Here are 5 deceptively challenging core exercises you can do from the comfort and convenience of your home. All of these exercises require minimal equipment. I am certain these exercises will humble you!
#1) Wall Mountain Climbers
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular stability, and strengthens the hip flexors.
To note, the goal here is not conditioning and making oneself tired. Many people perform mountain climbers incorrectly and just go through the motions in an attempt to chase exhaustion. If you try this here you will be humbled very quickly.
The ‘’jump’’ with the foot makes these SO much tougher, and the non-jump version is even very challenging for most people.
To note, my wall is slippery so I had to keep my feet and hips slightly higher than I usually would. I didn’t want to mark my walls by wearing shoes.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and elevate your feet on a wall. Your body should be roughly parallel to the floor.
- Your hands can be placed so they are slightly ahead of your shoulders, as this positioning will better allow you to press your body into the wall, and will help prevent your feet from sliding down the wall.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- Do a knee tuck, and do a small ‘’jump’’ off the wall with your foot. Kind of ‘’jog’’ from side to side. Use a range where you can maintain proper form. Start out conservatively.
- For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor/into the wall and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart and move them away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to excessively pike, or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes on the planted side.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Feet Elevated Side Plank + Single Arm Band Resisted Overhead Presses
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band under one foot, and hold the band in the hand that is on the same side of your body. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Get into a side plank position from your hand and feet, and elevate your feet up a wall. With this exercise, your hand should be well ahead of your shoulder as this will allow you to drive your body into the wall. Otherwise your feet will slide down the wall.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/wrinkle the front of your shirt) and squeeze your glutes.
- Now extend your elbow and perform an overhead press. Do not perform the movement by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, laterally flexing your spine, shrugging your shoulder, or a combination of the above.
- In the top position, your arm should resemble close to a straight line, and your bicep should be in close proximity to your ear.
- Return your arm to the starting position with complete control.
- In the bottom position, your elbow should remain at approximately a 45-60 degree angle with your torso.
- Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned.
- On the planted side, do not mindlessly hang out. Press your body away from the floor/into the wall and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to pike, or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Band Resisted Psoas Marches + Isometric Ball Press
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. The isometric ball press makes this deceptively challenging in terms of lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Place a resistance ball against a wall/stable surface, and so it’s chest/stomach height.
- For the duration into the exercise apply pressure into the ball with both hands.
- Set your body so it’s in a relatively straight line from your head to feet.
- While maintaining this body position, and pressure against the ball, use your hip flexors and perform a psoas march.
- Return your leg to the bottom/starting position with complete control.
- Perform all reps on one side (what I’m doing), or alternate sides.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop one one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes on the non-moving side.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#4) Dead Bug + Psoas Marches + Weight Lowering
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Hold a weight in both hands and extend your arms so they are above your chest.
- Draw one knee in towards your body. For the duration of the set, keep your leg in this position. Do not allow your leg to be pulled forward. This is where you should really feel your hip flexor muscles.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/wrinkle the front of your shirt).
- Now contract your core muscles, steadily exhale through your mouth, slowly extend your other leg and arms/the weight towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
#5) Alternating Overhead Presses From L-Sit
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and to some extent, upper body strength).
I’m only using 15 lb dumbbells, and this was surprisingly challenging! Maintaining the ‘’canister’’ position, and not tipping backwards, is very difficult!
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor and lean backwards a slight amount. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Fully extend your legs and plantarflex your feet (point them away from you).
- Hold dumbbells in either hand, and get into the bottom position of an overhead press.
- While keeping your torso and legs in a fixed position, perform alternating overhead presses.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, weight to shift from hip to hip, legs to drop, or body to tip back.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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