Combine Buoyancy, Resistance, and Weight for Next-Level Functional Training

Functional training is all about enhancing your body's ability to perform everyday tasks by mimicking real-life movements in your workouts. Think of it as training that helps you move, lift, and twist in ways that improve both your fitness and how you function in daily life. Now, incorporating water resistance into functional training takes it to the next level.

AquaBLAST offers a unique blend of buoyancy, water, and weight resistance, making your training more effective and versatile. Whether you're lifting, pushing, or punching, the AquaBLAST bag — with its natural buoyancy and adjustable air/water combinations — allows for endless variations to challenge your body in new ways.

What is Functional Training?

Functional training focuses on exercises that mimic everyday movements, improving strength, stability, and flexibility. These exercises often involve multiple muscle groups working together, making your body more adept at handling daily tasks like lifting, twisting, or squatting. Now imagine combining these real-world movements with the unique properties of water, buoyancy, and weight, and you’ve got a game changer in functional aquatic fitness.

How Buoyancy and Resistance Work Together

The AquaBLAST bag holds 5-6 gallons of water and weighs between 40 to 50 pounds when filled, but don’t let that fool you. The bag is neutrally buoyant, meaning it is weightless underwater, just enough for you to control it without it sinking to the bottom, or rising uncontrollably to the surface. Thanks to a buoyant foam ring, the bag floats and remains in the ideal position for various low-impact exercises.

When lifting the AquaBLAST bag, the upward momentum of the water plus the buoyancy provides an assisted lift as the bag transitions out of the water. But once the bag breaks the surface, gravity kicks in, and you experience significant resistance — similar to lifting a heavy weight on land but with a smoother, more controlled motion.

Functional Training Exercises with AquaBLAST

1. Lift, Hold and Release

In this exercise, use the AquaBLAST bag’s buoyancy to assist in lifting it out of the water. AquaBLAST is weightless underwater; once the bag is raised above the waterline, its weight becomes more pronounced, adding resistance as you bring it back down. This creates a challenging workout for your upper body, legs, and core. To reduce the difficulty, you can move into deeper water and lift it partially out of the water. Alternatively,.you can empty some water and add air for a lighter lift (but you won't be able to submerge the bag underwater). 

2. Step Up and Log Roll

The Step-Up is a powerful exercise that targets your lower body, core, and balance. Start by removing any air trapped inside the bag, and then push it to the pool floor and place one foot on it to stabilize it. Step up on the bag and drive your opposite knee upward towards the water’s surface, engaging your core for stability and balance. This movement challenges leg strength, improves balance, and activates your core as the water’s resistance adds an extra layer of intensity. Beginners can start by balancing one foot on the bag before progressing to full step-ups or use the pool wall for balance.

The Log Roll is not only challenging, but fun! Stand on the bag in 3-4 feet of water and attempt to roll the bag across the pool with your feet. This not only helps with balance, but every muscle group gets activated, plus the water turbulance will add a level of unpredictability, forcing you to fan your arms in all directions to keep your balance.

3. Buoyant Row

Rowing with AquaBLAST adds a new dimension to your workout. As you pull the bag upward, its buoyancy and momentum help to propel the bag up, but as soon as you lift it above water, you experience gravity-based resistance. This dynamic movement challenges your back, shoulders, and arms in a way that traditional weightlifting cannot. Again, to adjust the amount of weight and resistance, you can either reduce the water inside the bag, or stand in slightly deeper water. If standing in breast-deep water, lifting the bag half-way out of the water would be about 20-25 pounds.

4. Cradle and Squat

The Cradle and Squat is a powerful full-body exercise combining strength and stability. Stand in waist-deep water, squat down, and cradle the AquaBLAST bag in your arms just below the water's surface. Push up with your heels and engage your core as you stand up, lifting the bag while keeping it close to your chest. Finally, lower yourself back into a squat, returning the bag to the water with control. This exercise works your legs, core, and upper body, while the water resistance adds an extra challenge, perfect for building strength and improving balance. 

Why Buoyancy Matters in Aquatic Training

Buoyancy in water offers several benefits that make functional training with AquaBLAST more effective and less strenuous on the body:

• Joint Protection: Water reduces the impact on your joints, making it ideal for people recovering from injuries or those looking to avoid strain from high-impact exercises.
• Increased Range of Motion: The natural resistance and buoyancy of water allow for a greater range of motion, helping improve flexibility and mobility.
• Dual Resistance: AquaBLAST offers a unique dual-phase resistance — the bag's buoyancy provides lift, while gravity adds weight resistance, creating a full-body challenge with each movement.

Versatility of AquaBLAST

AquaBLAST isn’t just for heavy lifting. You can customize your workout by adjusting the water or air inside the bag to suit your needs (or move to deeper/shallower water):

• Fill it with Air for Reduced Weight: By inflating the AquaBLAST bag with air/water combination, you create buoyancy resistance. This reduces the bag’s weight, making it ideal for more fluid, lower-intensity exercises.
• Submerge for Sinking Workouts: Remove the foam core, and the bag will sink to the pool's bottom. This allows for new types of underwater strength training, such as deep squats and resistance retrievals.

Why AquaBLAST is Perfect for Functional Training

Functional training with AquaBLAST allows you to move more freely, with dynamic resistance that enhances each movement’s effectiveness. The water's properties help support your body, improve coordination, and challenge multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Whether you are an athlete looking to enhance performance or someone who simply wants a fun, low-impact workout, AquaBLAST’s versatility ensures a challenging and engaging fitness experience.

Conclusion

AquaBLAST brings a new dimension to functional training by combining buoyancy and resistance in one piece of portable equipment. Whether you're lifting, punching, or twisting, AquaBLAST enables you to harness the power of water for a full-body workout that builds strength, improves coordination, and protects your joints.

If you’re ready to take your aquatic fitness routine to the next level, get 10% off your purchase by using BLASTAWAY10PERCENT at checkout.

Start revolutionizing your pool workouts today!

Blast Away!
Rob Magrino