Or maybe you just need a quick burner to end your workout to torch some extra calories or completely burnout the muscle groups you were working.
Either way, having a few BURNERS on hand, like this Dumbbell Hybrid Burner from my Arm Burner cards, is key!
Quick burners like this one are even a great way to create a little extra training volume during the week to increase your training frequency and improve your results without you having to do a full workout.
So try this Dumbbell Hybrid Burner as a quick standalone routine when you are short on time or as a finisher after your upper body or lower body lifting session!
The Dumbbell Hybrid Burner
Complete 2-4 rounds of the circuit below without resting. Modify moves as needed so that you don’t have to rest during the 30 seconds of work. Better to regress than to rest if it is more than a very brief pause.
CIRCUIT: 30 seconds Squat Burpee with Front Raise 30 seconds Lunge Curl Press 30 seconds Mountain Climber Row Push Up 30 seconds Sit Thru Bridge and Press 30 seconds Leg Raise Wipers
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Squat Burpee with Front Raise:
To do the Squat Burpee with Front Raise, start in the plank position with a light dumbbell in each hand. You can also use a single dumbbell if you don’t have a weight pair light enough although you’ll then want to set it between your hands. Then jump your feet up and outside your hands or as close as you can get. Jump your feet out wider as you so that you can come into a squat position. As you do, lift your arms up straight in front of you to about shoulder height, holding the dumbbells. If you use a single dumbbell, you will pick it up in both hands as you lift your chest and come into the squat. Use jumping into the squat to help you raise the weights up to shoulder height with your arms straight. Lower your hands back down as you stay in the squat then jump your feet back and repeat! Make sure the weights are challenging but light enough you can fully control the movement. Beginners can also step back instead of jumping.
Lunge Curl Press:
To do the Lunge, Curl and Press, start standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand down by your side. You can choose to have your palms facing forward or even in toward each other to perform both the curl and the press. Lunge forward with your arms down by your sides. Holding the lunge, perform a bicep curl, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Keep your chest up as you curl to maintain good form. Once you curl up to your shoulders, press the weights overhead, staying nice and low in the lunge with your abs engaged. Press all the way up, then bring them back down to your shoulders and reverse the curl. Once the weights are back by your sides, push back up to standing in one movement. Beginners may not lunge out as far or as deep. They may also choose to lunge then perform the curl and press while standing. You can stay on the same side or perform lunges alternating sides.
Mountain Climber Row Push Up:
To do the Mountain Climber Row Push Up, set up in a high plank position with a dumbbell in each hand. Your feet will be wider apart to help stabilize and your hands should be under your shoulders. Then from this high plank position, draw one knee in and across toward your opposite shoulder. Perform a cross body mountain climber, moving slowly. Straighten the leg back out and then row the weight in the hand on the same side as the leg you tucked in up to your side. Perform the row without rotating or letting your butt go up in the air. After rowing the weight up to your side, feeling your back work to row it up, lower it back down so you’re back in the high plank. Then perform a push-up (you can do this from your knees too). Come back to a plank then perform a mountain climber cross body on the other side and a row before another push up. Keep alternating sides.
Sit Thru Bridge and Press:
To do the Sit Thru Bridge and Press, start on your hands and knees with a dumbbell under each hand. Then flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and feet with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. From this position, step your right foot under your body as you raise your right hand and dumbbell up toward the ceiling. As you step through and put your foot flat on the ground, rotate your hips open to the ceiling as you press the weight up overhead. Really squeeze your glutes as you bridge up and press. Then rotate your right leg back under your body as you bring the weight back down to the ground. Come back into that bulldog front position then step your left leg under to lift your right hand up and press the weight overhead as you bridge up. Really bridge up and squeeze your glutes at the top. Keep your abs engaged and do not hyperextend your low back. Keep alternating sides.
Leg Raise Wipers:
To do Leg Raise Wipers, hold a dumbbell in each hand as you lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you. Press the weights up toward the ceiling at about chest height. Full straighten your arms and don’t let the weights fall out to the sides. Brace your abs and lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling together. Then, keeping your abs engaged, lower your legs straight down to hover an inch off the ground. You want to lower as close to the ground as you can without your lower back taking over. Beginners may not lower as low. Raise your legs back up toward the ceiling then lower them both down to the right. Try not to let your legs drift away from you as you lower to the side. Keep the weights pressed up toward the ceiling as you twist and lower. You want to lower about 6 inches from the ground. Do not touch down or release the engagement by going to low. Then use your abs to pull your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Perform another straight leg lower down the center. Once your legs are back up toward the ceiling, lower to the other side. Feel your abs working to lower to the side but make sure you don’t go too low and either disengage or need to use your lower back to pull your legs back up toward the ceiling. Keep the weights pressed up toward the ceiling the entire time. Beginners can bend their knees to 90 degrees to start and tap their toes down center for the leg raise.
Want a killer Upper Body and Core program with some great cardio finishers like this one?
This one muscle causes more issues than we often realize. But because the pain and issues it often causes are “elsewhere,” we often don’t realize this nasty little culprit…
Ok…while no muscle is really “nasty” or “evil,” it is important we recognize the different roles specific muscles play in creating imbalances, compensations and injuries up and down our bodies.
And one muscle we need to pay more attention to is the TFL!
Too often we ignore the issues that can arise from a shortened or tight and overactive TFL or Tensor Fasciae Latae.
This muscle loves to try to take over for other muscles, especially our glute medius. And while often our IT Band, or sometimes even our hip flexors, get blamed, the TFL is ACTUALLY responsible for a variety of low back, hip and knee aches and pains!
The TFL – A Culprit Of IT Band, Low Back, Hip And Knee Pain!?
If you’ve ever had IT Band “issues” or IT Band Syndrome, you may want to take a closer look at your TFL.
A tight, overactive TFL can lead to increased tension on the IT Band, making it feel “tight,” and also cause irritation of the tissue between the IT Band and lateral aspect of the knee joint.
This can lead to knee aches and pains such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (this can also be called runner’s knee or jumper’s knee).
Tightness of the TFL can also restrict hip mobility and contribute to excessive anterior pelvic tilt. Both of these things can lead to hip and low back aches and pains.
And even though there is no direct connection between our TFL and ankle, guess what!?
Everything is connected!
A tight, overactive TFL has even been implicated in causing changes to ankle mobility because of how it also affects the knee joint.
Basically, if your TFL becomes tight and overactive, and you don’t address the imbalances it creates, potentially even because you are wasting time addressing “symptoms” of the problem (aka just focusing only on the point of pain), you can end up with compensations, immobility and imbalances that lead to aches, pains and INJURIES up and down your body!
What Does The TFL Or Tensor Fasciae Latae Do?
While you may be thinking, “Ok I get it. The TFL is a nasty little sucker and I need to relax and lengthen it, especially if I have any of those issues. Now just tell me how to do that!”
And I will provide you with moves below to help you do just that.
HOWEVER, it is important we understand the basic functions of this muscle so we can then be aware of when it may try to compensate during exercises and where we should be feeling the moves instead!
So what does the TFL do?
The TFL contributes to hip abduction (lifting your leg out to the side), hip flexion (bringing your knee up toward your chest) and hip internal rotation (rotating your hip to turn your toe and knee in toward your other leg).
At the knee it also contributes to tibial external rotation, which is when you turn your foot out.
And at your pelvis it assists in anteriorly tilting you pelvis, which, if the muscle is tight, can lead to excessive arching of your lower back.
Why is it important you understand these functions?
Because when you see the movements that the TFL performs, you can also start to see the muscles that may become weak and inhibited (or underactive) because your TFL is tight!
The most common muscle we need to activate, if our TFL is tight, is our GLUTES, especially our glute medius!
The glute medius is supposed to be our primary hip abductor. HOWEVER, if the TFL becomes shortened and overactive, it may restrict our glute medius from firing effectively and efficiently and even try to carry more of the load than it should.
Have you ever done Mini Band Monster Walks or Lateral Raises and really felt your hips burning?
That may be because the TFL is trying to take over for your glute medius instead of allowing it to work as it should!
So how do you avoid letting the TFL take over?
3 Moves To Help Relax The TFL And Activate Your Glute Medius:
The first step is relaxing that overactive muscle. But once you’ve relaxed that muscle, you must then make sure that you improve your mind-body connection to properly RECRUIT your glute medius to do the work it should.
That is why you need to FOAM ROLL + STRETCH + ACTIVATE!
Below is a foam rolling and stretching move for your TFL as well as an activation abduction move to strengthen your glute medius.
TFL Foam Rolling:
Relax this overactive muscle using this foam rolling move. Relaxing trigger points here may help you find relief too for a tight IT Band. Any time we hear “foam roll your IT Band” we should either focus on our lateral quad or our TFL.
To roll out your TFL, you can use a roller although a ball works best. The smaller and harder the ball, the more it will dig in. If there is too much pressure and you can’t relax while holding on the tight spot, use something softer or a roller without spikes.
Place a ball on the ground then position your body so the ball is just below and outside, or back, from your hip bone. Roll the ball around slowly to find a tight spot and then hold on any tight spots.
If you find a tight spot, hold on that spot and lift and lower your leg up and down. By lifting and lower the leg, you are flexing and relaxing the muscle, which will help loosen everything up as you hold.
As you seek out tight spots in your hip, bring the ball around front and right to the side under your hip bone. Again hold on any tight spots and even flex and relax your leg to help dig in.
You can work your way back out to the side of your hip, and even into your glutes as well, if you find any sore or tight spots. Remember you are holding and breathing to release not rolling fast back and forth over the spot.
TFL/IT Band Stretch:
I first learned this stretch when it was called the IT Band stretch, but the focus should actually be on your TFL. You may feel it all the way down the outside of that one leg even.
To do the Standing TFL or IT Band Stretch, start standing with your feet together. Then cross your left leg over your right leg. Bring the left foot over and back across until the big toe is even with the big toe of the right foot. You want your feet even so that your front leg (the left leg) is pressing the back leg (right leg) straight during the stretch.
If you struggle to balance or it is too much pressure on your knees to have your legs so tightly crossed, place the front foot a bit out in front, but make sure that you don’t bend that back knee as you hinge over to stretch.
Then reach your arms up overhead for a nice big stretch. After reaching up, hang over, reaching your arms down toward the instep of the back foot (right foot). Push your hips out to the right as you reach toward your right foot so you feel a stretch down the outside of that right hip and side. You may even feel it down your right hamstring and calf.
Hold for a breath or two. Then reach back up overhead and cross your legs the other way so your left foot is back. Again reach up overhead then reach down toward your left instep, pushing your hips out to the left. Keep alternating sides with a reach up overhead in between every time.
Try to touch the ground as you reach down while making sure to keep your legs straight.
If you really struggle to balance, you may need to stand with your feet together and not crossed over as you reach toward the outside of each foot while pushing your hips away.
The key is really pushing that hip out to the side. You can even change things up reaching overhead and even slightly back with the arm on the same side as the hip you are pushing out to the side.
3-Way Seated Abduction:
To target both the anterior and posterior fibers of the glute medius and make sure it is strong and activated from a variety of different angles, the 3-Way Seated Abductions is a great move to use before your workout. In our workouts, and even daily life, we need our glute medius to fire effectively with our body in a variety of positions, it is important we also do work to activate it with different degrees of hip flexion!
Also, if you feel your TFL only taking over during one position, you can make note of that positioning and even roll right prior to that version. You can even use the other two first to make sure your glute medius is fully firing before you get to that variation.
And while your TFL assists with hip flexion, sitting with your hips flexed where your TFL isn’t necessarily trying to flex more (aka relaxed because the bench is supporting you), say unlike standing where you may try to bend at the hips, may even help you prevent your TFL from taking over!
To do 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions, place the mini band right below your knees and sit on a bench. Start by sitting toward the front of the bench so you can lean back and put your hands on the bench behind you. Place your feet about hip-width apart.
Then press your knees open against the band as you lean back. Your feet may rock open but focus on using your glutes to press the band open with your knees. Do not let your knees cave in as you come back to the starting position. Complete all reps then move to sit up nice and tall.
Sitting nice and tall repeat, pressing out with your knees so you feel your glutes working. After completing all reps, lean forward and repeat the movement. You can hold on the bench outside your legs to lean forward or just lean over even lightly resting your arms on your legs.
Complete all reps in each of the 3 positions. Make sure you’re really focused on pressing your knees out to feel your glutes while controlling the band back in. To reduce tension, you can start with a lighter band or put your feet slightly closer together, but make sure there is tension on the band even in that starting position.
Don’t Just Go Through The Motions – Form Tweaks That Help Activate Your Glutes:
Now that you know this nasty little sucker is out there causing issues, and even have some good ideas of how to start dealing with those aches and pains, I do want to remind you that doing the “RIGHT” moves isn’t enough if you don’t feel the CORRECT MUSCLES WORKING!
That is part of the problem!
We do these abduction moves and our TFL tries to take over. Heck…it doesn’t try…we LET IT!
So doing more abduction moves for your glute medius can backfire if you aren’t feeling the right areas working. And simply having the move “look right” and performing a proper movement pattern, doesn’t mean you have a proper recruitment pattern.
As you do these moves, or any moves for that matter, make sure you FEEL THE RIGHT MUSCLES WORKING!
You want to use activation moves where your focus isn’t on lifting more to establish that mind-body connection so when you go lift heavy or run, those proper recruitment patterns are AUTOMATIC!
Assess where you feel working and tweak or change moves until you know that your glute medius is actually firing and your TFL isn’t just taking over.
Add in an extra round of foam rolling during your workout if you start to feel your TFL working. Reduce the loads or resistance you are using if you’re fatigued and compensating.
Or make small tweaks to even those activation moves to help prevent your TFL from taking over!
So what are some tweaks you can make? And how can you help yourself know that your glute medius is firing?
First, to help yourself focus on using your glute medius during abduction moves….
You need to know where you should be feeling it, right?
Place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top side of your butt.
Where your thumb is?
Well that is where you want to feel those moves! Focus on feeling under your thumb working to start!
Now in terms of tweaking moves?
While your TFL assists with hip internal rotation, it also assists in external tibial rotation.
Often when people say they feel their hips during Monster Walks or lateral raises, you’ll notice their toes/feet start to rotate out.
By instead INTERNALLY rotating their foot, or turning their foot down and in, while the TFL does engage to internally rotate the hip, it sort of “keeps the TFL busy” during the lateral raises or abduction moves so the glute medius can act as the prime mover for those movements.
(In the picture above, the left shows external rotation vs. internal rotation on the right. You would want to set up like on the right and maintain that position through the lateral raise. It doesn’t have to be extreme internal rotation, just think slightly lead with your heel).
You can also often help engage that glute medius better by kicking slightly BACKWARD as you lift to the side. This prevents the TFL from flexing the hip and instead puts the hip in extension.
(Notice in the left picture I lift straight out to the side versus the right where I kick slightly backward as I raise out to the side. And SIDE NOTE: Especially if you are doing these for reps or adding a mini band, place your hands on a wall or something in front of you to balance. It also helps prevent you from rocking and engaging your lower back!)
Form, while important, isn’t this one solid thing we make it out to be! Try different body positions and tweaks to moves so YOU can establish that mind-body connection. Then start using variations from there as you gain more and more control!
Ready to prevent and alleviate lower back, hip and knee aches and pains?
Heard all too often you need to strengthen your core, especially your glutes?
Want to run faster, lift more, cycle further….and maybe even just build a strong, sexy lower body and butt?
Want to strengthen and tone your upper body and core, but short on time?
Then Density Sets are the way to go!
With Density Sets you can not only build strength but also burn fat in less time because not only are you lifting, but you are creating a greater training density by performing a higher volume of work in less time!
So if you’re looking for a great workout to strengthen your upper body and tone your shoulders, triceps and abs, try this Chest, Shoulders and Triceps Density Sets Workout from my Arm Burner Workouts!
The Chest, Shoulders And Tricep Workout:
Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many rounds of each circuit as you can in that time. Rest 2 minutes between circuits so you can go hard each 15 minute interval. Record how many rounds you get and the reps you do to beat next time. If you’re getting tired, regress moves to keep moving or even perform fewer reps so that you can limit rest as you will start to burnout areas.
CIRCUIT #1:
4-6 reps Push Ups to Dips*
8-12 reps Front to Side Raises
8-12 reps Fly with Leg Lowers
CIRCUIT #2:
8-12 reps Slider Fly Push Ups*
8-12 reps per side Tricep Push Ups
6-8 reps per side Turkish Hinge
*2 push ups to 2 dips equals one rep.
*If you do a unilateral variation, do 4-6 reps per side.
Love this Upper Body Workout?
Learn More Of My Arm Burner “Secrets” To Help You Sculpt Strong, Sexy Arms And Shoulders!
We all know we can’t spot reduce by only working our “problem areas,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t do workouts to focus on those areas of our core that need the most work!
And too often when we do our core workouts, we only focus on our abs.
But your core workouts should include moves to target your inner thighs, obliques and glutes!
AKA those areas we too often forget but would really like to strength and tone!
That is why I wanted to share this 5-Minute Bodyweight Forgotten Core Burner!
It can be used as a quick workout when you are short on time or even as the perfect burnout after your lifting or cardio session!
Try it out today!
And if you want this as a 5-Minute Follow Along Workout, along with 8 more, check out my Bodyweight Burner DVD. Claims yours with FREE SHIPPING TODAY!
The 5-Minute Forgotten Core Burner
Set a timer for 20 seconds intervals and move right from one move to the next in the circuit. Complete 3 rounds through the circuit without resting!
CIRCUIT:
20 seconds Squat Jump Scissors
20 seconds per side Side Plank Adductor Lifts
20 seconds Glute Bridge with March
20 seconds Peek-a-boo
Don’t forget you can get this as a Follow Along Video Workout and let me show you modifications and help keep you motivated!
Exercise Descriptions:
Squat Jump Scissors:
To do Squat Jump Scissors, set up with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Squat down, sinking your butt down as you reach to touch the ground. If you can’t sink low enough, while keeping your heels down, to touch the ground, just reach as low as you can. Do not round over just to touch the ground.
Then as you jump up off the ground, bring your feet together at the top, using your adductors to draw them in. Click your heels then as you land, widen your feet back out so you land with your feet back about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Make sure to sink right back into the squat and not land with your legs straight.
Then quickly repeat exploding back up. Beginners can modify by stepping their feet together as they stand up and then step back out as they sink down.
Side Plank Adductor Lifts:
To do the Side Plank Adductor Raise, set up in a side plank from your forearm and feet. You will want you elbow to be under your shoulder and your feet unstacked with your bottom foot in front and even slightly angled forward. Lift up into the side plank position with your top hand on your hip and your chest not rotated toward the ground. Drive through the sides of your feet and flex your feet to engage even your lower leg.
Holding this position, lift and lower that bottom leg, raising it up a few inches then putting it back down at a controlled pace. Stay up in the side plank the entire time and don’t let your hips sag. Do not place your top hand down to assisted.
If you need to modify, bend that top leg and place the foot flat on the ground behind you OR even regress fully to a side lying adductor lift.
Glute Bridge with March:
To do the Glute Bridge With March, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be about hip-width apart and your knees should be in line with your feet and hips. Your feet should be just beyond your fingers when you stretch your arms down by your sides.
Bend your arms to 90 degrees and then drive through your arms, upper back and heels to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to bridge up.
Holding this bridge, lift one foot up off the ground, bringing your knee in toward your chest as if marching. Do not let your hips sag as you lift the leg.
Move slowly to lift the leg then lower back down and switch, bringing the other knee in toward your chest.
Do not let your hips sag as you march. Also, do not let your low back take over. Keep your abs engaged and really focus on making the glute of the leg that is down work to keep your hips up.
You may not want to lift your leg as high if you struggle to maintain the bridge. Doing a smaller march means that each side has to work independently for shorter, which can make the move a bit easier.
Peek-a-boo:
To do the Peek-A-Boo, lie on your back and stretch your straight legs up toward the ceiling. Reach your hands back overhead if you want then let your legs open up to the sides as if moving to do the splits.
As your legs open up, crunch up and reach your hands through your legs. Crunch your shoulder blades up off the ground.
Lower back down and bring your legs back together. Keep your legs as straight as you can the entire time. Repeat crunching back up as you open your legs back up.
Beginners can bend their knees or leave out the upper body crunch and just perform the leg portion.
If you want to stay injury free, it isn’t enough to just rest and then return to your normal routine.
You’ve got to CORRECT the problem that caused the pain to occur aka address the movement distortions, compensations and imbalances that lead to the overload.
And in the case of our lower backs, this is generally tight hip flexors, an immobile spine, overstretched hamstrings and weak abs and glutes.
This is why you need a 3 step approach to improving your movement patterns as well as your mobility and stability so you can prevent the pain from reoccurring – you need to Foam Roll, Stretch and Activation, not only as rehab or prehab but also as part of your WARM UP to your runs, rides or lifts.
If you’re ready to get those glutes and abs activated as you improve your spinal and hip mobility to prevent lower back and even hip and knee pain, check out my RStoration program!
The Prevent Lower Back Pain Workout
FOAM ROLLING:
Complete 1 round through the series, holding on any tight spots you find instead of rolling quickly back and forth. If something isn’t tight, you don’t need to roll it. But if something is tight, don’t hesitate to spend an extra 10-15 seconds on that area.
Complete 1 round through this series, spending more time on any tight areas. You can do these for about 20-40 seconds per move or side or up to 10 reps per side. Your focus is on improving your range of motion over the reps or time.
Complete 2-4 rounds of each triset, resting up to 30 seconds between rounds if needed. Rest up to 1 minute between trisets as needed. If you are doing this as part of a warm up, 1-2 rounds of each is more than enough.
GASP! Maybe there is something to this LOWER AB thing!
Fitness elitists will get really mad if you utter the term “lower abs.”
Because technically there is no lower ab muscle.
Technically it is all the same muscle the rectus abdominis that we are usually targeting with our core work, especially if we want six pack abs.
(I’ve had to turn away when another trainer tries to lecture me on using the term lower abs to secretly roll my eyes. I guess I could lecture them back…but why?)
Anyway…
All those “lower ab moves” we used to use started to get written off as simply hip flexor exercises since most of those moves done for lower abs include leg lower type movements.
And yes…your hip flexors DO work during those leg lowers.
But I just couldn’t fully accept that they had no impact on the “lower abs.”
My “lower ab” definition was best when doing more leg lower movements after learning the pelvic tilt and after doing hanging abs.
I felt the lower ab region really WORKING during those moves and I’m always extra conscious when testing movements to feel WHERE is activating.
Because guess what? Doing the right moves even without feeling the correct muscles working is going to do NOTHING except put you at risk for injury!
So feeling my “lower abs” working led me to include hanging abs and the posterior pelvic tilt in my Killer Core program.
If you feel the muscles activating, and have clients agree with those finding and feel their “lower abs” like never before, SOMETHING is going on.
So that led me to hours of pouring over studies trying to see if I could figure out what I, and my clients, were feeling.
Were we simply mistaking this feeling in our “lower abs” for our psoas working?
That’s when I found studies showing that different ab exercises DID, in fact, activate portions of the URA and LRA (upper and lower rectus abdominis) to different extents. (Study 1)
Which frankly makes sense considering we’ve shown, and even more widely accept, that exercises activate upper or lower pec fibers differently and even upper and lower glute max fibers differently.
Another interesting results I found in a study was that POSTERIOR PELVIC TILT actually had HIGHER LRA for groups that learned to perform it correctly and were even more active AKA all of us who’ve trained a lot and are looking for that true engagement! (Study 2)
This also made me realize how important it was to correctly teach the posterior pelvic tilt progression – a progression we often skip to jump right to the hardest leg lower move.
Ever feel your lower back taking over during leg lowers? Ever put your hands behind your lower back to correct this?
Well this is just putting a bandaid on the problem. This is why we end up only working our hips and quads, and maybe even lower backs, with these moves.
It’s why we DON’T work our lower abs to the extent these moves can work them.
When you want to work your lower abs, you need to focus on what is working. REGRESS the posterior pelvic tilt progression to maybe a single leg lower or bent knee march or even just a simple HOLD.
But regress until you can properly feel your abs working and then slowly progress!
Ok so maybe you’re now thinking “I buy the whole activating different aspects of the muscles, BUT leg raise movements are STILL hip flexor moves….”
Well guess what!?!
Hanging Leg Raises actually have the highest mean AND peak activation of the rectus abdominis! (Oh and this article not only confirms that but also the existence of differences in activation between the Upper and Lower RA!)
I would say it looks like my abs are working pretty hard here…as well as some other important muscles of my core!
So for you that are non-believers adamantly against any leg raise type movement who annoyingly try to correct anyone who even utters the words Lower Abs, just be open to the differences in activation!
And also realize that part of what makes a difference is what you force your body to feel working and how you even cue and coach the moves. Just like the double leg lowers…You sometimes need to regress to progress.
It may mean starting with a Hanging Pelvic Tilt to learn how to engage the abs to then help assist in the Hanging Leg Raises. Or it may be doing a bent knee raise to start. But the key is being conscious of what is working as you utilize these moves!
I almost feel like this adamant “there are no lower abs” makes us cut off our noses to spite our faces.
Why miss out on moves that can only HELP!?!
Don’t miss out on using these moves because the term we use is referring to a region of a muscle not a separate muscle.
Hanging Leg Raises, Pelvic Tilt…oh and even the Body Saw (a study also showed a longer lever plank like the Body Saw was great for the core!) are KILLER ab moves you NEED to be including!
Let’s not miss chances to get the results we want when we can FEEL something working!
It’s also another reason to THINK about what you actually feel working and constantly assess your recruitment patterns!
So take some time today and test out those moves!
Ready to work not only your LOWER ABS but your entire core?
Ready to implement some Hanging Abs, Pelvic Tilt and even long lever planks into your routine?
