WE PROMISED YOU A TOTAL CORE SOLUTION, AND WHILE ALL THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS ARE INTEGRAL TO FULFILLING THAT PROMISE, YOU REALLY CAN’T GET TO YOUR FULL CORE POTENTIAL WITHOUT APPROACHING IT FROM A 360-DEGREE, ALL-INCLUSIVE LINE OF ATTACK. WHAT WILL THAT TRANSLATE TO YOU AS THE TRAINER IN THIS CHAPTER?
Fewer crunches and less of what’s more commonly out there for six-pack development but with more core stability and overall core strength moves. You may have never seen many of these exercises, and if you have, you may have thought they were, well, bunk. But the truth of total core development is in this chapter. And it comes in the form of more complex contractions, greater burst speed movements, far more challenging balancing actions and, ultimately, some of the most advanced exercises that you’ve likely ever tried.
At this point in your exercise selections, you’ve already targeted all the muscles that show and some of the ones that don’t. Now it’s time to take the great-looking sports car you’ve designed that can turn on a dime, as well as push, pull and brace like an industrial truck, and give it the engine that will have you performing better at every single movement you make from now on.
You should be a master at this move already if you’ve been following the testing outlined in chapter 1. If not, we suggest you go back and test your core now before trying to jump into these workouts. The plank is arguably the best barometer for your core strength and should be a staple of almost any core workout.
START Lie face down on a mat so your toes, forearms and fists are holding all of your weight off the ground. Your body should create a straight, plank-like figure. Create a neutral (flat) spine by tilting your pelvis forward. Engage your abdominals, glutes and thigh muscles. Your butt and hips should stay in this same line; make sure they don’t sag or rise beyond the level. Do not round your shoulders. Maintain this position throughout while looking straight down at your hands.
ACTION Simply hold this position for as long as you can without breaking form.
If you’re just starting out, try making this move with your knees down.
Try kicking this up a notch with any of the variations listed in the test section. Our suggestion is the arm and leg raise combination.
Since the plank is such an important move to your core strength and stability, there are many variations you can try. To target more muscles in your body and further enhance your strength and core stability, we suggest altering the plank starting position into a push-up. Perform one push-up and at the bottom of the repetition, then hold as you would with a plank. This is a way to do the plank as reps instead of continuous hold as described above.
You can also try walking planks. Move from a regular plank into a push-up plank by lifting each arm one at a time and then returning to the regular plank position one arm at a time. Do not let your hips swing side to side and remain in a strong plank throughout the movement.
Ever want to be a superhero? Would you settle for superhero abs? This movement mimics the motion that Spiderman makes while crawling walls—except you’re on the ground throughout. Don’t worry: The Green Goblin will be sitting this one out.
START Start in a standard push-up position with your hands flat on the floor and your feet hip-width apart.
ACTION As you lower your body in the push-up, bring your left knee forward until it reaches your left elbow, then place it back next to the other foot and finish the push-up by returning to the starting position. For the next push-up, switch sides.
If you want to make this move easier, do the entire exercise balancing your weight on your knees.
Kick up the intensity by bringing your left knee to your right elbow in the starting position, alternating on both sides (see bottom photo below).
This may look like a standard push-up gone wrong, but the running-like movement of your legs while retaining a stable core will really target your abs. You can do this move from anywhere, but you’ll need grip to perform it properly. If you’re a sprinter or runner of any kind, doing the mountain climber will ensure you’re first out of the gate every time.
START Get into a standard push-up position with your feet hip-width apart and arms extended.
ACTION Alternate bringing your knees toward your chest as though you were trying to kick up into a sprint. Don’t allow your shoulders to round or your upper back to hunch down.
If this move is too difficult for you, start in a plank position. This will conserve some strength for the actual movement.
If you’re finding yourself doing a lot of these and want to challenge yourself, try raising your legs diagonally across your chest on each rep for each leg.
Sound silly? Sure. But we’re not asking you to simply point out something like your pet might. Instead, this kind of dog pointer will create greater core stability through each precise contraction. You won’t need Rover to spot you on this one either.
START If you didn’t think that the start of this position required you to get on the floor on your hands and knees, you probably didn’t read the name of the exercise. Just remember to keep your spine straight (no hunching), your legs shoulder-width apart, and your hands flat on the ground.
ACTION Extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward to create a straight line with your spine. Focus on making the tips of the fingers on your outstretched arm and the toes in your raised leg extend as far apart as possible. Hold the contraction and then return to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the opposite arm and leg.
This move is one of the more beginner-friendly choices in the chapter. If you find it too difficult, try raising only an arm or a leg in each rep
Add ankle weights and light dumbbells (or wrist weights) to make this move a little more challenging.
Looks like a standard crunch? At a glance, it’s easy to make that mistake. Perform this move properly and you’ll find that the range of motion is coupled with holding back the temptation to help with your hips and legs, forcing you to brace your entire core.
START Lie on a mat in a standard crunch position with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and hands behind your head, cradling your skull.
ACTION Roll up your upper body so your shoulder blades come off the ground.
Make this move harder by rolling straight up, but remember to keep your feet flat on the floor (see bottom photo below).
Targeting your lower abs and your overall core stability, the stability ball knee tuck has a full range of motion, but the final few inches of the movement are the most difficult. When all you want to do is get through your reps without falling off the ball, it’s easy to sacrifice your form, but doing fewer reps with proper form is better for your overall core strength and stability.
START Get into a push-up position with your feet balanced on a stability ball.
ACTION Crunch your legs in toward your chest, but do not allow your butt to rise up to perform the movement. Focus your contraction to bring your knees as close to your chest as possible in each rep.
The stability ball knee tuck is an advanced move and, as such, partial reps may be the only way to perform it with any decreased difficulty. Our advice, if you’re going to do partials, is to make sure that you do not allow your butt to rise throughout the movement.
Get more intense with this move by doing it with alternating legs on the ball.
Every time you use a stability ball, you have to remember that your core strength is being tested almost as much as any individual muscle. The pike is a great move to enhance your stability and strengthen your core, but adding this move to your repertoire too early could result in injury. We recommend you work on easier moves such as those earlier in this chapter before making this a staple of your workout.
START Get into a push-up position with your feet flat and balancing on a stability ball.
ACTION Raise your pelvis while using your core to bring your legs forward, letting your feet roll in so you end up balancing on your toes. Don’t move your arms throughout this exercise and do not let your legs be the driver for the reps. Focus on your core strength to move your body.
Because this is an advanced move, there’s little you can do to make it easier other than to work on your fundamental stability in simpler moves. However, if you want to try the pike but find yourself unable to get it exactly right, focus on doing partial reps.
Making this move harder isn’t wise. The stability it takes to perform each rep should be challenging enough. Focus on the result instead of bragging rights.
It would be easy to think that the twisting motion of this move is where all the core benefits come from, but the truth is that every element of the cable push-pull enhances your overall core strength. This move is great for athletes who have to pivot while running, especially football, hockey, and basketball players.
START Attach two D-ring handles to the middle clips of a two-sided cable station. Grab the handles, making sure that the arm extended in front of you (the pull) is straight and the arm behind you (the push) is bent at 90 degrees. Place your right leg a step ahead of your left. Arch your left foot and keep your right foot flat.
ACTION Pull the cable with your right arm while pushing the cable with your left, keeping your arms at the same level and twisting your torso to complete the movement. Repeat on both sides.
If this move is too difficult for you, try doing the movement with two very light dumbbells in each hand or simply lower the weight at the cable stations.
Add more weight at the cable stations and focus on not letting your arms do the movement for you to make this move more difficult.
The cable lawnmower is possibly the most functional of all core movements. Aptly titled, it mimics the movement you make when manually starting a lawnmower. Although it is best to do this movement on a cable machine at a gym, you can recreate it with resistance bands or simply with a weight of your choice in your hands.
START Attach a D-ring handle to the bottom clip of a cable station. Grab the handle with your left hand, keeping your arm extended and straight. Place your right leg a step ahead of your left in an isometric lunge. Arch your left foot and keep your right foot flat. Remember not to round your shoulders or hunch your back throughout the movement.
ACTION Pull the handle back while straightening out your stance but maintaining the arch in your left foot. Repeat on both sides.
If this move is too difficult for you, lower the weight on the cable station or just perform the movement without any apparatus at all, mastering the motion and contraction through each rep.
Adding weight to this move will make it more difficult.
Quite possibly one of the most versatile movements that targets your core, the weighted hip raise should be a staple of your repertoire. You’ll need a bench, couch, chair, or even a staircase to do this move correctly. Although there are variations, we suggest using a bit of padding for your back and shoulders during this movement. Instead of a medicine ball, you can also use a dumbbell or weight plate for extra intensity.
START Balance your shoulders against a bench and place your feet flat on the floor while maintaining a 90-degree angle in your knees. Hold a medicine ball between your thighs.
ACTION Thrust your lower body upward by tilting your pelvis (making sure not to use your legs to push the weight). Hold for one count, but remember to keep your body straight and ensure that your hips and butt do not sag.
Kick it up a notch by doing this move on a stability ball. You may want to start without any weight or medicine ball throughout your first set to make sure you have the stability and core strength to do it without falling off the ball.
This exercise has a simple name for a simple movement that can challenge the strongest cores. The windshield wiper is a precise and meticulous exercise. Remember, you’re not in a hurricane—do this move slowly for best results.
START Lie flat on the floor with your legs together and pointed up so the heels of your feet are parallel to the ceiling. Keep your arms out at your sides.
ACTION Bracing your abs throughout the movement, bring your legs down to one side, but keep them together and straight throughout the movement. To finish the rep, return to the starting position and then lower to the other side. Do not swing your legs.
If you lie on the floor with your legs against the wall so your glutes, hamstrings and heels are touching, you can perform this movement with greater ease.
If you train with a partner, ask him or her to push your legs down as you’re lowering for each rep to make this move more difficult. With each rep, you’ll be forced to fight gravity and the extra push from your training partner. You can also increase your speed, but you may have to brace yourself on a fixed area so you don’t swing your shoulders and so you maintain good form.
If you’re having difficulty with this move, even with the tip for beginners, try bending your knees, but be sure to keep your knees and feet together throughout the movement.
You may not realize it, but keeping your feet together and flat throughout this movement is quite possibly the most important tip for achieving the best results. Why? Because it guides your body and ensures you’re not using your feet in any way to help the move. All the power for the movement goes straight to your core.
If you thought medicine balls were solely used as props to make fun of old gyms, you’re in for a rude awakening. While the motion of this exercise may not look intense, if you use the power of your core throughout, you’ll feel every single nuance through each rep—emphasizing your core strength.
START Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a medicine ball in your hands directly in front of your chest. Stretch out your arms with a very slight bend in your elbows.
ACTION With the power of your core, move the ball in a figure eight in front of you. Perform this movement very meticulously at first. Once you’ve mastered the motion and feel your core bracing throughout, do it quicker without swinging the ball.
Doing circles instead of figure eights with the medicine ball will make this move a little easier.
Make this move a bit more difficult by exaggerating the movement with an even wider motion while making the figure eight.
If you’re doing way more reps of this exercise than you are any other in your custom workout, you’re probably doing it without harnessing the power of your core. This is one move that is easy to miss the focus on your abs and simply swing through with just your arms doing the work. Think of your arms as dead weight here. All they do is move when your torso moves (through the power of your abs).
Slow and steady usually is the best course of action for any exercise. With this one, however, we suggest speed if you’ve mastered the advanced tip. Try doing each rep as quickly as you can without breaking form. You’ll feel results quicker!
A great move for anyone playing a sport that requires a swinging motion such as baseball, tennis, or golf, the medicine ball wood chopper builds core strength while really amping up your cardiovascular conditioning. Try doing this movement with intensity and speed and you’ll work up a sweat in no time.
START Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight arch in your right foot. Hold the medicine ball above you with your arms outstretched toward the ceiling as though you were about to smash the ball down on the ground.
ACTION Thrust the ball down toward the ground and at your side, immediately return to the starting position with a slight pause and repeat the movement. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your arms outstretched.
You can perform this exercise without a medicine ball to make it a little easier while you master the movement.
Slam the ball down on the end of each rep to make this move a little harder. After every two reps, do a 180 degree jump turn in the direction of your downward motion.
To do the decline medicine ball toss as described here, you’ll need a decline bench, a medicine ball, and a partner to throw the ball back to you. However, there are many substitutions that can be equally effective. You can lie on a flat surface or straight bench and bounce a medicine ball or basketball off the wall. Just remember to keep your body positioning as close to the original movement as possible, and focus more on the contraction than simply tossing the ball around.
START Get onto a decline bench with your legs wrapped appropriately around the pads for your ankles and knees. Lie back with a medicine ball in your hands. Extend your arms behind your head so your body and arms create a straight line.
ACTION Crunch upward into a seated position and toss the ball at your training partner (or facing wall) while you’re reaching the top of the movement. From there, your partner should throw the ball back to you as you are simultaneously returning to the starting position.
If you want to make this move easier, try it without the ball or, simply, without the toss.
Make this move a little more challenging with a heavier ball or get your partner to throw the medicine ball harder when he or she returns it on your way back to the starting position.
This is one of those moves that many people overlook or perform incorrectly. At a glance, the corkscrew may look easy or simply ineffective, but, if done properly, you’ll hit virtually every angle of your core. If performed incorrectly, expect to look like a fish out of water. Focus on your form. A few reps done correctly are worth a lot more than a dozen that are not.
START Lie flat on the floor with your legs pointed straight up and your heels parallel to the ceiling. Place your arms flat on the floor at your sides for balance.
ACTION Thrust your legs up while twisting your lower body. Your lower back should leave the ground in this movement. Repeat the rep so your body twists to both sides.
To make this move easier, place your hands under your back for extra balance and a slight head start on the reps.
Want more out of this move? Try holding the rep for two counts at the top of the contraction. Want to take it even further? Hold a dumbbell between your feet or use ankle weights.
If you’ve done this move before, chances are you’ve done it wrong. Most people will bounce through each rep, extend past the point of working their core into a stretch, hug a weight plate that forces you to cheat or, worse yet, do it on the machine, which makes you most prone to injury. Just think of this as touching your toes while in the hyperextension bench. All the extras only take away from the benefits.
START Get onto the hyperextension bench so the front pads are at your pelvis, not your waist. Cross your arms in front of your chest.
ACTION Lower your body while extending your arms, reaching for your toes. Return to the starting position.
If this move is too difficult for you, try doing a back stretch from the floor. Lying face down with your arms at your sides, slowly bring your upper body off the ground. Some trainers refer to this move as the prone cobra with your hands out at your sides, or the Superman exercise, with your arms straight out in front of you.
You can twist to the side at the end of each rep to get more out of this movement (see photo on page 140).
Remember gym class warm-ups? A lot of physical education teachers had you do push-ups and sit-ups and occasionally would throw in a V-sit. What followed was a gymnasium full of kids jerking their upper bodies and legs toward each other like a faulty rollaway bed. The V-sit has its merits, but the V-hold is a move that really harnesses the most of your core.
START Lie flat on the floor with your legs together and your arms at your sides.
ACTION Raise your upper body off the ground while lifting your legs up, creating a V shape with your body. Extend your arms so your forearms are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for as long as possible. Do not arch your back or hunch your shoulders forward.
If holding the V is too difficult, put your hands in the inner bend of your knees to balance and then let go once you’ve found the V shape. Or perform the hold with bended knees, but do not allow your feet to touch the ground.
Kick up the intensity by quickly moving your arms up and down while maintaining the proper form.
Not what you were expecting? Not to worry. This exercise will target your overall core, building strength and improving your stability—and the added jump will build explosiveness in your legs, which is perfect for your basketball game. Your next dunk is all the thanks we need.
START Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down so your hamstrings are parallel to the ground and your left hand is touching the outside of your right ankle (alternate sides on each rep)
ACTION Jump up, straightening out your torso while twisting in midair so you land facing to the right of where you started (about 90 degrees from your original jump).
FOCUS When you’re leaping into the air, don’t just jump. Instead, use your core to guide your body through the explosion. It’ll be moving your entire torso up into an erect position and swinging your body through the jump that was propelled by your legs.
Make this a little easier by touching the inside of your far ankle, not the outside (see photo on page 144). This will make the squat and twist easier, allowing you to focus on the contraction and the jump thereafter.
If you’re finding this move too easy, try spinning in the air 180 degrees so you make a half circle rotation from where you originally started. Landing mechanics is everything. Do not continue to jump if you are not landing with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet straight, and knees bent. Remember not to swing your arms to get through the spinning.
If you ever clowned around in gym class, you’ve done this one already. This time you’ll probably find it a lot harder than your twelve-year-old version did in years gone by.
START Lie flat on the floor with your legs bent and your feet flat. Place your palms on the floor beside your head, shoulder-width apart and elbows pointed up.
ACTION Using your feet and hands for balance, thrust your body up using your core strength. Slowly lower your body to avoid injury when returning to the starting position.
Use a Bosu ball to make it easier to get your body off the ground when doing this exercise.
Hold the bridge at the top of the contraction for two counts to make this more difficult. To add even more difficulty, kick out your feet one at a time.
