Spice Up Your Core Training Nick Rosencutter, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CMT As you have learned by now, core training

does not have to involve fancy equipment or exercises and your core is pretty much engaged in most activities that you do. Squats, dead lifts, pull ups and big bang exercises like these all use your core to a great degree and should always be the main part of a good program. Try loading a decent amount of weight on your back without any deep abdominal muscles to support your spine and the weight, and let me know what happens. You have also most likely learned about some great exercises that are directly targeted at core! muscles such as planks, side bridges, cable lifts, etc. "oing these things and squatting and pulling big weights are all great and it is good to have a nice balance. # would like to share with you a few uncommon exercises that # en$oy implementing both in my own training and my clients% at certain times and situations, that really force you to engage core muscles like cra&y' Some of these are multi($oint squat variations and some are directly targeted towards specific abdominal, back, and hip muscles. )ithout further ado, here are some off the wall exercises that could help you spice up your program a little, help you get better and stronger, and assist you in your quest for that awesome looking body. Cable Zercher Squat The &ercher squat is an old school exercise that most people have probably never heard of before. #t is usually performed with a barbell held in the crook of your elbows. #n order to stay upright, you have to engage your abdominal and back muscles quite a bit. # decided to give the &ercher a shot with a cable. #t works like a charm and since the weight on the cable stack is trying to pull you forward towards the stack, you have to work extra hard to stabili&e during your squat. This can be a great exercise to throw in either as an assistance exercise after some heavier work, or on a deload week when you want to give your spine a break from heavy squatting or pulling. )ith the cable, you can also sit back quite a bit farther than you can with a bar and overload the glutes and hamstrings. *erform these to strengthen your entire lower body and core. To Per or!" +Take a straight bar or cambered bar and put it across your elbows, step back from the cable stack and get your squat stance set +Sit back through your hips and push your knees out while staying tall +"rive through your hips and squee&e your glutes as you come through. +-(. sets of anywhere from /(01 reps can work very well with these depending on what your goals are with the exercise.

#ront Split Squat 2efore you even think about trying this exercise, be sure to have a solid base of basic single leg work under you first. #f you cannot perform bodyweight3dumbbell split squats, reverse lunges, or step ups, then master those first. #f you are ready to get more extreme or already perform barbell single leg variations, then you need to give these a shot. )ith a back in$ury keeping me away from heavy bilateral squats and pulls for a little while, # was forced to experiment with different ways to still get stronger. # used various single leg exercises to push heavy with and front split squats have been one of the staples in my rotation. 4ront squats will rock the entire core, that is for sure. 4ront split squats will rock your core even more and you will find this out for yourself as soon as you get into a set with a decent amount of weight. *erform these if you need to address unilateral strength or get stronger and more stable throughout your entire core. To Per or!" +5et your front squat grip set under the bar with your elbows high and unrack the bar +5et your stance set with a decent amount of space between legs from front to back 6enough space to move properly through the hip7 +8ake sure your hips and trunk are square +Take a deep breath in through your stomach +Squat down through your hip while staying tall with the trunk, chest, and head +"rive through your hip to come up and be sure to keep your pelvis level throughout the movement. +These can be used for strength work in the 0(9 rep range or for moderate to higher reps depending on your current goals with your program. +They can also be done with chains added to tax your nervous system and muscles differently and increase stability requirements.

$al %neeling Cable $ol& There are many variations of cable holds, lifts, and chops. They are all good if used the right way. The half kneeling cable hold is one of my favorites to train the trunk and hip muscles together 6especially obliques, glutes and adductors7 and fix any imbalances present. Synergi&ing and opposing muscles all around the pelvis and trunk must fire appropriately in order to keep you square. These are a :#;;<= core exercise. They can get intense so try not to get cocky with the weight right away. *erform these if. you have hip3trunk imbalances or need better oblique or glute stability, strength, and endurance To Per or!" +*osition yourself sideways to a cable stack, grab a single handle and make sure you are far enough away from the stack so that you can hold the weight off without it touching the end. +*ut one foot forward 6opposite usually works best but inside can also be used7 and the other foot behind you with the knee down. +2oth legs should be at about >1 degrees and the trunk and hips should be nice and square. +Squee&e the glute on the down leg and brace your abs, especially obliques 6they will be preventing rotation7. +*ull the handle out to the center of the bottom area of your chest. +*ress the handle straight out in front of you and hold for -(9 seconds. +The goal here is to stay as stable and square as possible in the hips and trunk. ?ontrol the weight, don@t let the weight control you' +2ring it back in to the chest to rest between reps. +These work great with 0(- sets of 9(A1 reps. #f there are imbalances present, you may need to do more sets on the weaker side.

$al Squat Cable $ol& Bere is another great variation on a cable hold. These are an ama&ing exercise and if you have ever had trouble staying tight in your trunk during a squat or during speed or agility movements in a sport, these will teach you to stabili&e in an athletic squatting position real fast'' #n turn, this will allow you to transfer force that you generate with your hips much more effectively in many activities. To Per or!" +5rab the handle and stand sideways to the cable stack with the handle at the center of your chest. +Squat down about halfway and press the handle straight out in front of you. +:eep your hips and trunk square and hold this position for a 9 count. +These will build stabili&ation in all of your squatting muscles and carry over nicely to many athletic sporting positions. +0(- sets of 9(A1 reps work good for these.

Re'erse (ea&li t Bere is a great assistance exercise that develops your abs and hip flexors together while standing. #t requires you to stabili&e all the way through your feet into the ground. This has great implications for many sporting activities and lifts. *erform these if you need rectus or hip flexor strength, or if you $ust need to get stronger and more stable ab and hip function on your feet. To Per or!" +Attach a rope to a pulldown station and get it set around the top of your shoulders. +Step forward until the weight is off of the rack. +5et your stance set like you would with a squat or deadlift 6can vary this7. +2end forward through your hips while keeping your back stable. 6Cust like an =";7 +5o down until your hips reach their end range or close to it. +#t is important that you move through the hips while maintaining a stable and neutral lumbar spine. )e do not want lumbar flexion. +0(- sets of /(01 reps work great depending on your specific goals.

Static Si&e $ol& # love side bridges and they are a wonderful exercise, however, the shoulder activity can take away from the lateral trunk focus and can be an issue for certain people. )ith the static side hold you can annihilate the obliques, quadratus lumborum, glute medius and surrounding muscles, and can also load to increase the intensity very easily. *erform these if you need endurance and stability in your obliques, glute medius, quadratus lumborum or surrounding muscles. To Per or!" +*osition yourself sideways on a .9 degree bench. +5rab your weight off of the ground and rise up to hold yourself in a position where you are straight from head to toe, $ust like the top of a side bridge. +Bold the position for a 9 count with tight glutes and braced abs, and then set the weight down. +# usually use these for 0(- sets of /(A1 reps but they can be used for lower or higher reps if needed. This is an absolute killer exercise for the lateral trunk musculature' Note" This is not a side bend where you move from side to side, it is a static hold. Treat it as such.

)an& #allouts 8any have heard about and tried blast strap fallouts, which are an awesome exercise if you are advanced enough to do them. 2and fallouts are a nice variation and are actually a little more intense. )hen you get to the bottom of one of these bad boys, you will feel pretty much every muscle in your body turn on to help you get back up. *erform these for total body stability and control or if you need rectus, hip flexor or oblique strength. To Per or!" +Set a band up over the top of a rack and make sure it is a strong enough band for your strength level. +5rip the band about half way up and stand right under it. +2race your abs and glutes 6if you don@t initially, you will be forced to soon enough7 and slowly fall forward 6under control7 on the balls of your feet towards your toes with the stretch of the band. +Your body should stay fairly straight and you should go down until you are about three quarters of the way to parallel with the ground. +4rom this point you will tense up your abs and hip flexors and bring yourself back up to the starting position while staying straight. +- sets of /(A0 reps work great with these. +8ake sure the low back does not hyperextend at any point of this exercise, if it does, the exercise is too much for your abs to currently handle and you should regress to an easier anti(extension variation such as a ball or wheel rollout.

There you have it, some new exercises to challenge your core and that $ust might help you break past that stubborn plateau or at least give you a little spice in your training program. 5ive these a shot and take your core development, strength and body to the next level''' As always, be sure to include exercises for the right reasons and pick those that will help with your individual needs and weaknesses. )hile # didn@t get into it in this article, you have undoubtedly learned about the importance of inner core! muscles. )ith all of these exercises and all others, it is always a good idea to make sure that you are breathing with your diaphragm and engaging the oh so important inner core musculature. Taking a deep breath in and pushing your stomach out before reps and between reps can go a long way in increasing your stability and strength throughout your entire body. Take what you learned about this from 8ike@s webinar and put it to use. Train hard''

About the Author Dick =osencutter is a ?ertified Strength and ?onditioning Specialist and ?ertified *ersonal Trainer through the Dational Strength and ?onditioning Association and is also a Dationally ?ertified 8assage Therapist. Be received his 2achelor@s degree in <xercise and Sports Science with a 4itness emphasis and Strength and ?onditioning ?oncentration from the Eniversity of )isconsin ;a ?rosse and received his diploma in 8assage Therapy from ;akeside School of 8assage Therapy in 8ilwaukee. Be has worked with all varieties of clients ranging from fat loss to various levels of athletes and is also a competitive powerlifter. Be currently trains clients at Southridge Athletic ?lub in 8ilwaukee and offers corrective exercise and movement training at 8iller Sports and )ellness ?hiropractic in )est Allis. You can learn more at his website www.rosencutterultrafitness.com