If you like using foam dumbbells in your pool workouts you will enjoy following along with the splash Toning video. Ashley B. leads an entire workout with hand buoys for a fun and engaging pool workout that includes both cardio and upper body toning.
Fitmotivation subscribers apparently cannot get enough programming with the foam dumbbells because it is the most requested video content on that website. And so per my request, AEA Training Specialist, Ashley Bishop, included a hand buoy routine during our last filming. Ashley teaches this choreography-inspired routine in her classes in Las Vegas and thus based on observations of her own students shares issues you may encounter when using hand buoys.
An instructor after my own heart, Ashley says that 80% of the time her classes are taught without equipment and focused on choreography blocks and intervals all taught to the beat the music. SplAsh Toning is just that, but with added equipment. The choreography is blended with interval bursts to spike up the steady state training and give the brain a rest from the sequenced choreography.
Like many instructors, Ashley has learned that smaller is better when it comes to hand buoys. Observing her students struggling with larger buoys, Ashley strongly recommends smaller sized buoys for the choreography segments to allow for full range of motion and smoother transitions. “Depending on the facility I'm teaching this workshop or class in, modifications to the combinations are sometimes made given the size of the buoys that are available,” says Ashley.
Incorporating buoys into choreography can often lead to challenges with coordination, form and alignment. Ashley’s solution is to teach the lower body movement first, while the arms remain neutral – resting and floating at the surface. “When the class is all on the same page with the legs, we add the arms to the mix.” Ashley also strongly recommends that instructors get in the pool and try the hand buoy choreography themselves. “By doing this, one is able to easily recognize where tweaks, modifications or personal touches can be added in the lesson plan.”
SplAsh Toning also includes one segment that features a single buoy. “Switching from a pair of buoys to a single buoy can also provide a rest from gripping if the ends of the single buoy are held with flat palms,” says Ashley.
Speaking of hand breaks; Ashley designed the program to be taught with continuous use of the buoys. “This entire lesson plan is done in away where wrist breaks are given often, which means the participants could keep their equipment for the duration of those segments,” says Ashley. Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) Guidelines do recommend frequent hand and wrist breaks when using hand held equipment.
PoolFit extends thanks to Ashley B. for sharing this workout with viewers. Enjoy exercising in the pool with hand buoys!