Back ailments can be crippling. A sore back might make it difficult to get out of a chair, let alone train intensely enough to change your physique. So, the main goal of any good ab workout should be to keep from getting hurt.
Your preventative dose is at the start of your workouts. You will perform core activation work before lifting. Core activation is a set of core exercises that “wakes up” all of the muscles in your trunk by asking them to execute activities they usually complete. (Click here read Part 1) (Click here read Part 3)
The three “anti-” of your abs workout injury prevention are:
Anti-Rotation: One of your core’s primary functions is to keep you from collapsing when you travel in one direction or when an outside force acts on you. Consider how often someone inadvertently knocks into you; the next thing you know, your back is in excruciating pain. You can avoid these aches and pains if you rotate and something seems “wrong.” Anti-rotational exercises aid in the development of stability from the ground up. Pallof presses, half-kneeling iso-holds, and half-kneeling chops are some exercises we like here. Complex workouts, such as a single-arm dumbbell row, are also appropriate.
Anti-Extension: Regarding your spine, “extension” refers to a rounded back (think: cat-cow position). Anti-extension exercises strengthen your core to resist this extension, which will be helpful while performing movements like the deadlift, where “don’t round your lower back!” is a well-known cue. Front planks, ab wheel rollouts, and stability ball rollouts are all good options.
Anti-Lateral Flexion is the scientific term for resisting sideways bending. The quadratus lumborum and obliques are the primary muscles involved in this motion. Do side plank variants, single-arm farmer’s carries, and grocery shopping with one hand to train it.
Another critical consideration is gluteal engagement. Your glutes are your body’s most significant muscle. They move the hips outward, the direct muscle action in sprints, jumps, deadlifts, and squats. Do you avoid those exercises? It’s still vital because you require a hip extension to stand up straight.
Activating the glutes more is one of the best ways to ease back pain, improve performance, and build a robust and resilient body. The main problem, as previously said, is that most of us sit on our glutes all day, thus forgetting how to work. When this happens, your body can still achieve hip extension, but only by compensating with your lower back.
Try quadruped hip extensions, frog pumps, clamshells, lateral band walks, and x-band monster walks to work your glutes. Compound exercises such as squats, hip thrusts, deadlifts, and lunges with an emphasis on a full hip extension and a glute squeeze once you are at the top of a movement will help you build your glutes.
The list above should provide many possibilities for putting together a core and glute workout or warmup. But we’ve gone further and created a few examples you can utilize before an upper-body or lower-body workout. Before your next strength training session, try these:
Abs Exercise Example (Before Upper Body Workout)
1a. TRX Fallout, 210, 30 seconds rest
1b. 245 seconds per side, 30 seconds rest
1c. Hip Thrust, 210, 30 seconds rest
Abs Exercise Example Before Lower Body Workout
1a. Half Kneeling Pallof Press, 210/side, 30 seconds rest
1b. Lateral Band Walk, 210/side, 30 seconds rest
Core Performance Training
Proximal stiffness improves distal mobility and athleticism. When your core is as solid and stiff as a board, you can move your arms and legs more quickly and powerfully; this translates to a more robust push off the ground when sprinting, a harder throw when throwing a baseball, and a better capacity to leap from the floor to catch rebounds at your local gym or exercise facility.
Why? Consider the contrast between walking on concrete and a row of pillows. The hard surface allows you to push off with force. On the other hand, the soft texture makes that force go in different directions. In biomechanics, this lost force is referred to as an “energy leak,” It can occur at any location in your body that lacks appropriate strength and stiffness. A weak core is a significant energy leak. Continue reading to understand how to avoid this issue.
Training your core for optimal performance consists of three parts.
First, use the “anti-movements” we outlined earlier to engage deep muscles. These will help you fight unwanted movements, stop energy leaks, and prepare your body to perform.
Second, your workout includes total-body compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, overhead presses, lunges, and weighted carries. Upper-body pressing workouts such as push-ups and pulling exercises like rowing are also beneficial. They help you develop power, strength, and core stiffness that will not buckle under strain. While you move, keep your core braced to provide a rock-solid foundation that supports your spine and doesn’t buckle during exercise. To put it another way, a solid abdominal workout entails more than simply ab movements.
When it comes to weighted carriers, the possibilities are practically endless. Heavy dumbbells, a trap bar, or farmer’s walk handles are the best tools for building a robust and high-performance core.
You want to stand tall and act as if you’re ready to get punched in the gut. For the set, hold this stance, stand tall, and breathe into your stomach. The carry will engage your deep intrinsic core muscles with each step to stabilize your hip and spine. To avoid unwanted movement in your spine, keep the muscles in your back, lower back, and abs tense. Brace your abs throughout the set, regardless of the sort of carry you use.
Third, incorporate sport-specific core strength exercises. Suppose you’re an athlete who trains for a particular activity. In that case, you should practice motions similar to those you’ll perform in that sport. For example, if you play golf, tennis, or baseball, you should work on your rotational strength because that drives your swing.
To be strong, muscles, joints, ligaments, and the nervous system must work together as a whole unit. A medicine ball is an excellent tool for developing this ability. It enables you to train the movement patterns specific to your sport at full speed, allowing you to acquire the best training response possible. Here are four medicine ball rotational strength-building exercises:
Three sets of 5 reps per side on the rotational scoop throw
Stand perpendicular to an open area or a solid wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Holding the ball to your back hip, move your weight to the rear leg before explosively shifting to the front leg and throwing the ball as hard as possible. A rep for three sets of five repetitions on each side.
Three sets of 5 reps on either side of the medicine ball rainbow slam
Holding a medicine ball overhead with your arms outstretched, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Spin the ball and slam it outside your opposing foot. Catch the ball and reverse the motion for three sets of five reps for each side.
Medicine Ball Slams, three sets of 5 reps per side
Before practicing upper-body lifts like shoulder presses or chin-ups, try the overhead medicine ball smash. The overhead medicine ball smash develops incredible power through your shoulders and lats while preventing spine flexion. Stand tall and spread your feet hip-width apart. Take both hands and hold the medicine ball. Lift the ball aloft, then smack it down as hard as possible. Recapture the ball on the bounce.
Back tosses with a medicine ball, three sets of 5 reps per side.
The medicine ball back toss develops explosive hip extension power like jumps and cleans do, but with less joint stress. Holding a medicine ball overhead with your arms straight, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down and lower the ball between your legs to begin the rep. Next, while raising your arms to throw the ball behind you, explode upward to jump out of the squat. This explosive exercise is a great way to strengthen hip extension before squats or deadlifts, which work the lower body.
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