Workout of the week: 250 BOSU squats?

I feel compelled to start this post by imploring that you follow what I’ve said, not what I’ve done, kids. I talk a big game about having learned that you don’t gain fitness by bludgeoning your body, but by listening to it, tending to its needs and pushing only when your body’s ready.

On Wednesday, I might’ve bludgeoned a bit.

Here’s how it happened: I was reading a SKI magazine feature about how various trendy workouts benefit skiers, and what the downsides of each workout might be. The section about P90X suggested that it might not be wise to do the 250-squat workout right before a big ski day.

So there I was at the gym on Wednesday, doing my usual 3X25 BOSU squats (basically goblet squats performed while holding a 30-pound kettlebell, standing on top of a BOSU). Halfway through the second set, I thought: Huh. I bet I could do 250 of these. And so I did. Broken up into sets of 25, of course, but 250 nonetheless.

I’m pretty sure I’ll experience the full extent of the soreness later today. I’m also pretty sure no coach in his or her right mind would suggest such a random and giant jump in reps (if you have a coach, go home tonight and hug him or her tight, and be thankful you’re no longer allowed to do stupid stuff like this). But I’m inclined to think that a little bit of bludgeoning is OK every once in a while, and can actually help propel your body toward a fitter, stronger state if you rest properly afterwards (after all, what is a 20-mile run but one great big bludgeon?).

I basically did the workout below, with a few sets of 25 of the aforementioned squats between each exercise. Maybe you’ll want to amend it in a way that lets you walk properly the next day. Or maybe you’ll add to it, making it the weight room version of a 20-mile run, and will do your post-workout waddle with pride.

4X15 leg presses

4X10 single-leg quad extensions

4X10 single-leg hamstring curls

4X10 walking lunges

4X10 stability-ball hamstring curls

3X1-minute plank while balancing on BOSU and a stability ball

Agility exercises

Does an occasional “bludgeon” have a place in a smart workout plan? Weigh in by posting a comment!