Developing balanced core strength proves to be a real challenge in a society that focuses on six-pack abs. Don’t waste time doing hundreds of crunches in a quest for a six-pack, instead focus on developing a balanced core. Ryan Murdock, a bodyweight exercise expert, developed a six part series of exercises that will have you gliding your way to a ripped mid-section.
The program is based on Circular Strength Training’s 6 Degrees of Freedom as developed by Scott Sonnon. The theory involves the body’s three axis of movement and includes the following motions:
Heaving: moving up and down
Swaying: moving right and left
Surging: moving forward and backward
Pitching: bending forward and backward
Yawing: twisting right and left
Rolling: turning right and left
Now for the series, which can be performed with the infomercial discs, wrestling shoes, furniture discs (found at hardware stores), felt (I am using it with great success on my linoleum), etc…
Heaving component: the knee in
Pitching component: the V-up
Yawing component: the side knee-in
Surging component: the mountain climber
Rolling component: the side plank knee-in
Swaying component: the tadpole
Putting it all together:
I have been amazed at how comprehensive this series is in addressing my core weaknesses. I have only been using for a couple weeks and I am having awesome results. I am doing as many rounds as I can of the above exercise in 12 minutes. One round is all six exercises back-to-back, 10 repetitions each. Head over to Coach Murdock’s blog for the official plan (found here).
Try the series for a month and let me know how you like it!
The Turkish get-up builds incredible pressing power and strong shoulders by simply getting up from the floor albeit in a specific way. Basically the Turkish get-up (TGU) works the whole body by strengthening the core, major muscle groups, stabilizing muscles, ligaments and tendons. One of the most important fitness improvements gained from the get-up is referred to as “shoulder packing”.
What is Shoulder Packing
Shoulder packing is vitally important for any exercise that the arm is locked out or vertical above the head like in olympic style lifts. It refers to packing the head of the humerus in the shoulder girdle. Packing the shoulder engages the lats and strengthens the stabilizing muscles. Pressing power and shoulder health greatly increase once you get good at the shoulder pack. The beauty of the get-up is in how it utilizes shoulder packing through the whole movement which translates to proper shoulder alignment in so many other exercises.
The Turkish Get-up:
Start by lying on your back on the floor and a kettlebell in your right hand. Press the bell straight up and keep your arm locked. Pivot to the opposite side and use your non-working arm to help push up to a half sitting position. Bend your right leg and balance your weight on your left hand and right foot. Swing your left foot under your body into the bottom stance of a lunge. Press through both feet to a standing position and remember to keep your eyes on the bell at all times. Now reverse and lower back down to the starting position. Rinse and repeat on the opposite side.
For the visual learners, here is a great video from Steve Cotter explaining the TGU:
Have fun with the TGU and mix it up by trying it with barbells, dumbells, sand bags, or just about anything.
I have a hard time just sitting and watching TV. Much to my wife’s annoyance, I instead use that TV time for stretching, myofascial rolling, or core work. I posted my favorite kettlebell core exercises, but here is another group of exercises to add some variety to your core work.
I use a 16 kg kettlebell for each of the ab and core exercises in this workout (feel free to substitute a medicine ball, free weight or just body weight). Make sure to focus on the correct form before adding extra sets or reps. The three exercises are the kettlebell hot potato, kettlebell yaw press, and Janda sit-ups.
First start with 100 kettlebell swings or 1 set of Tabata Interval swings.
Hot Potato: start by holding the ball of the kettlebell (handle down) in your right hand. Keep your elbow tight against your side. Keep your abs glutes and legs active. Quickly pass the bell from hand-to-hand. Exhale with the catch.
Kettlebell Yaw Press: This is an awesome exercise from Scott Sonnon that incorporates a twising force into your routine. Start with the kettlebell in the right hand in the rack position. Press up to lock-out while twisting to the right. Perform your reps and then switch sides.
Janda Sit-up: gets its name from its inventor Czech physician Vladimir Janda, one of the world’s leading experts on muscle function analysis and back trouble.
Professor Janda devised a way to completely eliminate the hip flexors from the sit-up, thereby putting the full stress on the rectus abdominus. I am normally opposed to the idea of “muscle isolation” because it negatively affects the body’s ability to function as a unit. The Janda sit-up is an exception. This deceptively simple looking exercise is one of the most difficult and effective you can do for your abs.
The best way to do the Janda sit-up requires a partner (if you don’t have a partner than hook your heels on your kettlebell). Lie on the floor with the knees bent to ninety degrees and your feet flat. Your partner will hold on to your legs about halfway between your ankles and knees and apply steady pressure as if trying to pull your feet off the floor. Don’t let him.
Tighten your glutes and hamstrings to keep your soles flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides and slowly sit up without jerking. Squeezing the hamstrings and glutes takes the hip flexors out of the movement due to a neurological phenomenon called Reciprocal Inhibition, which causes a muscles to relax when its antagonist contracts.
In this case, the antagonist muscle groups are the hip flexors (illio-psoas) and the glutes and hamstrings. It is very important to maintain tension throughout the entire rep. Not only will this completely isolate the abdominals, but by removing the hip flexors lower back stress is virtually eliminated.
You probably won’t be able to complete even one full-range rep at first, it is that difficult. If this is the case, begin in the top position and perform a slow negative. Completely relax at the bottom and use your arms to get back into the top position for the next rep. eventually you will build up to full range reps.
To recap:
100 kettlebell swings
20 kettlebell hot potatoes
10 kettlebe yaw presses each side
10 Janda sit-up
Repeat this set one more time. Remember if you are a beginner just lower the reps or if you are advanced increase the reps/sets. Have fun and let me know how it goes!
Since the birth of my daughter nine weeks ago, I have spent hours holding her and bouncing on a swiss ball. Although it has been some of my most treasured time, it is not my favorite core exercise. I instead turn to the kettlebell. The kettlebell is an awesome tool for training strength endurance and building explosive power. Kettlebells also allow you to effectively train the core but more importantly both the posterior and anterior chains whether you are doing simple swings or Turkish get-ups.
I wanted to share my top three favorite kettlebell exercises that target your core. They are the halo chop, figure eights, and windmills. The reason I love these exercises is that they do not isolate the muscles that make up the core, but instead activate the muscles of the torso while integrating movement in the upper- and lower-body. Try training the following exercises three times a week to build a solid core foundation.
Here are descriptions of the exercises…
The halo chop:
You may be familiar with the halo which traditionally is a shoulder mobility exercise that starts with the kettlebell in the bottom up position holding the horn with the bell in front of your face. You then circle the kettlebell around the head. The halo chop adds the core and legs to the equation by starting with the kettlebell next to one hip. You circle up around the head and down to the other hip. It is a little hard to visualize so check out the video from Fit Squad.
The Figure Eight:
Works your core, obliques and legs. Start with one kettlebell between your feet and take stand a little wider than shoulder distance apart. Bend over like you are sitting in a chair and pick up the kettlebell. Now you are going to pass it to your other hand between your legs. Swing it around the outside of your leg and back to the center switching to the the other hand in a figure eight pattern. Go back and forth for several repetitions. Again a hard to visualize exercise so here is a great video by Adam Steer breaking it down.
The Windmill:
I previously posted on how the windmill helped my yoga practice (check it out here). The windmill primarily targets the obliques. Clean and press a kettlebell overhead with one arm. Keep your arm locked out at all times, push your hip out in the direction of the locked out arm. You will be reaching toward the floor with the non-working hand and turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell. Lower yourself as far as possible. Pause for a second and reverse the motion back to the starting position.
Let me know how you like these exercises and post your favorite core exercise in the comments.
