Balance board
10 rounds of 1 min on the board, 30 s rest. Progress from standing still to slow squats.
- Slot
- Strength
- Focus
- Balance
- Time
- 15 min
- Intensity
- Low
- Injury risk
- Moderate
- Intervals
- 10 × 1:00 on, 30s off
- Equipment
- Balance board
How to do it
Stand on the board with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees soft, and try to keep it level without the edges touching the floor. Balance for 1 minute, rest 30 seconds, and repeat for 10 rounds. Start next to a wall or rail you can grab. Once you can hold it steady, add small turns, then slow squats to about thighs-parallel with your knees in line with your toes.
Who it’s for
Ankle stability for climbers who land badly, and useful proprioception work on rest days or in front of the television. It’s low intensity, so it fits almost anywhere in a week.
Common mistakes
- Locking the knees. Soft knees. A stiff leg has no way to make corrections.
- Staring at your feet. Look ahead. Balance comes from your ankles and your inner ear, and looking down takes away the horizon.
- Grabbing the wall constantly. Stand next to something, use it when you need it, and note how often. That number is your progress marker.
- Adding squats before you can stand still. One thing at a time.
How to progress
Standing still for a full minute without the edges touching comes first. Then slow turns, then slow squats to thighs-parallel, then close your eyes for a few seconds at a time, which is much harder than it sounds.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
- Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.
Related blocks
Start with a ready-made block
A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.