Core Archives Page 3 of 5 | Redefining Strength

The Runner’s Full-Body Strength Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | May 1, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet/Calves/Shins
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin/It Band
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

ACTIVATION

Complete 1 round of the following circuit.

CIRCUIT:
10 reps each way 3-Way Leg Swings
10 reps per side Fire Hydrants
10 reps per side Bird Dog
5 reps per side Thoracic Bridge with Sit Thru

AGILITY LADDER

Set a timer for 3-5 minutes. Run through drills on the Agility Ladder walking back to the start between drills. Move quickly through the drills, but only speed them up if you can do them correctly. Don’t go fast if you aren’t getting the steps correct!

For Drills, click here.

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit, resting as needed between rounds of the circuit. Try to go from one exercise to the next and rest no more than 1-2 minutes between rounds. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
15-20 reps Weighted Glute Bridges
8-12 reps per side Airborne Lunges
10-15 reps per side High-to-Low Wood Choppers

CIRCUIT #2:
10-15 reps per side Single Leg Deadlift
15-20 reps Reverse Hypers
10-15 reps Hanging Knee Tucks to Kick Out

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet/Calves/Shins
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin/It Band
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

For some great foam rolling moves and stretches for runners, check out this post on how to Alleviate Common Running Injuries.

If you are new to strength training, stay in the higher rep range with a bit lighter weight. As you consistently lift, you want to go up in weight and even down in reps. To get the best results, as your body adjusts, you need to challenge yourself more and more with weights.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

3-Way Leg Swings – To do 3-Way Leg Swings, start standing on one foot. Keeping both legs fairly straight, but not locked out, swing the other leg forward and backward. Swing from the hip. The bigger your swings are, the more your standing leg will have to work to balance. Do not hold on to anything as you do this move. If you need to at the beginning, just perform smaller swings and tap your foot down as needed to reset and stabilize. Perform 10-20 forward/backward swings. Then, still balancing on the same leg, start to swing your leg right to left in front of you, swinging from the hip. Again the bigger the swing, the harder the move will be. Complete 10-20 lateral swings. After performing the lateral swings, try a rotational swing while still standing on the same leg. Bend the raised knee to 90 degrees with your bent leg out in front of you. Then open the knee out to the side, keeping the knee bent. Bring the bent leg back in front of you and repeat. Complete 10-20 swings here before performing all three swings on the other leg.

Fire Hydrants – Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Then, keeping your arms straight and your feet flexed, raise your right leg out to the side with the knee bent to 90 degrees. As you raise your leg out to the side, keep your ankle in line with your knee. Do not let your foot get above your knee or your knee go up above your foot. Your lower leg should stay in line and be parallel to the ground. Also, don’t simply lean away to get your leg up higher. Keep your core tight and lift from the hip using your glute. Hold at the top then lower back down. Make sure to hold for 1-2 seconds. Do not rush through the lift. Make sure you do not bend your arms to get your leg up higher. Squeeze your butt and make sure you feel it activate. Range of motion isn’t important as long as you feel your glute working. You may even feel this in the glute of the leg down because it is working to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Bird Dog – To do the Basic Bird Dog, start on your hands and knees on the ground with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Kick your right leg back and drive your heel into the wall behind you as you raise your left arm out toward the wall in front of you. Try to get your leg and arm to about parallel to the ground but don’t worry about lifting your leg or arm up super high. There is no need to go past parallel. Really try to drive your arm and leg toward opposite walls as you keep your core engaged and squeeze your glutes. You do not want to hyperextend or arch your low back just to reach your arm or leg up higher. Also make sure to keep your chest and hips square to the ground as you reach out. Hold for a second or two at the top then, as you lower your arm and leg back down, bend them and bring them together under your body. Try to touch your elbow to your knee before extending back out. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side. All reps should be done in a slow and controlled manner. You should even hold for a second or two at the top of the move. A longer hold at the top will make this move even more challenging. For a more challenging variation, click here.

Thoracic Bridge with Sit Thru – To do the Thoracic Bridge with Sit Thru, set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Then lift your right hand and bring your left leg through and place your left foot flat on the ground. Rotate your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift them up as high as you can. Then with your hips bridged up and your glutes engaged, reach your right hand down toward the ground, rotating your chest toward the floor. Feel your glutes working to keep BOTH hips up, while you reach your hand down and feel a nice stretch through your spine. We have a tendency when we rotate to drop the hip on the side we are rotating toward. Make sure to keep both hips up as high as possible. You should feel a nice rotation and stretch through your spine almost like someone wringing out a towel. Then drop your hips and step your foot back through while placing your hand back down on the ground. You should be back in that starting position with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Do not let your legs straighten out as you sit thru and bridge up to each side. Step through and rotate to the other side, bridging your hips up as high as you can as you reach toward the ground. Keep alternating sides until all reps are complete.

Weighted Glute Bridges – To do Weighted Glute Bridges, a barbell works best although you can use a kettlebell or even plate weight as well. Using a barbell, sit on the ground with your legs out straight and roll or place the barbell over your hips. Lie back and bend your knees, placing your feet flat on the ground and your heels close to your butt. Play around with your exact foot positioning so that you feel your glutes working during the movement and not simply your hamstrings taking over. Holding on to the barbell and pressing it down toward your thighs, bridge your hips up and squeeze your glutes. Make sure to drive through your heels and upper back to lift straight up and extend your hips while keeping your core tight. Do not let your knees fall open and do not hyperextend your low back as you squeeze your glutes at the top. Hold for a second or two and lower back down. As you lift, you may find you want to press the barbell down and away onto your thighs to help you squeeze your glutes at the top and keep your core engaged. Before bridging up, you may find it helpful to first perform the Pelvic Tilt so that your abs are engaged when you bridge. Add weight to progress the movement as long as you continue to engage your glutes and fully extend your hips.

Airborne Lunges – To do the Airborne Lunge, stand on your right foot and bend your left knee, bringing your heel back up toward your butt. Then begin to bend your right knee as you hinge over and sit your butt back. You are going to lunge down, dropping your left knee to the ground. Do not touch the left foot down when you drop the knee to the ground. Also make sure not to reach the left knee back too far when you lunge down. Keep it just a little behind your right foot so that you are almost slightly squatting. Lean forward as needed to counterbalance but do not round your back forward. You want to hinge forward at the hips as you sit your butt back. To come back to standing, drive up through your right heel and feel your leg and glute work to straighten your leg as you bring the left knee up off the ground. Come up to standing nice and tall. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure you engage your core and keep your standing heel on the ground at all times. Do not let your standing heel come up as you touch your other knee down. Also, make sure you feel this move in the glute of your standing leg and not your low back. To advance this move, you can add weight. Beginners may not be able to touch their knee to the ground or they may need to use the Suspension Trainer to help them balance. (Click here for a description of the Beginner Airborne Lunge also called the Single Leg Lunge.)

High-to-Low Wood Choppers – To do the High-to-Low Wood Chopper, anchor the band up high and reverse your position. You will start with your arms reaching up and outside your shoulder closest to the anchor point. Make sure there is tension on the band. Your back leg should be in triple extension with your ankle, knee and hip all in line. (This position will also protect your knee since everything is properly aligned.) Then pivot and bend your knees to bring the band down and across your body to outside your opposite knee. Once you’ve brought the band outside your knee, you will then pivot back to standing, bringing the band across your body and up outside your shoulder. Move slowly and make sure there is tension on the band the entire way. When you bring the band down and across your body, do not round your back to reach lower as you bring the band down. Keep your chest up. Just reach down outside the knee as you pivot your feet. With both moves, you need to keep tension on the band at all times and stay in control of the movement. Do not let the band pull you back. And you want to make sure to pivot your feet. When you pivot, you keep your knee in a safe position. Plus the pivot puts your back leg in triple extension, which is an important position to generate more force and power. (Top two photos.)

Single Leg Deadlift – To do the Single Leg Deadlift (using kettlebells although you can also use dumbbells, sandbags or a barbell), hold a kettlebell in each hand down by your sides. Stand on your right leg with your knee slightly bent and your left toe lightly touching the ground. Then raise your left leg back toward the wall behind you as you hinge over, keeping your back flat. Make sure your hips stay level and you really reach your butt back as you hinge over. Also make sure to drop the kettlebells down and back toward your foot on the ground instead of reaching them out in front of you. Also do not worry about the kettlebells touching the ground. If your mobility allows you to touch them down great, but do not reach them toward the ground and let your back round. Only lower them as far as you can without rounding or “squatting.” Your standing knee should be soft as you hinge over and push your butt back but you shouldn’t start to squat as you hinge over. Make sure that as you hinge over you sit back in your standing heel and then drive through your heel to come back up to standing. You want to feel your hamstring and glute work. You want to really focus on pushing your butt back as you hinge over instead of simply leaning forward. This move only works if you load that glute. Also make sure that at the top of the move, you come completely up to standing and squeeze your glutes. Do not touch that other foot down until you are standing. You do not want the other leg to assist you in performing the full range of motion.

Reverse Hypers – Lie face down on a bench, box or table. Place your hips right on the edge of the bench and hold on to the bench or something in front of you. Keep your upper body relaxed as you hold. If your hips are too far on the bench, you are more likely to hyperextend your low back in an attempt to get your hips up higher so make sure your hips are on the edge of the bench, but not too far off. Place your heels together and bend your knees to about 90 degrees. Flex your feet. You can choose to turn your toes out to hit a slightly different aspect of your glutes as well. Then, with your knees bent, kick your heels back and up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift as you press your hips and pubic bone down into the bench. You can sort of drive up and out a bit to really get your glutes to work. Make sure to squeeze your glutes and brace your core as you drive your heels up and extend your hips. You do not want your low back taking over. Lift your legs and extend your hips so that you raise your legs and quads to about parallel to the ground. Then lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back. The most important part is that you feel your glutes tighten and that you are extending from your hips. Hold at the top for a second or two and then lower back down.

Hanging Knee Tucks to Kick Out- Hang from the bar with both palms facing away. Then tuck both knees up to about hip height. When your quads are parallel to the ground, straighten your knees. Lift your legs out in front of you then bend your knees again before returning to the starting position. Don’t kick out quickly or go straight down from the legs out position. Kick the legs out then bring them back in before lowering back down.

The 20/20/20 Plank Cardio Blast

by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 13, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

ACTIVATION

Complete 2 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
20 reps Glute Bridges
10 reps Table Top Bridges
10 reps per side Plank with Reach Back and Out

LOCOMOTION

After stretch and rolling, set a timer for 2-3 minutes and jog, backpedal, side shuffle, carioca, skip, do butt kickers and/or high knees. Move around at about 75% of your max effort to get your heart rate up and blood pumping.

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 20 second intervals. You will perform each exercise for 20 seconds and then rest 20 seconds between rounds. Do not rest between exercises. Once all five rounds are complete, rest 2-3 minutes between circuits. Beginners can even start with 3 or 4 rounds of a circuit.

CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds Burpee Sit Thrus
20 seconds Plank Inchworms
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds Sled Fighting
20 seconds Plank Scorpions
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds Split Squat Jumps
20 seconds Plank Jacks
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #4:
20 seconds Towel Taz
20 seconds Advanced Bird Dogs
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #5:
20 seconds Sidewinders with Forward/Backward Walk
20 seconds Plank with Oblique Knee Tucks
20 seconds Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

Do not rest between exercises and make sure you pick a variation of each move that allows you to work hard the entire 20 seconds.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Glute Bridges – To do the Basic Glute Bridge for reps, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground just close enough that you can graze your heels with your fingertips when you stretch your arms down by your side. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. If you put your feet further away from your glutes, you will engage more hamstring than if you keep your heels in closer to your glutes. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that only your upper arms are on the ground. Then drive up through your heels and upper back to lift your glutes off the ground. Drive your hips up as high as possible, squeezing the glutes hard. Keep your belly button drawn in so you don’t hyperextend your back. Focus and consciously squeeze your glutes at the top. Do not push backward off your heels. Make sure you are driving straight up and that your knees aren’t caving in. Squeeze your glutes for second or two at the top and lower all the way back down to the ground before repeating.

Table Top Bridges – To do the Table Top Bridge, start seated on the ground with your feet flat on the ground in front of you and your hands on the ground behind you. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up as high as you can. Lean your head back and press your chest out as you bridge up. Really feel a nice stretch across your chest and shoulders. Keep your core tight as you bridge up. Try to create a “table” with your body. Drive your hips up as high as you can without hyperextending your low back. Really squeeze your glutes at the top. Hold for a few seconds at the top then lower back down and repeat. Keep the core engaged and even do a pelvic tilt at the top so that you engage your glutes without hyperextending your low back.

Plank with Reach Back and Out – To do the Plank with Reach Back and Out, set up in a Front Plank from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. The wider your feet are, the more stable your base will be. To make the move harder, bring your feet in closer together. Beginners can do this move from their knees. From this Plank position, reach one hand back and across toward the opposite ankle, pushing your butt back and up toward the ceiling as you reach. After reaching back, come back forward, dropping your hips back into the Plank position as you reach forward and out toward the wall in front of you. Do not drop your hips too low and feel your low back engage. Keep your core tight and squeeze your glutes to protect your low back as you come back forward and reach out. You want to fully extend your hips and engage your glutes so you aren’t hyperextending your low back. Reach back and across again with the same hand before reaching back forward. Complete all reps on one side before switching. If you do this from your knees, sit back on your heels and reach back through your legs instead of toward one ankle. Then come back forward into the Plank position from your hands and knees, extending your hips forward as you reach out.

Burpee Sit Thrus – To do the Burpee Sit Thru, start standing with your feet together. Then bend down and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a Bull Dog position. Unlike the Basic Burpee, you won’t jump your feet back into a plank. You will want to jump your feet back so you are in more of a crawling position with your knees bent. From this bent-knee position, kick one leg under your body and through as you lift the opposite hand to “sit through.” Then bring the leg back under your body as you lower your hand back down and sit through on the other side. You will again kick the leg under your body and through as you lift your opposite hand. You want to rotate all the way through so you could actually sit if you lost your balance. Once you’ve performed a sit thru to both sides, jump your feet back into your hands and come to standing. Jump up off the ground at the top and then repeat the movement. Beginners may find they want to jump back into more of a plank position to make the sit thru easier. Advanced exercisers with more mobility will want to perform the sit thru from more of a bull dog hold starting position. AKA straighter legs makes the movement easier. Move quickly, rotating open and sitting all the way through on each sit thru. For a video of this move, check out this post on Burpees.

Plank Inchworms – To do the Inchworm Plank, set up in a Plank on your forearms and toes with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels. Your feet should be only an inch or two apart. Begin to walk your feet in toward your head, keeping your legs straight as you take very small steps forward. Your butt should go up in the air as you walk your feet in and you should feel a stretch down your triceps and lats as you pike up. Try not to round your back as you walk your feet in. Walk in as far as you mobility allows. Beginners will then walk back out, taking small steps while keeping their legs straight. Walking their feet back out, they will return to a Forearm Front Plank with their shoulders over their elbows. More advanced exercisers will jump both feet back out instead of walking back out. If you jump back out, do not let your hips sag toward the ground as you return to the forearm plank. Also make sure that when you jump back out, you return to a perfect Forearm Front Plank Keep your core engaged as you walk in and out.

Sled Fighting – To do Sled Fighting, pick out a square or rectangle of space. Move the sled forward a few steps. Then turn the sled. The move it diagonally. Then rotate it around and move the other direction. Pivot the sled, push and pull, moving it only a few steps in each direction. Keep your movements quick and short around the space. Be careful though pulling it straight back. You will want to move in angles or straight ahead. For a video of Sled Fighting, check out this post on Sled Exercises.

Plank Scorpions – To do Plank Scorpions, set up in a plank position from your forearms. You can do this from either your knees or your toes. Whichever you do, make sure your body is in a nice straight line from your head to your heels or knees. Engage your core and line up your elbows under your shoulders. Bend one leg to 90 degrees with your foot up toward the ceiling. Then kick your foot back over yourself toward the ground on your other side. Rotate your foot over with your core while keeping your hips up and your elbows on the ground. Do not let your butt go way up in the air as you rotate either. Then come back to a front plank and place that foot back down onto the ground. Bend the other knee to 90 degrees with your foot up toward the ceiling. With the knee bent, twist the other foot back over behind you. Alternate kicks behind you until all reps are complete. Feel your abs working to help you twist and kick the foot behind you. You do not actually need to touch your foot down behind. Just focus on rotating without your hips sagging or your butt going up in the air.

Split Squat Jumps – To do Split Squat Jumps, step one foot backward into a lunge. Sink into a deep lunge, bending both knees as if kneeling down to the ground. Then jump up and as you jump, switch into a lunge on the other side. Sink down into the lunge on the other side once you land and then explode back up and while jumping switch back into a lunge on the first side. Beginners may need to do quick step back lunges instead of jumping to switch. The lower you go in the lunge and the quicker you jump and switch, the harder the move will be.

Plank Jacks – To do Plank Jacks, start at the top of a push up with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Brace your abs then jump your feet out wide to each side as if doing a Jumping Jack. Quickly jump them back in together. Repeat, jumping them back out. Keep your core engaged as you jump your feet in and out. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag as you jump your feet out wide and then back together. Beginners may need to start by stepping one foot at a time out wide and then back together.

Towel Taz – Check out this post on the Towel Taz for a few different variations you can do.
Advanced Bird Dogs – To do the Advanced Bird Dog, set up in the high plank position from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart. If you bring your feet closer together, you will make the move more challenging. Lift your opposite leg and arm up as if you are reaching forward and backward toward each wall. Keep your core engaged and squeeze your glutes as you lift the leg and arm. Do not let your body rotate open or your hips sag toward the ground. Do not let your butt go up toward the ceiling. Keep a nice straight line as you lift. Hold for a second or two at the top and then lower back down and repeat on the same side or alternate sides. You can also perform a longer hold to make the move more challenging. To regress the move, you can do the Basic Bird Dog from your knees or you can simply lift only your arm or your leg instead of raising the arm and the leg at the same time.

Sidewinders with Forward/Backward Walk – To do Sidewinders with a Forward/Backward Walk, hold a handle of the rope in each hand. Make sure to step in toward the anchor point. You want slack in the rope. The more slack you have, the harder the move will be. Then with your arms relaxed and hands about shoulder-width apart, rotate your core, pulling your arms to the right. Then rotate to the left and pull your arms and the rope to the left. Use your core to pull the ropes from side to side. You should use your entire core, even using your glutes to power the movement. You won’t fully pivot your feet but you will rotate all the way from your shoulders down to your ankles. Pull powerfully and quickly from side to side creating waves as far down as possible until all reps are complete. As you perform the Sidewinder movement, pulling the rope from side to side, begin to walk forward and backward taking big steps forward and out to the side and then backward. For a video of the move check out these Battling Ropes Moves.

Plank with Oblique Knee Tucks – To do the Plank with Oblique Knee Tucks, set up in a Front Plank from your forearms and toes (advanced) or knees (beginner). Stack your elbows under your shoulders and maintain a nice straight line from your head to your knees or toes. From the Front Plank, rotate into a right Side Plank. Keep your bottom hip up and your shoulder stacked above your elbow. As you move into the Side Plank, reach your left hand up and forward over your head. Lift your top leg up and then bring your elbow and knee together. Stay balanced and keep your bottom hip up. Reach both back out again and then rotate back forward into a Front Plank. Switch to a Side Plank on the other side. Again reach the leg and hand out and then bring them together. Keep alternating sides until all reps are complete. Make sure you keep your hips up, but also don’t let your butt go up in the air as you move through the series.

The 15-Minute Bodyweight Core Blast

by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 6, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Lats/Back
Chest
Shoulders/Traps

WORKOUT

Set timer for 1 minute. Perform each exercise for 1 minute then move quickly to the next exercise. Complete 3 rounds (4 if you have an extra minute or two). Rest only as needed between rounds of the circuit.

CIRCUIT:
1 minute Crawling
1 minute Superman Banana
1 minute Downward Dog Abs
1 minute Rocking Chair Abs

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Lats/Back
Chest
Shoulders/Traps

NOTES:

Choose the hardest variation of each move that you can, but make sure you don’t need to rest during the minute of work. You will get the most out of this workout if you can keep moving quickly the entire time. Focus on feeling your entire core working during the movements.

If you feel your low back, regress the movement and maybe even swap it out and work on the Pelvic Tilt instead.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Crawling – Check out these Crawling Variations and options.

Superman Banana – To do the Superman Banana, lie face down on the ground and reach your hands overhead with your legs out straight behind you. Then, squeezing your glutes, lift your chest and legs up off the ground. Try to get your chest up as high as you can and your quads up off the ground if possible. You should feel this in your back and glutes. This is the Basic Superman. Keeping your arms and lower legs up off the ground, roll over onto your back. Try not to push off with your hands or feet as you roll. You may need to use your arms just a little especially if you are a beginner, but the goal is to roll without pushing off. Once on your back, keep your belly button drawn in toward your spine and your legs and arms up off the ground. Your neck and head should be in a neutral position. This is “Banana.” Beginners may find they need to lift their legs up higher toward the ceiling or bend their knees to keep their low back against the ground and their abs engaged.

Downward Dog Abs – With this move, stay on one side for a few and then switch to the other side, but make sure to work both sides during the minute. To do Downward Dog Abs, set up in Downward Dog. Start in the high plank position. Then push your butt back and up toward the ceiling as you press your chest back toward your legs between your straight arms. Focus on getting your back flat and a nice straight line from the heels of your hands up to your tailbone. You want your arms to be in line with your torso (aka your biceps by the ears). Push your butt back and up as you hold the downward dog position and try to drive your heels down toward the ground. Do not walk your hands in too close to your feet as you hold just to try to get your heels down. Then raise your right leg up in the air, kicking your heel up toward the ceiling. Drive your right knee in toward your chest. As you drive your knee forward, shift your weight forward into a front plank. Try to get your body in a nice straight line and your shoulders over your arms. Then kick your right heel back up toward the ceiling and move back into Downward Dog. You can then switch sides or you can perform another knee drive with the right, bringing your knee in toward your opposite elbow or the outside of the same elbow. Once you’ve done a few knee drives on one side, switch sides. Changing the angle of the knee drive, hits your core from different angles!

Rocking Chair Abs – To do Rocking Chair Abs, start half-kneeling with your back knee slightly turned out and your hips extended and glutes squeezed. Your chest should be up nice and tall. Then sit your butt back and round your back as you tuck and roll onto your back. As your roll back, switch the leg crossed underneath so that when you roll back up you can come to a half-kneeling position on the other side. Use your arms for momentum only if needed. Less arm swing makes the move tougher. Less momentum in the roll makes the move harder. Do not touch your hands down to help you come back up to half-kneeling. Keep alternating sides, squeezing your glutes at the top. Press your chest out and half-kneel nice and tall at the top. Beginners may need to use their hand just a little or even regress this and instead do either Donkey Kicks, Fire Hydrants or even Glute Bridges.

The Bodyweight Core Workout For Less Low Back Pain

by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 13, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

ACTIVATION
After stretch and rolling, complete 2-3 rounds of the circuit below to get your core activated and working before you start lifting.

CIRCUIT:
10 reps per side Straight Leg Fire Hydrants
10 reps per side Donkey Kicks
10 reps per side Bird Dogs

WORKOUT
Complete 5-8 rounds of the circuit below. Do the 30 second hold then move right into reps. Once you complete the reps move right into the next hold. If the move is unilateral (like the Warrior III) do the hold on one side then the reps on one side before moving on to the hold on the other side and then the reps. Do both sides before moving on to the next move. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds of the circuit, but do not rest between exercises or the hold and reps.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Warrior III Hold
10 reps per side BW Single Leg Deadlift
30 seconds Scapular Wall Hold
15 reps Scapular Push Ups
30 seconds Glute Bridge Hold
15 reps Glute Bridges
30 seconds Forearm Front Plank Hold
10 reps per side Plank with Reach Out and Back

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:
You can also do the Glute Bridge as a Single Leg Glute Bridge. If you do the Single Leg, hold on one side then do the reps before holding on the other side. Focus on the correct muscles working as you hold and then do the reps.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Straight Leg Fire Hydrants – To do the Straight-Leg Fire Hydrant, set up like you would for the Bent-Knee Fire Hydrant. Start quadruped on the ground with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Straighten your left leg out to the side in line with your hip. Then, keeping your arms straight, lift your straight left leg up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glute as you lift. Also, make sure to keep your arms straight. Do not bend your arms and lean away just to get your leg higher up. Hold for a second or two at the top then lower back down. Tap your foot down and repeat. Keep your leg straight as you lift and do not let it start to float back behind you. You want to make sure you are lifting basically straight up to the side. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Donkey Kicks – To do the Donkey Kick, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Keeping your arms straight and your core engaged, drive your right foot up and back toward the ceiling, keeping your right knee bent to 90 degrees and your foot flexed. Keep your core braced and squeeze your glutes as you kick your heel up and back. Do not let your right knee flare out as you lift or your low back arch. Try to get your quad to about parallel to the ground. Only kick up higher if you are extending from the hip. You do not want to hyperextend your low back just to kick up higher otherwise you will start working your back instead of your glutes. Hold for a second or two at the top and lower back down. To make the move more challenging, hold for a bit longer at the top. You can also add weight to this move to make it more challenging by putting on an ankle weight or even using a resistance band. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure you don’t rock forward and bend your arms just to kick up higher as you perform the move.

Bird Dogs – To do the Basic Bird Dog, start on your hands and knees on the ground with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. From here you are going to kick your right leg back as if doing the Straight Leg Kickback as you raise your left arm out toward the wall in front of you. Kick your leg straight out behind you as if kicking it into the wall while you reach the other arm out straight toward the wall in front of your head. Don’t worry about lifting your leg or arm up high. Really try to drive your arm and leg toward opposite walls as you keep your core engaged and squeeze your glutes. You do not want to hyperextend or arch your low back just to reach your arm or leg up higher. Also make sure to keep your chest and hips square to the ground as you reach out. Hold for a second or two at the top then, as you lower your arm and leg back down, bend them and bring them together under your body. Try to touch your elbow to your knee before extending back out. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side. All reps should be done in a slow and controlled manner. You should even hold for a second or two at the top of the move. A longer hold at the top will make this move even more challenging.

Warrior III Hold – To do the Warrior III pose, start standing tall with your feet together. Then shift your weight so you are balancing on one foot with the knee slightly bent. Hinge over at the hips, leaning your torso forward as you push your butt back and lift your back leg straight toward the wall behind you. Pretend you are driving the foot of the lifted leg straight back into the wall behind you as you reach your head toward the wall in front of you. You want a nice straight line from your head to your raised heel, making sure to keep your back flat and your core tight as you hold this hinged over position. You can then reach your hands overhead in front of you, out to your sides or back toward your heels. Hold in this position and feel your foot working to grip the ground. Try to straighten your standing leg as much as possible to work on improving your mobility while your glutes and core work to keep you balanced. Make sure you do not lock the standing leg out though as you hold. Also make sure your hips don’t rotate open. Squeeze the glute of the lifted leg to keep your hips level. Do not let your back round or your other foot touch down as you hold. Beginners may need to reach back toward their foot instead of out in front of them or they may even not be able to hinge over as far and raise their back leg as high. Using a wall can also help beginners. Stand with a wall behind you and when you hinge over have the lifted foot lightly touch the wall behind you to help you balance.

BW Single Leg Deadlift – Stand up nice and tall, balancing on your right leg with your knee slightly bent and your left toe lightly touching the ground. Your arms should be hanging down by your sides. Then lift your left leg back toward the wall behind you as you hinge over, keeping your back flat. As you hinge over, extend your arms down toward the ground. Make sure to sit your butt back as you hinge over and not simply lean forward. Your weight should shift slightly toward the heel of your standing leg although you do not want to complete rock backward or you will lose your balance. Do not reach your arms toward the ground and let your back round. It doesn’t matter if you touch the ground, just extend your arms down toward it as far as you can without rounding or “squatting.” Your standing knee should be soft but isn’t going to bend extra as you hinge over. Hinge over as far as you can with good form and then drive through that standing heel to come back up to standing. Feel your glutes work to bring you up nice and tall. Squeeze your glutes at the top and repeat, hinging back over on the same leg. Only tap your other foot down at the top if you need to. Also, do not use the other foot to help you come back up to standing. Slow down the tempo of the movement to make it harder. You can also add weight to the movement to make it harder.

Scapular Wall Hold – For the Scapular Wall Hold, and variations, check out this Scapular Wall Hold post.

Scapular Push Ups – Set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from head to your heels. Then press your chest out and pinch your shoulder blades together. Your hips should not drop toward the ground and your elbows won’t bend. The Scapular Push Up is a very small range of motion. All you are doing is pinching your shoulder blades together and then relaxing. Make sure you keep your head in line with your spine and don’t tuck your chin as you complete your reps.

Glute Bridge Hold/Reps – To do the Basic Glute Bridge Hold, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground just close enough that you can graze your heels with your fingertips when you stretch your arms down by your side. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. You can change up how far your heels are from your butt. If they are further out, you may engage more hamstring. While keeping your heels in closer to your butt will isolate more glute. Then bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that only your upper arms are on the ground. Drive up through your heels and upper back and arm to lift your glutes up off the ground. Drive your hips up as high as possible, squeezing the glutes hard. Keep your belly button drawn in so you don’t hyperextend your back. Do not push backward off your heels. Make sure you are driving straight up almost as if driving your knees forward over your toes. Also, make sure that your knees aren’t caving in or falling open. Squeeze your glutes and hold at the top. Concentrate on feeling your glutes work. Don’t just go through the motions. Actually think about the muscles that should be working! To do the reps, simply lift and lower instead of holding at the top.

Forearm Front Plank Hold – To do the Basic Forearm Front Plank, lie on your stomach and bend your elbows so that you’re propped up on your forearms. Your legs should be straight out behind you with your feet together. Flex your feet and lift up onto your forearms and toes. Your elbows should be stacked under your shoulders and your feet should be together. On your forearms and toes, create a nice straight line with your body from your head to your heels. Make sure that in this position you are concentrating on tucking your pelvic to engage your abs as you squeeze your glutes and quads to keep your legs straight. Make sure that you are also squeezing your legs together as you hold and driving back through your heels. Do not push forward onto your toes. Also, do not let your chest sag toward the ground or your upper back round. You want a nice flat upper back. While holding, don’t just go through the motions. Assess whether the right muscles are engaged and even consciously activate them. If you begin to shake, you know you are engaging the muscles. Hold in this position for a set amount of time or until your form starts to break down. If you feel this in your low back, assess whether or not you are performing a proper Pelvic Tilt. For instructions on how to do the Pelvic Tilt, check out this post.

Plank with Reach Out and Back – To do the Plank with Reach Back and Out, set up in a Front Plank from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. For this move, you will want your feet wider to create a more stable base. Beginners can do this move from their knees. Then from the Plank position, reach one hand back and across toward the opposite ankle, pushing your butt back and up toward the ceiling as you reach. Then reach back forward and out toward the wall in front of you, dropping your hips back into a nice plank position. Do not drop your hips too low and feel your low back engage. Keep your core tight to protect your low back as you come back into that nice plank position. Reach back and across with the same hand until all reps are complete on that side.

The Battling Ropes Core Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 7, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

LOCOMOTION

After stretch and rolling, set a timer for 5 minutes and jog, backpedal, side shuffle, carioca, skip, do butt kickers and/or high knees. Move around at about 75% of your max effort to get your heart rate up and blood pumping.

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 20 seconds. Perform the Rope exercise for 20 seconds as fast as you can then quickly move on to the two ab exercises for reps. Rest the same amount of time it took you to complete the round or alternate with a partner. Complete 3-4 rounds of each circuit. Rest up to 2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds Battling Ropes Jumping Jacks
10 reps TFW Sit Ups
10 reps each side Rope Russian Twists

CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds Stage Coach with Reverse Lunge
5 reps each side Sit Thrus
10 reps each side Oblique V-Ups

CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds Rainbows with Lunge
10 reps Cherry Bombs
15 reps per side One Arm Plank Waves

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

Beginners may need to do fewer reps of the core exercises to continue moving quickly. You do not want to rest during the three exercises. Rest only between rounds. Beginners may also need to rest double the time they worked instead of resting equal to the time they worked.

Advanced exercisers may want to raise the reps just slightly as long as they can continue to move quickly and rest only equal to the time they worked. With the equal rest to work ratio, you should be able to go just as hard each round as the round before. If you find you’re really falling off, you may need to lessen the reps you are doing or rest just a bit longer. You do not want your work output to dip too much.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

For all Battling Ropes Moves (Battling Ropes Jumping Jacks, Rope Russian Twists, Stage Coach with Reverse Lunge, Rainbows with Lunge, One Arm Plank Waves), see our Battling Ropes Exercises post and video.

All other moves are below:

TFW Sit Ups – To do the TFW Sit Up, lie on your back on the ground with your legs out straight in front of you. Bring your hands up under your chin. Then from lying on the ground, come up to a seated position, bringing your knees in as you sit up. As you come to a tucked seated position, grab your shins with your hands. Then lie back down, straightening your legs out in front of you. Sit back up and bring your knees back in, grabbing your shins. Lie back down and repeat.

Sit Thrus – To do the Sit Thru, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes. Then rotate open toward the right and bring your left leg under and through toward where your right hand is. As you bring your left leg forward and through, lift your right hand. You want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. Then bring the left leg back through so you are back in the starting position. Next rotate to the left and kick your right leg through and forward as you lift your left hand. Move as quickly as you can back and forth. Beginners may need to move slowly or even start in a more spread out position with their legs out straight instead of their knees under their hips.

Oblique V-Ups – Lie on your side with your bottom arm out in front of you just below shoulder height. Angle your straight legs a bit out in front of you, stacked one on top of the other. Keep your legs together. V up on your side reaching your top hand toward your toes. Lift your legs up as high as you can as you sort of prop yourself up on your bottom arm. Relax back down and repeat.

Cherry Bombs – Sit on your butt and draw your knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your shins and lift your feet off the ground. Then open your arms and straighten your legs out wide and let your upper body go back toward the ground. You should almost look like a big X on the ground with arms and legs out and open. Then come back to seated and draw your knees back in. Your feet should stay off the ground the entire time; however, do try to straighten your legs out as close to the ground as you can when you open up.