This week I am sharing 5 innovative core exercises. I’m guessing you haven’t tried many of these exercises.
#1) Butterfly Posterior Core Extensions
Here is an awesome exercise for strengthening the posterior core muscles. This exercise also strengthens the glutes and adductors. As you only need a bench, this exercise is extremely convenient.
If you keep your spine in more of a neutral position as I’m doing here, you will target more posterior core musculature. If you keep your spine in more of a flexed position you will target more glutes.
Coaching Tips:
- Get in a prone position on a bench. You should be towards the end of the bench. Externally rotate your hips, bend your knees, and hook your feet under the bench. You should feel very secure, and the bench should feel very stable. This is obviously important.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now with complete control, lower your torso towards the floor. Once you hit your end range, use your posterior core muscles and return your body to the starting position. In the top/starting position, your body should be in a straight line from your head to knees.
- During the lockout, I used a combination of lower back and glutes.
- 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, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate. Your torso and hips should remain square.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best.
#2) L-Sit + Band Resisted Skull-Crushers
This exercise strengthens the triceps, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Fully extend your legs and plantarflex your feet (point them away from you). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Sit on a resistance band, and hold the band in either hand. Fully extend your arms and place them in an overhead position.
- While keeping your torso and legs in a fixed position, perform skull-crushers. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip.
- 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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#3) Prone Band Resisted Psoas Marches On Stability Ball
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Place your hands on a stability ball. Your shoulders should be roughly above your hands. Spread your hands and pretend you are suctioning them to the ball.
- Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now lift one foot off the floor and bring your knee in towards your torso. Return your leg and foot to the starting position with control.
- Reset and repeat using the opposite leg, or perform all reps on the same side before switching legs.
- Do not mindlessly hang out. Press your body away from the ball and protract your shoulder blades (move them away from your spine and around your ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or excessively round, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate. Do not allow your torso or hips to drop. Your torso and hips should remain square to the floor.
- Aside from the leg that is performing the “march,” the rest of your body should remain in a relatively fixed position.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Single Arm Band Resisted Presses From Feet Elevated Side Plank
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), 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 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.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Dead Bug Single Leg Hip Lift Combo
This unique dead bug variation also strengthens the posterior chain muscles.
Coaching Tips:
- Bend one knee, elevate your foot on a wall, and extend your hips by driving through the back portion of your foot and squeezing your glutes and hamstrings, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage. In the top position, your body should form a straight(ish) line from your knee to shoulders. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- On the other side, fully extend your knee and maintain this position for the duration of the exercise, or keep your knee bent at 90 degrees. I recommend starting out at 90 degrees.
- Extend both arms so they are in line with your armpits
- 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).
- Now contract your anterior core muscles, steadily exhale through your mouth, slowly lower your leg and opposite arm 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 and this makes the exercise quite ineffective.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to drop.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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