is critical so if you find yourself wobbling around, you need to move more shallow so your feet remain anchored to the floor.
5. Bicep Curls
What we love the most about using the AquaLogix Resistance Bells is the multi-directional design itself. There is a "blade" on one end of the bell and a "flat side" on the other. This is key to how the bells slice through the water and creates maximum resistance depending on the exercise. For our Bicep Curls, with your feet planted shoulder width apart and the bell's flat side facing UP (blade facing down), you want to flex at the elbow to bring the bell quickly upward and then slowly reset them at your sides. With the flat side facing up, there is more surface area (and thus more resistance) on the upward motion, really burning out those biceps!
6. Tricep Presses
To do our Tricep Presses, you will need to flip the AquaLogix bells over, so the blade is now facing up and the flat side is facing down. Again, with your feet planted shoulder length apart and the bell's flat side facing DOWN, you want to extend your arm down at the elbow, emphasizing the downward press of the arm, making sure to complete the full range of motion! The majority of the resistance is now on the downward motion, focusing on the triceps.
7. High Intensity Hooks
Our High Intensity Hooks will leave you breathless! Anchor those feet, with a soft bend in the knees, sit into your heels and start throwing some punches! Remember, FORM IS FOREVER, so make sure you remain planted, anchoring yourself downward, and use your core strength to hook left and right. This is a high-intensity exercise that helps work your arms, shoulders, abs and attitude!
8. High Intensity Hammer Drops
Last but not least, we end with our High Intensity Hammer Drops. This exercise is a big, full-body workout itself. Take a similar stance to the Bicep Curl, anchor those feet, sit into your heels, and start with the bells at the surface edge of the water, parallel in front of you. Then quickly (and like you mean it) "drop" those arms into the water, fully extending back and forth along your sides and then back upwards again with equal force. Be sure to stop just at the surface of the water to create suction when you drop them back in, over and over. This is a big move and creates a lot of whitewater!
And check out some of the DVD's we made in partnership with FitMotivation.