45-degree torso holds have become some of our favorite positional strength movements over the past few years. Rather than isolating the abdominals, these “core” movements challenge the hip flexors and test the athlete’s or lifter’s ability to respect the length-tension relationship of the abdominals. If you’re looking to build core strength, you’d be doing yourself …
As far as warm-up drills go, Bird Dogs hit a little bit of everything: core stability, hip extension and shoulder flexion primarily. For that reason, it’s one of my favorite exercises to get the body ready to move heavy weight. But Bird Dogs are hard to master and end up looking more like Flopping Fish …
People are always looking for ways to make planks harder, and today’s Technique Tuesday will show you how to do exactly that. And we’re not going the obvious route of adding weight or increasing the time of the set. Instead, we’re attacking three less-talked-about areas to increase the difficulty of the exercise. We’ll look at: …
This week’s Technique Tuesday covers cable chops and lifts, a group of anterior core exercises that we use all the time at Cressey Sports Performance. Along with hammering the abs from multiple directions, cable chops and lifts encourage good shoulder motion, which is ideal for our baseball players and powerlifter alike. In this video specifically, …
Technique Tuesday: Cable Chops and Lifts for Core and Shoulder Stability Read More »
Many people struggle with the concept of “Chest up, ribs down” during squats and deadlifts. It’s tough to extend through the upper back without hyperextending the lower back and disengaging the core muscles. It’s equally tough to keep the ribs down and abs engaged without rounding the upper back. Well, turns out bench t-spine mobilizations teach …
One of the most common questions I get asked by clients is, “Should I use a lifting belt?” Lifting belts are often misunderstood. Do they protect your lower back? Do they make your abs stronger? Or weaker? The answer is, of course, it depends. And it depends completely on if you use the belt correctly. …
Technique Tuesday: How to Use a Lifting Belt to Brace Your Core Read More »
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I’m not old (yet) and I’ve learned some new tricks recently that have dramatically improved my personal training arsenal as well as my clients’. Since working with the staff at 212 Health and Performance (they’re a self-proclaimed “kettlebell gym” but truthfully, they’re so much more …
This week’s Technique Tuesday shows you how to use your breathing to brace your torso during the deadlift. This will protect your back AND help you lift more weight. Breathing during the deadlift can be tricky. There’s more to it than just gasping for air. Check it out: Next week, we’ll talk about how to …
Technique Tuesday: Breathing During the Deadlift Read More »
Stack.com – 3 Bear Crawl Variations for Better Core Strength <<< CLICK HERE! As a lifter and a coach, you have to keep an open mind. Case in point: I have a running list of exercises that I used to hate but now kinda like. The more I learn, the more often I realize that …
Stack.com – 3 Bear Crawl Variations for Better Core Strength Read More »
The Pull-over is an old-school bodybuilding exercise that was favored by greats like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman for its back-and-chest-building benefits. It’s pretty versatile, and just a few tweaks to your arm and elbow position can completely transform how this exercise hits your muscles. But there are a few problems with traditional Pull-overs, specifically …
Bodybuilding.com – 2 Pull-Over Variations Your Back Day Needs Read More »
