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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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The Most Underrated Core Exercise

The Most Underrated Core Exercise

by | Aug 5, 2021 | Blog, Core, Exercises

A strong core is one that can not only power rotation but also PREVENT IT.

So often our core training focuses on rotational moves. Maybe some anti-flexion or extension exercises too…

But if you actually want to be able to avoid injury, you’ve got to build a strong, stable core that can prevent unwanted or unneeded rotation.

And that’s why ANTI-ROTATIONAL core work is so key!

Being able to control or prevent rotation will help you improve how you transfer force between your upper body and lower body.

So not only does this anti-rotational core work help protect your spine, but it also can help you improve your shoulder and hip stability as well.

Plus, to be able to power rotation efficiently, you first have to learn how to prevent and control it!

So if you even want to get stronger with your rotational moves? You want to include anti-rotational core work as well!

Because Anti-Rotational Core Work is so important, I think it’s key we include moves like this amazing plank variation – The Plank With Row.

The basic plank is a great anti-extension exercise. And by adding in the row, we can make it a great anti-rotational move as well.

And while I feel so often planks are an overrated movement because of how we use them, constantly focusing on holding longer over holding harder, I think some plank variations done for shorter intervals of work with intentionality and focus on what you actually feel working, can be the missing piece in our core training routine.

Plus, because they require no tools to perform, you can use them whether you train at home or at a full gym!

With the Plank with Row, you will work to build anti-rotational core strength and avoid your body’s urges to want to twist as you change your base of support to perform the row.

It is a great move to improve your shoulder, spinal and hip stability while also activating the muscles of your back. If you’re struggling to really improve your scapular control, this is a great way to work on it as you strengthen your abs, obliques and even glutes!

Here are 3 tips to help you maximize the benefit you get from this fundamental anti-rotational move.

3 Tips To Help You Master The Plank With Row:

Tip #1: Slow things down.

Often when we do reps of a movement, we just are focused on getting them done.

Or when we feel ourselves losing balance, we try to rush through.

But with this anti-rotational core move, it’s key we SLOW THINGS DOWN.

We want to focus on that mind-body connection and what we feel working.

When we feel unstable, we want to slow things down and focus on engaging muscles harder.

As you lift to row your hand up, focus on pulling the elbow down and back by using your upper back. Feel yourself drawing that shoulder blade toward your spine.

Focus on feeling your abs and obliques work to avoid rotating open as you row up.

Feel the side of your back on your supporting hand stabilize the shoulder.

Even feel your glutes flex to keep your hips stable as you drive back through your heels.

Slow down the movement to really fight the rotation and be present in your body and intentional with the movement.

You want to slow things down to prevent unwanted movement and learn to engage things properly.

Tip #2: Push the ground away.

Creating that solid connection with the ground through your hands and the balls of your feet will actually help you better activate everything to stabilize.

Don’t just get focused on the movement, focus on feeling yourself push that ground away to better stabilize your supporting shoulder.

And focus on driving your feet down into the ground to fight your hips desire to rotate as you row up. It will help you create more tension through your legs.

Part of including anti-rotational core work is learning how to transfer force between your upper and lower body.

That means knowing how to properly create tension through your core.

This starts at your foundation or your connection to the ground!

Tip #3: Set up with a wider base.

Our body is amazing in that it will find a way to replicate the movement we ask it to perform whenever possible.

However, this can mean it will recruit muscles it shouldn’t if we aren’t careful to MIMIC the movement we want to perform.

It’s why all too often people end up feeling their lower backs during planks when their abs should be working.

Sometimes we need to regress to progress so we can make sure we’re using the correct muscles and creating those more efficient recruitment patterns.

That’s why the base of support you create when first learning this movement is key.

You can always modify any plank off a bench to reduce the resistance. But with anti-rotational core moves, you can also change your base of support.

With this Plank with Row, you can start with your feet wider apart than shoulder-width and hands together under your chest.

This tripod position can help you have that base of support to really focus on fighting the urge to rotate as you row.

As you build up strength, you may find you bring your feet in toward hip width while slightly widening your hands out.

But don’t rush to change your base until you can fully control the move.

Doing a supposedly “harder variation” you haven’t earned will only backfire.

SUMMARY:

If you want to improve your core strength and stability, do not ignore the importance of anti-rotational core work!

Moves like the Plank with Row are a great way to improve your shoulder, hip and spinal stability not to mention strengthen your back, abs, obliques and even glutes!

Do You Really Have Lower Abs?

Do You Really Have Lower Abs?

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises

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!

Hanging Pelvic Tilt

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!

body-saw

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?

Start the 30-Day Killer Core Challenge! All you need is your own bodyweight and a bar!

5 Plank Variations I ALWAYS Use

5 Plank Variations I ALWAYS Use

by | Jun 26, 2017 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness

There are so many great plank variations out there. And of course I like mixing things up and using a variety to challenge my body, and my mind, in different ways.

BUT I also have my go-to options. Plank moves I like to include way more often not only in my own workouts, but in my clients.

These moves are my favorites because they are functional moves that cover everything I think a core training program needs to get results.

  • They work the core from every angle.
  • They work the core in every plane of motion (sagittal, frontal and transverse).
  • They work everything between your shoulders and your knees aka all of the muscles of your core.
  • They work not only your abs but also your glutes.
  • They build shoulder stability.
  • They are compound moves that even get your blood pumping a bit to help you burn more calories.
  • They can be easily modified or advanced for any level.
  • They are a combination of unilateral and bilateral moves.
  • They force you to learn to engage your core as you balance, twist, turn, bend and even extend!
  • They even work on improving your mobility and strengthening through that full range of motion!

So what are these 5 Plank Variations I always use!?

  1. Plank with Reach Back and Out
  2. Side Plank Hip Dips
  3. Body Saw
  4. Plank with Rotational Reach
  5. Inchworm Plank

Learn more about each move below!

(If you’re ready to skip to the good stuff and get some workouts using these plank variations, you’ll want to check out my 28-Day Core Burner Program!)

Plank with Reach Back and Out:

plank-with-reach

This plank in particular is one of my favorites.

Why?

Because it works on shoulder stability, glute activation, hip extension and core anti-rotational strength.

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.

Side Plank Hip Dips:

side-plank-hip-dips

So why is the Side Plank with Hip Dips one of my favorites? A. It’s a frontal plane movement. B. It’s a great move to work obliques AND your glute medius (aka a butt muscle) which is an important hip stabilizer.

To do the Side Plank Hip Dips, set up in a side plank from your forearm with your elbow right under your shoulder. Do not let your elbow get way out beyond your shoulder or you will place more strain on your shoulder. By keeping the elbow “stacked” under the shoulder, you allow your back and lat to help support your weight.

You can then either stack your feet and lift up onto the side of your bottom foot or you can place the top foot in front on the ground and lift up onto the sides of both feet. Unstacking your feet will make it a bit easier to balance. Beginners may need to place their bottom knee down on the ground.

Keeping your body in a straight line and your chest open and not rotated toward the ground, drop your hips down toward the ground and then lift them back up into the Side Plank.

Repeat making sure your body doesn’t collapse forward and your chest doesn’t rotate toward the ground. Your top hand can be raised toward the ceiling or on your hip.

Body Saw:

body-saw

I love this more advanced plank. It shows that to advance the plank you don’t always have to hold for longer or add in weights.

And for a functionally strong core, you want to have core strength and stability even when stretched out. This plank variation will help you learn to brace your abs even as you extend to help you protect your low back. Plus the movement really gets the blood pumping a bit!

To do the Body Saw, set up in a Plank position from your forearms and toes with your feet close together. Your forearms should be right under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels.

Then begin to walk your feet backward, taking small steps. Keep your body in a nice straight line and don’t let your hips sag toward the ground. Lengthen through your triceps and lats as you walk back. Walk back as far as you can while keeping your core engaged.

Then walk your feet back forward until you are back in the Forearm Front Plank. Do not let your butt go up in the air as you walk your feet back in.

Repeat, walking your feet back out. Only walk out as far as you can without your low back engaging. If your low back feels this move, don’t walk out as far. Start with only a few steps.

Plank with Rotational Reach:

plank-with-reach-under

This is another great plank to build shoulder stability, but this one instead works on rotational strength. I love this plank variation because it works the entire core and you’ll even really feel it working the muscles around your rib cage!

To do the Plank with Rotational Reach, set up in the high plank position on your hands and knees (beginner) or toes (advanced). Set your feet wider apart to create a more stable base. Then reach one hand under your armpit and toward the far wall beyond your side. You aren’t just reaching under your armpit to pat yourself on the back. You want to really reach toward the wall.

As you reach, make sure your hips stay down. Then pivot open, rotating into a Side Plank as you reach your hand up toward the ceiling. You will reach the hand that reached under your armpit up toward the ceiling, keeping your hips up as you move into a Side Plank. Pivot onto the sides of your feet as you reach or try to open up as much as you can on your knees. Beginners can even move to their feet if they can to do a more intermediate variation.

Then reach the hand back down and under your armpit, rotating your hips back down toward the ground and into the Front Plank position. Repeat. Complete all reps on one side before switching and reaching the other way. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground as you reach.

Inchworm Plank:

inchworm-pike-plank

I love this plank because it is the opposite of the Body Saw and requires a lot of core strength to get your feet in closer to your head so that you can get your butt up higher. It also really works on your mobility to be able to walk in further. Plus, the walking in and jumping out will get your blood pumping and heart beating!

To do the Inchworm Plank, set up in a forearm plank from your toes with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels.

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 to pike up. Walk in as far as you mobility allows. Then jump both feet back out (beginners may walk back out instead).

Do not let your hips sag toward the ground as you return to the forearm plank. Then repeat walking back in before jumping back out.

Ready to build core strength using these Planks and even other fun core moves?

Ready to learn why just holding a plank for LONGER isn’t the answer?

Ready to get rid of that low back pain and get a stronger, killer-looking core?

–> Then learn more about my 28-Day Core Burner Program HERE! <–

Are Planks Overrated? 3 Tips To Improve Your Planks

Are Planks Overrated? 3 Tips To Improve Your Planks

by | Jul 28, 2016 | Blog, Core

Many believe the plank to be one of the best core exercises out there, but it’s has also become very overrated.

The plank has now become an overrated core exercise because most people use it incorrectly.

So maybe it isn’t the plank so much as people’s interpretation of the plank that is overrated…Either way…if you’re going to do them incorrectly, they are highly overrated!

How do people use the plank incorrectly?

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