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10 DUMBBELL CORE Exercises You’re Not Doing

10 DUMBBELL CORE Exercises You’re Not Doing

by | Jul 31, 2022 | Blog, Core, Exercises

Looking to spice up your core training routine? Then these dumbbell core moves will help! Whether you want to target your abs, obliques or glutes, there is a move here to help. And these exercises will help you improve both your rotational and anti-rotational core strength. Plus they can be done from a variety of different postures, whether you want to do something standing or get down on the ground.

Pick a few of these moves to start implementing into your programming based on your needs and goals!

1: Turkish Hinge:

This core move is based off of one step in the full Turkish Get Up and is a great way to improve your hip and shoulder stability. It is an amazing way to target those obliques and especially that glute medius.

When you do this exercise, you want to focus on that lateral hinge, really pushing your butt to the side. This allows you to load and use that glute to hinge and come back up to half kneeling. It also helps you keep your weight centered so you could technically hinge over without having to put any weight on that hand on the ground until you’re ready.

If you simply just lean over, you’ll lose your balance and really struggle with stabilizing that raised shoulder. So focus on loading that glute as you hinge over then using that glute and your oblique to pull you back up!

Make sure as you set your hand down to the side as well that you aren’t reaching out wide but setting it closer to your body.

If you can’t kneel on the ground, you can do a similar move called the Windmill standing. Just make sure to start with a light weight for both to focus on stabilizing that raised weight!

2: Plank Pull Throughs:

This anti-rotational core move is a must-do plank variation. It is a great way to really work everything from your shoulders to your knees down not only your frontside but also your backside!

As you do this move, you want to focus on keeping your core still and your hips level. You want to pull the weight fully across without rotating. Don’t rotate just to pull it further. And make sure to brace those abs and glutes to fight that rotation! It’s key you also make sure your hands are under your shoulders as you set up. This will help you avoid overloading your neck and shoulders to better engage your back to support your shoulders and fight that rotation as well.

Move slowly. While it is tempting to rush if you feel unbalanced, DON’T!

To modify this move, you can start with a reach over pulling a weight. You can also place your hands on an incline and pull the weight on the bench or stair.

–> VIDEO OF ALL 10 MOVES BELOW <–

3: Glute Bridge with Cross Body Chops:

Our lats and glutes must work together efficiently if we want a proper transfer of force and power through our core. This keeps not only our shoulders and hips healthy but also promotes better pelvic stability.

That’s why this move is an amazing one to include in your routine!

Holding the dumbbell in both hands you want to reach overhead to one side then chop the dumbbell across your body down outside your other hip. And you want to maintain that solid bridge hold as you perform the chop. Make sure as you hold the bridge, your glutes are powering the hold. Use that posterior pelvic tilt to avoid overloading your lower back. And focus on driving your knees toward your toes so you aren’t just pushing yourself backward as you hold, which can lead to your hamstrings taking over for your glutes.

As you do the chop, across to your hip, really feel your lat pulling the weight down from overhead. Move slowly with this move!

To progress this exercise, you could even do an 80/20 or single leg variation!

4: Rotational Lunge:

Don’t want to get down on the ground to work your core? Want an amazing rotational move you can do to target those abs, obliques and glutes? Then try the Rotational Lunge

This move is a great way to work on that rotational core strength and learn to not only accelerate and power rotation, but decelerate and control that rotation.

When you do this move, you want to treat the lunge as more of a hip hinge than focusing on sinking that back knee toward the ground. You really want to load that front glute so you can drive off that foot to power the rotation and come back up to standing before lunging back on the other side.

Even focus on that exhale as you drive out of the lunge to help you brace those abs and protect your back. Make sure to focus on loading that glute so you don’t twist too far and load your lower back. Make sure too that you’re not caving or rounding over to try to reach back further, but really only hinging at the hips.

To modify, you can adjust the amount of knee flexion you include, especially if you have knee issues. Do not step or lunge back as far to start!

Speed up the movement too as you feel ready over moving at a slower pace to start.

5: Seated Ab Presses:

This move is deceptively hard and a great way to work your abs and shoulders. You will also feel your hips working as well as you hinge but do not solely rely on your hip flexors. Focus on that c-sit curve as you lean back, rounding through your spine.

This rounding helps you brace and use those abs over just making this a hinge at the hips, which can lead to you only feeling your hip flexors.

Press the weight out as you hinge back to work your shoulders and even counterbalance the movement.

To modify this move, or if you can’t get down on the ground, you can do this move off a bench.

You can also vary this movement by performing a unilateral press over holding the weight in both hands!

6: Two-Way Raises:

This is another great anti-rotational plank variation to really improve your shoulder health and core stability. Because this is really targeting that shoulder, start with light weights.

While holding the plank position, you will raise one weight straight out overhead. Lower down, then fly the arm out to the side. Keep your elbow soft but your arm straight. And really fight the urge to rotate as you perform the two raises on one side.

You can then make the move harder by alternating sides where you have to fight rotation as you stabilize to raise the other arm out both ways. Or you can modify slightly to start by sticking with all reps on one side.

You can modify the plank position further if you find your hips sagging or butt going up in the air by performing this move off a bench or incline. You can also start with a raise without the weight.

Just make sure you don’t rush or shrug your shoulders as you do this move. Make sure to really engage your back to support the shoulder of the hand that is down to keep that shoulder unshrugged.

And if you feel unstable or uncomfortable on the weights while holding the plank, place your hand down on the ground instead while performing all reps on one side.

7: Pull Over Crunches:

This is a killer crunch variation that will work your abs, quads, lats, triceps, chest and serratus anterior. But it is also deceptively hard because of the weighted extension overhead. Make sure your lower back down not arch and ultimately become overloaded. Focus on that posterior pelvic tilt to brace your abs as you do this move.

When you perform the reach overhead, your elbows will be slightly bent but do not turn this into just flexion and extension at your elbows. You want the movement to come from your shoulders, reaching overhead to then pull the weight down over your body and in front of your knees.

Focus on feeling your lats and the muscles around your ribs really working over the course of the reach overhead and pull down.

As you extend your legs out, you can kick out higher to modify. Just make sure you engage your abs and even your glutes as you fully kick out.

To modify this move further, you can perform a bent knee tuck instead of a straight leg kick out. Or you can even keep your feet on the ground to start.

8: Extended ROM Lying Lateral Raise:

Changing the range of motion on an exercise is a great way to progress a movement.

In this case, the extended range of motion allows you to put the glute medius under more stretch during the exercise while also adding load with the dumbbell to advance it.

With this move, you want to make sure you’re really focusing on that glute medius and not letting the TFL compensate. If you struggle with feeling that TFL, which is also a hip flexor, taking over for your glutes, turn your toe down toward the ground as you perform the lateral raise. You can also slightly kick back as well. And then don’t rotate open to try to increase the range of motion and lift up higher.

Also, make sure to fully lower your leg down to get that extra stretch on the muscle at the bottom.

If you don’t have a bench, you can do this movement from the side plank position as well to still get that bigger range of motion and even the oblique work bonus.

9: Standing Dumbbell Chop:

This standing unilateral, or one sided, exercise is a great way to work on your rotational core strength and glute power. If you’re a tennis player, baseball player, golfer or any athlete wanting a powerful rotational swing, you want to include this move in your strength work!

It’s key with this move, you work on that powerful drive from your glute to power the swing up and across. And you want to make sure to brace your abs to prevent rotating too far as you swing the weight up and over your shoulder.

To load your glutes to power the rotation, you will sit back slightly and to the side the weight is on. It’s a very small hip hinge. As you drive forward to propel the weight up and across, pivot that foot. Don’t simply just come up on your toes, really rotate as if squashing a bug under the ball of your foot to better power the swing and use your glute.

Focus on that exhale as you rotate to brace your abs and avoid twisting too far!

Your elbows will bend more as you twist the weight over your shoulder.

10: Side Plank Row:

Target your obliques, abs, glutes, back and biceps with this great side plank variation.

By adding in the row, you not only work your back and bicep but also really force your core to work hard to stabilize as you hold that plank position.

Make sure that as you lower the weight toward the ground in front of you that you keep your back engaged to support the standing hand. You will rotate slightly toward the ground to protract that shoulder blade, bringing it away from your spine, before you row the weight up and retract your shoulder blade, or bring it back toward your spine.

You want to focus on the row not just coming from your arm, but instead focus on that scapular movement to really use your back.

Do not let your hips drop toward the ground as you row in that side plank position.

To modify, you can do this move with your hand up on a bench to start, even off of your forearm if you do have wrist issues!

SUMMARY:

Use these moves based on your needs and goals. You can combine a few into a quick finisher to a workout or even just select one to include in your circuits or trisets based on what you’re trying to target!

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Can’t Get Down On The Ground? Try These Core Exercises!

Can’t Get Down On The Ground? Try These Core Exercises!

by | Jun 5, 2022 | Blog, Core, Exercises

Whether we want to simply mix things up, or it’s due to injury or health concerns, there are reasons why floor core work may not be right for us. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to, or can’t, train hard and really challenge our core from all angles.

And actually there are a ton of core exercises that don’t require us to get down on the ground that are extremely beneficial even if we can do floor core work!

We can use non-floor core moves to work everything from our shoulders to our knees down our frontside and our backside.

We can literally work our entire core with a variety of tools and both rotational and anti-rotational moves.

And these 3 moves are a great way to work everything without getting down on the ground no matter your fitness level.

But first I do just want to mention the importance of that mind-body connection and being intentional with these moves.

If you just rush through these movements without focusing on what you feel working, you will not get the full benefit.

Focus on the push and pull of muscles. Focus on powering rotation and decelerating the movement. Focus on fighting rotation.

Really focus on what you feel working.

And if you feel your lower back taking over during any of these moves, do not be afraid to regress to progress.

Too often we just DO moves, we train harder, without focusing on what is actually working.

This is what perpetuates overload and injury. It’s what can make us super frustrated we aren’t seeing results while working really hard.

It’s because it’s not just enough to work hard and sweat and feel tired.

We do not want to waste effort!

So really focus on what you feel working and don’t get ego in advancing too quickly.

If you don’t feel your abs or obliques or glutes working, but instead your lower back, it’s time to step back or even change how you cue the move to yourself!

So what are the 3 amazing non-floor core moves to really target those abs, obliques, glutes, quads and even back?

 

3 Killer Core Moves You Don’t Need To Get Down On The Ground To Do….

#1: Rotational Swing

Standing core moves are a great option if you can’t get down on the ground. And you can do some amazing rotational exercises while standing to target those abs, obliques and even your glutes.

Rotational moves, like the rotational swing, are key to include because you aren’t just learning how to accelerate rotation but also DECELERATE and stop it.

It’s key we learn how to control rotation so that we avoid injury in everyday life and can prevent unwanted twisting through our spine.

The Rotational Swing is a great variation of that traditional hip hinge that targets the abs and obliques even more while still working the glutes and training that hip hinge movement pattern.

To do the Rotational Swing, you can use a Dumbbell or Kettlebell. Hold the weight in both hands while standing tall with your feet about hip-width apart.

Hinge at your hips to hike the weight back between your legs to start the swing.

Squeeze your glutes as you push the ground away and stand up tall, swinging the weight out in front of you.

Do not pull the weight forward with your arms. Use the glute drive to power the swing.

Then as the weight begins to lower back down, hinge at your hips, slightly pulling the weight outside one hip.

Rotate your torso slightly to allow the weight to swing outside one hip. Sit your butt back as you hinge over to swing the weight back. Make sure you do NOT round over as you hinge back.

After hinging over, swing the weight back and around front and then hinge over again as the weight swings back outside your other hip.

Make sure to squeeze your glutes and push the ground away each time you stand up to propel the weight up and over to the other side.

As you allow the weight to come back outside your hip, make sure to hinge over really sitting your butt back to load your glutes. Brace your abs to avoid twisting further than you need to just come outside your hip and do not let your spine round.

Move quickly with this swing starting light to make sure you can control the weight!

You may start with even a band version of this swing to help you learn to load those glutes and rotate to twist the weight outside your hips. This will apply resistance in a different way but require less control to decelerate the rotation.

#2: Bench V-Ups

Often when we can’t get down to the ground we feel stuck with only standing core moves. And while they are fabulous, we can still do lying and seated core work by using a bench!

So often we forget that we can use other tools to make it easy to lie down and even do seated exercises!

Not to mention using a bench can be a great way to progress and vary the range of motion we can work through to match our needs and goals.

Even if you can get down on the ground, the Bench V-Up is a killer core exercise that allows you to extend that range of motion you would use doing it off the ground.

This exercise is a great ab, hip and quad movement. Just make sure you slightly round your spine using the c-sit or creating a c curve so you aren’t just relying on your hip flexors.

While any ab exercise that uses hip flexion will engage those hip flexors, we want to make sure our abs are working to brace!

To do this move, sit on the front edge of your bench with your legs out straight in front of you and lean back to rest your hands on the bench behind you. You can place your hands over the back edge of the bench with your elbows bent to just slightly support and balance you.

As you lean back, slightly tuck your hips up toward your ribs and lift your heels just off the ground.

Then sit up forward as you lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling. You can use your hands to balance but try not to push off of them too much.

Think about pulling everything together with your abs, crunching your torso up as you lift your legs.

Then lean back and lower your legs so that your heels over just off the ground. Move at a controlled pace and focus on feeling those abs.

If you feel your lower back, you need to modify the movement.

The more you lean back and really use that extended range of motion, the harder this move will be.

To modify, you can do a single leg raise, even bending your knee or start by taking the lower body out of it completely to work on just that hinge back and the ab engagement to control that spinal flexion and c-sit movement!

#3: Anti-Rotational Overhead Press

One essential standing core move, that’s extremely popular, is the Pallof Press or stability press.

This is a great anti-rotational core move.

Anti-Rotational core work is so key so we have that stability and strength to avoid unwanted or unnecessary rotation during movement.

It helps us protect our spine and hips especially. But it can also help us improve our SHOULDER health.

And that’s why I love this overhead press variation of the stability press.

This move is a great way to target those obliques and abs while also working your glute medius, back and shoulders.

To do the Anti-Rotational Overhead Press, anchor a band to the side of you below your waist.

Walk away from the anchor point, holding the band in both hands up at the middle of your chest with your side to the anchor point. You want to feel the band trying to pull you to rotate toward the anchor point with your hands at your chest and feet about hip-width apart.

The wider your feet, the more support you’ll have so by narrowing your stance, you can make the move harder. But only do so if you can actually control the move and fight the rotation.

Engage your abs and obliques as well as upper back to unshrug your shoulders and press your chest out. Flex your quads and squeeze your glutes so you fight the urge to rotate.

Keeping everything engaged, slowly press up overhead without rotating. Then lower back down and repeat.

Move slowly to avoid rotating toward the anchor point as you extend your arms up overhead and bring them back down.

If you want to rotate toward that anchor point, go with a lighter band or move in slightly. You want tension in the band throughout the movement BUT can adjust how much it forces you to work by how far out you step.

You can also make the move harder by bringing your feet closer together for less of a base of support.

If you struggle with the proper thoracic extension to press overhead, you can also perform a chest press straight out instead!

SUMMARY:

Using these 3 moves you can really work your entire core using different planes of motion without getting down on the ground.

You can even combine these moves into a quick burner, performing 30 seconds of work per move or per side for a couple of rounds!

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4 Common Exercises You’re Doing Wrong

4 Common Exercises You’re Doing Wrong

by | Jan 23, 2022 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief

Just because a move is “good,” or a key movement pattern to perform, or something really frequently included as a staple in many routines, doesn’t mean you deserve to do it.

Every movement variation has to be earned.

And doing a harder variation we can’t truly control or utilize to the fullest will actually hold us back. It won’t allow us to get as much out of the exercise and our workouts as doing an “easier” exercise actually could.

Often, if you do a move actually modified to your current needs and goals, you may feel the muscles being worked harder because everything is engaged correctly.

That’s why I wanted to talk about 4 exercises that are often in programming that people aren’t maximizing – 4 moves we don’t fully give them credit for being the challenging exercises they actually are.

And not only do I want to go over the reason to use these moves but the common mistakes I see people making and also the modifications we should be using instead to EARN these harder variations!

Exercise #1: Balance Lunges or Bulgarian Split Squats

The balance lunge or Bulgarian split squat is an amazing unilaterally-focused leg exercise.

Yet so often we aren’t really getting the true benefit of our back foot being raised up on a bench or in a suspension trainer.

While yes, the automatic instability of raising that back foot up does make it more challenging no matter what, the true point of putting your back foot up is to increase the range of motion you are working through.

Yet so often we place our foot up on something only to repeat the same range of motion we would when doing a split squat off the ground!

Sometimes the range of motion is even smaller actually because we aren’t stable and haven’t yet learned how to control the full split squat movement.

And on top of that, so often because we “can do” the move, we start to even add loads and completely miss out on the full benefit of this variation.

We have to remember that loads are not the only way to progress an exercise.

And that, if you’re going to include the Balance Lunge, you need to make sure you can utilize the increased range of motion. That is what creates the progression and benefit of this movement.

From there you can add loads, change tempos and even use different ways of creating that extended range of motion to adjust instability.

But you need to utilize the full range of motion first.

If you can’t work through the full extended range of motion, you may want to start with a lower bench or box to reduce the mobility and stability demands. Slowly increase the range of motion instead of just jumping to a bench.

You may even find right now you struggle to fully come to the ground during the basic split squat.

If that is the case, start with a basic split squat, even starting the movement from the ground to fully have to learn to control the complete range of motion!

Exercise #2: Double Leg Lowers

Double leg lowers have become an extremely popular ab exercise. But so often we end up feeling our lower backs or hip flexors over really targeting our abs.

In an attempt to correct this and do this harder variation we haven’t earned, we place our hands behind our lower backs and butts.

But this is a band aid. It doesn’t teach us to actually control the ab brace we need so we can build up.

It’s why we may need to regress to progress.

Because leg lower type movements, while they WILL work your hip flexors, are a great way to target that lower portion of the rectus abdominis more or what we often refer to as the “lower abs.”

And knowing how to brace correctly to protect your spine as you flex and extend your hips is also beneficial as you work to improve your heavier lifts!

So if you find your lower back engaging or only your hip flexors working, you can modify the double leg lowers in a few different ways.

But the key is learning to engage your abs using that posterior pelvic tilt.

This is a small movement that engages your abs and glutes.

Think about tilting your pelvis toward your ribs. Hold here as you do any movement in the progression whether it’s a single knee tuck, really taking things back to back to basics, double knee tuck or even single leg lower.

Only progress to the next level if you can maintain that ab brace and not feel your lower back taking over!

And if you do find you fatigue once you’ve built up to the double leg lowers, don’t push through. Instead modify with one of these variations so you can continue to target your abs.

Because we have to remember that the muscles we feel working are the ones getting the “benefit” of the movement. And if the correct muscles aren’t working we may be perpetuating recruitment patterns that lead to overload and injury…not to mention don’t actually work the muscles we want to target!

Exercise #3: Burpee

Love them or hate them, the burpee is often a staple in workout routines.

While many of us do recognize it is hard, it requires a lot more strength and mobility than we recognize.

And because the purpose of the burpee is almost always to be “cardio,” in an attempt to go as fast as possible, the quality of the movement often suffers.

We end up doing the worm during the push up portion. Or shrugging our shoulders in the plank. Or we land with our knees completely straight after performing a half-hearted jump at the top.

And sometimes, in an attempt to modify, we step back, but then to stand up, we end up having to do these stutter steps to bring our feet into our hands because we don’t have the mobility to truly step in far enough.

The burpee is a killer bodyweight move. And if you plan to include it, you need to earn it.

While yes, you can use the step back to reduce impact if you do have the range of motion to control the movement…and while yes, you can take out the push up to modify it as well so you don’t end up doing the worm, if you want to truly build up to that full burpee, try instead using an incline.

If you’ve been working to improve your push ups and build toward that full perfect push up from our toes, you may have been using an incline. And if you aren’t, start!

The incline can be a great way to reduce the load on our upper body and core so we can perform the push up correctly.

The incline also reduces the mobility demands during the burpee. It takes a lot more mobility than we realize to jump back in to efficiently stand up. Because your hands are raised, you need less hip and ankle mobility to jump back in and stand up.

As you feel comfortable with this move and can move quickly while performing quality reps, you can then lower the incline over time!

Exercise #4: Single Leg Glute Bridge

The bodyweight glute bridge may seem easy, but it’s a move that is so often done incorrectly. And then so often, before we’ve really earned it, we switch to the single leg glute bridge.

We may try to use the single leg glute bridge to get some unilateral benefits and work each side independently, but we have to recognize that it is a big jump in progression from the basic bodyweight glute bridge.

So before we even try the single leg variation, we need to make sure our glutes are actually powering the basic glute bridge. We don’t want our hamstrings or lower back compensating instead.

We don’t want to barely be able to lift up and trying the single leg variation or arching up super high because we’re hyperextended our lower backs.

A few key cues to help you better engage your glutes during even the basic bodyweight glute bridge are…

1. Before lifting perform the posterior pelvic tilt, tucking your hips toward your ribs. Maintain this throughout the bridge and don’t let your lower back arch to lift up higher.

2. Drive your knees toward your toes as you lift so you don’t push yourself backward and end up using more hamstring.

3. Engage your upper back, bending your elbows to drive your upper arms into the ground so you can focus on that pure hip extension.

Once you can control that basic glute bridge, you can then move into an 80/20 variation. This will allow you to focus more on one side or the other while still having a bit of assistance.

We have to remember that the full unilateral or single leg glute bridge isn’t just us having to lift all the weight on one side, but it is also us having to stabilize our pelvis and balance.

While still a simple move and bodyweight, it is more of an advancement than we give it credit for.

That’s why the 80/20 variation can be a good in-between so we can actually target each side while still working through a full range of motion targeting the glutes.

As you do feel ready to progress, just make sure your hamstrings and lower back aren’t engaging and taking over. This move is powered by your glutes!

SUMMARY:

Every move we include in our workouts should be done with a purpose. And we should only advance moves as we EARN those harder variations.

Sometimes, as much as it can hurt our ego, it is key we regress to progress and build up.

We are never above those basics and, at times, taking things back a step can help us improve any weak links!

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The Side Plank – How To Do It The Right Way

The Side Plank – How To Do It The Right Way

by | Oct 24, 2021 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief

Isometrics are key exercises to include in your routine to improve your stability and mind-body connection. They are a great way for you to target underactive muscles and really get them firing correctly.

They are a great way to make sure that you’re using muscles efficiently and effectively to work together to perform a movement.

Because we have to remember that part of getting stronger is learning how to quickly and efficiently recruit muscles to work together in the right order, each carrying the load they were meant to carry!

But so often these seemingly simple moves are taken for granted.

We simply try to get through the hold, or hold longer, instead of really focusing in on engaging muscles correctly as hard as possible.

That’s why I wanted to discuss one amazing core isometric, the Side Plank, and not only why this move is so key but also how we can get more out of it to not only strengthen our entire core but also avoid knee and shoulder aches and pains.

What The Side Plank Works:

The side plank is an amazing unilateral core move that can help you improve your shoulder, spinal, pelvis, hip, knee and even ankle stability when done correctly.

Because it’s a unilateral move and works each side independently, it an help you even correct imbalances. If you do have an imbalance, you may find you do an extra round or even only rounds of side planks on one side.

It is a great anti-lateral flexion, or anti-side bending, exercise to include to help you learn to brace to protect your spine.

While the primary focus of the side plank is to strengthen your obliques, it will also work your glute medius, glute max, lats, shoulders, and QL (quadratus lumborum) to name a few of muscles involved.

It really is a full core move and can help you build stability from your shoulders to your feet.

But to get all of these benefits, you need to focus on what you actually feel working as you perform the hold and, at times, even concentrate on engaging each of the muscles involved a bit harder.

3 Form Cues To Improve Your Side Planks:

That’s why I wanted to share these 3 Key Form Cues to help you really proper engage the correct muscles as you hold.

#1: Flex your foot to create tension through your lower leg.

If you want to get the full benefit of the side plank and even help protect your knees and ankles, you can’t ignore the importance of creating tension through your lower leg as you hold.

This will not only improve your efficiency with the movement, but it will help engage the muscles from your ankles to your hips, including your glutes.

To flex or dorsiflex your foot, pull your toe up toward your shin to engage your lower leg before you even lift up into the side plank. Then really focus on pushing the side of your foot down into the ground as you hold to keep that tension.

You don’t just want to lift. You want to create that tension.

You can then either stack, or stagger your feet. Neither is technically bad and both can have their benefits.

Some argue that stacked is harder as there is a smaller base of support while others will argue the staggered is better to create tension and be able to better transition from front to side plank variations.

The key is truly creating the tension through your lower leg to improve your knee and ankle stability and even better engage those glutes!

#2: Squeeze your glutes.

Often we get so focused on this move as an oblique exercise we only lift through our torso, letting our hips ultimately sag and we miss out on the amazing benefit the side plank can have for improving our hip stability!

As you lift up into that side plank, squeeze your glutes to extend your hips and lock yourself into that nice straight line. Think about almost slightly squeezing your butt to push your hips forward.

This will help you avoid rotating toward the ground and even overloading your TFL and QL which can perpetuate SI Joint, IT Band issues and even lower back, hip and knee pain.

We want muscles to learn to engage to support each other, which often means focusing on that engagement in muscles that tend to be underactive.

By also engaging your glutes, you avoid rotating toward the ground and overloading your shoulder as you hold. Activating our glutes can actually help better engage our lats.

And not only do you want to focus on that glute max engagement, but you also want to think about the side of your butt lifting your hip up to maintain that hold. Focusing on the glute medius working will help you really use this move to improve your hip stability!

#3: Engage the side of your back to support your shoulder.

If you’ve ever found that side planks irritate your shoulder, you need to make sure you aren’t just relying on those smaller muscles to hold. You want to also engage your back and lats to support your shoulder properly and help stabilize it.

As you set up for the side plank, make sure that your elbow is underneath your shoulder and that you aren’t shrugging.

Even think about slightly pulling your shoulders down as you set up to hold.

Then as you hold at the top, to keep your back engaged, think about pushing your elbow down into the ground as you pulling your elbow slightly toward your feet. Your elbow will not move, but this focus as if you would adduct the shoulder if you could, engages your lat to help prevent shoulder issues.

Learning this engagement can not only help us avoid neck and shoulder aches and pains but also improve our scapular and shoulder stability, which in turn can improve our other pressing exercises, like our bench or push ups!

SUMMARY:

Using these 3 cues you can help yourself properly engage all of the muscles involved in the side plank to get more out of this amazing move and really improve your mind-body connection.

Focus on holding harder and run through what you feel working as you hold over just trying to hold longer or “get through” the time.

Try adding in some side plank holds for even 20-30 seconds to your activation series before your workout to activate everything from your shoulders to your knees!

Leg Lowers – You’re Doing it WRONG (3 tips to help)

Leg Lowers – You’re Doing it WRONG (3 tips to help)

by | May 30, 2021 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief

Constantly feel your lower back or hip flexors during ab moves like leg lowers?

Do you just push through figuring your lower back is weak?

STOP!

Not only is this NOT helping you get the desired ab strengthening results you’re trying to work toward but it may also result in lower back and even hip aches and pains.

Here are 3 common mistakes I see people making with leg lower ab exercises and how to avoid them!

Mistake #1: Putting Your Hands Behind Your Lower Back

Stop cheating yourself out of really earning this move.

Putting your hands behind your lower back is a bandaid, a quick fix.

While yes, it can help you avoid lower back pain in the moment, it isn’t teaching you to actually use your abs correctly to protect your back and stabilize.

It allows you to do a move you haven’t truly earned.

Instead you need to regress to progress and modify the exercise to learn how to build up and engage your abs correctly.

Because you aren’t feeling your lower back because it is weak. You’re feeling your lower back because your abs aren’t yet strong enough, or you don’t have the mind-body connection yet, to keep them braced throughout.

Instead of pushing through this variation, if you want to get the full ab strengthening benefits, modify the move doing a single leg lower or even bent knee tuck.

It is always better to modify and get the correct muscles working than to push through a harder variation and compensate.

Modifying doesn’t mean you’re making it easier. It means you’re making it the level you need to work the muscles you want to target best!

You may even find you have to go back to that basic pelvic tilt movement and learn how to engage those abs and glutes correctly to stabilize and brace before adding movement!

Mistake #2: Swinging Your Legs

Leg lowers do work your hip flexors as they are a hip flexion movement.

And your abs are working to stabilize and protect your back.

But if to rush through this movement you start to swing your legs, you’re not going to get any of the benefit this move can have for your abs.

And you’re probably going to start to feel your lower back engaging as your hip flexors fatigue especially.

So stop swinging your legs and rushing through just to get the workout done.

Instead slow down the movement.

Focus on engaging your GLUTES even as you lower your legs a few inches from the ground. And even think about pulling your legs back up using your abs so you get that brace going as you lift.

Slow the movement down and focus on that control and what muscles you actually feel working.

Get more out of every second of work by being intentional!

Mistake #3: Not Focusing On Bracing Your Abs

Too often we just replicate a movement pattern without really being conscious of the muscles we feel working until we are in pain.

We let our lower back take over during this move and just keep pushing through.

We want to get the workout over with or we figure our lower back is weak.

But what we feel working during a move is what is going to “benefit” so to speak from the exercise.

So if you want to work your abs but you only feel your lower back?

Your abs aren’t getting the benefit of this move you’d like.

That’s why it is key you regress to progress and learn how to use that posterior pelvic tilt to your advantage.

While yes our spine has a natural curve, we want to know how to engage our glutes and abs using that posterior pelvic tilt.

Before you even start any level of the leg lowers move, lie on your back on the ground and think about engaging those lower abs to tuck your hips slightly toward your ribs. Even feel your glutes engage with the tuck.

From here you can do a bent knee march, double knee tuck, single leg lift or those killer double leg lowers.

But you should only advance as long as you can keep those abs braced.

If you lose that brace, you need to regress or shorten the interval of work, cutting back on time or reps.

Trying to do more without the correct muscles working is only going to backfire.

SUMMARY:

As much as we all want to do those fun and challenging exercise variations, at times we need to regress to progress and take our ego out of things.

Learn how to engage those abs correctly and build up to earn that harder move so you can get more out of every rep of that amazing leg lower ab exercise!

For an amazing Lower Ab Workout, give this burner a try! It’s a great way to finish off your workouts!

–> Lower Ab Burner