5 "Ultimate" Core Exercises You Haven't Seen Before

As I talk about all the time, pull-ups are a full body exercise. In order to excel at this badass and incredibly empowering exercise, your entire body must be working as a synchronized unit.

Lumbo-Pelvic stability, in other words, your ability to keep your hips and spine in a stable position, is a key pre-requisite to performing pull-ups. Many people lack this vital ingredient. As a result, they will be more prone to swinging and pulling deadweight. Swinging will result in a much longer and inefficient path to the bar, and pulling deadweight will obviously make each rep feel significantly more challenging than it needs to be. The Ultimate Pull-Up Program, AND these 5 unique exercises, will help you solve these problems.

This week I am providing you with 5 “ultimate” core exercise you likely haven’t seen before. Enjoy!

#1) Advanced TRX Serratus Slides

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. To be clear, these are significantly more advanced than regular TRX Serratus Slides, and they are more of a “fallout.” This exercise is great for improving the upward rotation of the scapulae.

Coaching Tips:

Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
Place your thighs so they are in a vertical position, bend your knees, and keep them a few inches above the floor.
Place the straps of the TRX around your forearms, bend your elbows, and position your forearms so they are parallel. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise. ⁣
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), and squeeze your glutes. ⁣
First, lightly press your arms and body away from the strap(s). When you do this you should feel your shoulder blade move away from your spine (protract).⁣
Now use your serratus muscles to control the movement and extend your arm overhead to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.⁣ As you are doing so, fully extend your knees.
As you are returning to the starting position, your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements. Imagine you are “rowing” your arms down.⁣
Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or weight to shift from foot to foot.⁣
In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.⁣

#2) Dead Bug Pallof Press Combo

This exercise develops lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. This exercise is both anti-extension and anti-rotation in nature. In this exercise, your body will be perpendicular to the point of attachment of the band.

Coaching Tips:

Loop a resistance band around a secure surface and hold the band so your hands are above your chest. There should be tension in the band for 100% of the exercise.
When you extend your arms, the band and your arms should roughly form a 90 degree angle.
Lie on the floor. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet towards you (dorsiflex).
Keep your neck in a neutral position, chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection). You may either elevate your head a few inches, or keep it on the floor.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine).
Now steadily exhale through your mouth, contract your anterior core muscles, slowly lower your leg towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. While you are doing this, simultaneously extend your arms and perform a Pallof press.
Return your leg and arms to the starting position. Stop when your elbows come into contact with your body.
Reset and repeat using the opposite leg.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or pelvis to move. Your torso and hips should remain square to the ceiling.
You may modify this exercise by keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees versus having them fully extended. No matter what knee angle you choose to adopt, make sure that your knee remains in a fixed position and that the movement occurs from your hip.

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#3) L-Sit + Single Arm Lateral Raises

This exercise develops lumbo-pelvic stability, and strengthens the shoulders. This exercise, which I got from Ben Bruno, is significantly tougher than it looks.

Coaching Tips:

Sit on the floor, and get into an l-sit position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position. Fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex). You may also dorsiflex your feet.
The more you lean back, the more challenging the exercise will be.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around the spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
While keeping your body in a fixed position, perform lateral raises using a single arm.
For the duration of the exercise, 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. Your torso and hips should remain square to a wall that is facing ahead.
In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#4) Plate Slides From Bear Crawl Position

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (on the side that is moving), and stability (on the side that is planted).⁣

Coaching Tips:

Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.⁣
Place your thighs so they are in a vertical position, bend your knees, and keep them a few inches above the floor.⁣
Your shoulders should be above your hands.⁣ Spread your fingers and pretend you are suctioning them to the ground.
Place a weight plate on one side of your body, and so it’s directly below your shoulder.⁣
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around the spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.⁣
Now slide the weight plate to the opposite side of your body. Repeat using the opposite arm.⁣
In terms of your shoulder/shoulder blade on the planted side, do not mindlessly hang out. Press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blade (moves away from the spine).⁣
For the duration of the exercise, do not let your lower back hyperextend, ribs flare, torso, spine or hips rotate, weight shift from foot to foot, and do not let your hips pike or collapse.⁣
In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.⁣

#5) Chaos Dead Bugs

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability. The unstable nature of the band makes this exercise even more challenging.

Coaching Tips:

Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface like a squat rack, and vertically press your hands into the center of the band. There should be a significant amount of tension in the band. Maintain your press into the band for the duration of the set.
When you are pressing into the band your shoulder blades should be protracted (spread away from your spine).
Lie on the floor. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet towards you (dorsiflex).
Keep your neck in a neutral position, chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection). You may either elevate your head a few inches, or keep it on the floor.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine).
Now steadily exhale through your mouth, contract your anterior core muscles, slowly lower your leg towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. While you are doing this, really maintain your press into the band with both hands.
Return your leg to the starting position.
Reset and repeat using the opposite leg.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or pelvis to move. Your torso and hips should remain square to the ceiling.
You may modify this exercise by keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees versus having them fully extended. No matter what knee angle you choose to adopt, make sure that your knee remains in a fixed position and that the movement occurs from your hip.