The ultimate goal of any core exercise should be to protect your spine. Spinal stiffness and core stabilization strategies should also transfer directly into your bigger lifts. That’s why it’s important to implement specific core exercises that place a focus on the forces you want the spine to resist:

• Anti-extension (excessive lumbar arching)
• Anti-flexion (excessive trunk flexion and forward slouching)
• Anti-rotation (avoiding a force that is trying to twist you to one side)
• Anti-lateral flexion (excessive side-bending)

These exercises maintain the core heath you need to support athletic endeavors.

Athletic Endeavors Demand Core Strength and Power

Tell me the last time you saw someone pull 500lb off the floor who didn’t engage his or her core and trunk muscles. Or when was the last time you witnessed an athlete clean and jerk 300lbs without creating core tension?

These things do not exist.

It’s imperative to have effective core function during heavy lifting; however, you also need these fundamental training patterns imposed on your core and spine to meet the demands of various sports and athletic endeavors.

Consider a professional baseball player swinging a bat, a professional basketball player cutting through the lane, or a professional soccer player striking the ball. All of these athletes are generating power and strength through their core.

Add these four exercises to your training program to ensure that you’re creating a strong and powerful core from every angles and in all planes:

• Plank Body-Saw (anti-extension)
• McGill Side Bridge With Rotation (anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation, and anti-extension)
• Dead-Bug With Overhead Resistance (anti-extension)
• One-Arm Suitcase Farmer’s Carry (anti-flexion, anti-rotation, and anti-lateral flexion)

Plank Body Saw

The plank body-saw is supremely effective in teaching the anti-extension pattern.

Take your basic RKC Plank and step it up a few notches by adding the dynamic component of resisting a linear change of direction. This is where the sliding surfaces, such as a pair of sliders, comes into play. You end up moving back and forth like a saw, and it’s pretty damn tough.

Do This:

1. Begin in an RKC plank position.
2. Place your toes on a pair of sliders.
3. With palms flat on the ground, drive your elbows into the ground and push your body away, down toward your feet.
4. Move only roughly a few inches, pause, and return to the starting position. That equals 1 rep.
5. Complete 10 reps for 1 set.
6. Perform 3 sets.

McGill Side Bridge With Rotation

This exercise is an advanced progression of the original McGill Side Bridge. The only difference is that you set up facing down in prone, rather than on one side. A great deal of body control is needed to rotate, explode up, and then stop at a dime at the top.

Consider these questions before performing the exercise:

• Can you keep a tall, rigid spine?
• Can you still keep this tall, rigid spine when moving powerfully in a rotational pattern?
• Can you control your body enough to freeze on demand?

Once you’ve mastered the McGill Side Bridge with rotation with pristine form and technique, the answer to these questions will be a resounding “yes.”

Do This:

1. Begin in an RKC plank position, but with feet slightly wider than usual. This will provide a more stable base during the rotational component.
2. Rotate and drive up to the left with power and speed. Pause.
3. In a slow and controlled manner, return to the starting position.
4. That equals 1 rep on your left side. Perform 10 total reps.
5. Switch sides and repeat.
6. Perform 3 sets per side.

Dead Bug With Overhead Resistance

Whoever thought of giving this exercise the name “Dead Bug” was really onto something. Seriously. You look like a dead bug. I’m a huge fan of the basic Dead Bug exercise, but I love how this advanced progression places even more emphasis on increased core engagement due to the overhead resistance from the band.

Plus, now you look a bit more like a zombie laying flat on your back on the floor. Maybe we should change this exercise name to “Dead Zombie” instead? You heard it here first.

On a more serious note, the Dead Bug with overhead resistance is on my top-shelf of core exercises to teach an athlete how to avoid excessive lumbar extension, and more importantly, how to lock down their core muscles during lower extremity movement.

It’s a challenging exercise. You need to create enough core engagement and abdominal strength to avoid letting the band win.

Do This:

1. Lay on the ground with your arms straight above your shoulders. Each hand holds either end of a resistance band. The band should provide enough tension to force you to use your abs. Maintain a flat back on the ground.
2. Bend your knees directly above your hip joints and dorsiflex your ankles with your toes pointing up toward your hands.
3. Keeping straight arms and constant band tension, extend your left leg. Pause. Return your left leg to the starting position.
4. Alternate on your right side. That’s 1 rep per side.
5. Complete 12 reps per side for 1 set.
6. Perform 3 sets per side.

One-Arm Suitcase Farmer’s Carry

Although the one-arm suitcase farmer’s carry doesn’t look like much, you’re actually doing a hell of a lot of work. I’m a big fan of creating tension to understand stability. We need to be able to create and own tension during stability, especially when a dynamic movement component is added.

Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in you hand and squeeze the handle hard. Do the same in the other hand, but with a much lighter object like an empty water bottle or squishy ball. Now go for a walk. Although the left side carrying the weight is working harder, the right side is also working as well, even if in a smaller capacity, to keep your entire core working as a system.

If you’re core doesn’t feel engaged after one set on each side, your weight is too light. However, it’s very important that you don’t go too heavy to the point where you sway to one side. The goal is to maintain a tall, upright posture throughout each set.

Do This:

1. Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell with your left hand. Choose a weight that is heavy enough to provide a challenge, but not so heavy that it forces you to slant to one side.
2. In your right hand, hold something like an empty water bottle or a small, squishy ball. Squeeze the life out of this object to help create tension on the non-weight bearing side.
3. Stay tall and walk 40 yards. Switch arms and repeat. That’s 1 set.
4. Perform 3 sets per side.

Your Body Is a High-Performing Machine

Protecting the spine is accomplished through core strength and the ability express power with body control. These are the tenants to a spine built for high-performance.

Everything we do in training should have a direct carryover into sport and athletic endeavors. Training the core is no different. Cover every aspect and angle of core strengthening and spinal stabilization to ensure a strong, resilient spine that’s build to last.

More Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy:

• Build a Resilient Spine: Start Here
• Build a Resilient Spine: Lock Down Core Stability
• Build A Resilient Spine: Challenge Your System

Headline photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo collage courtesy of Matthew Ibrahim.

The post Build a Resilient Spine: Create Power for Sport Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

You can’t build a strong, stable spine by moving in just one plane of motion. More importantly, you can’t build a resilient spine without providing a challenging stimulus for it to respond to.

Use these challenging core-training exercises to force your body to adapt and build strength.

Challenge Your Body to Work as a System

Designing an intelligent program that covers all aspects of core stability and strength is truly the game-changer in terms of efficient movement and performance. To make sure to cover all your bases when it comes to training your core the right way, you need all of the following:

• Anti-extension
• Anti-rotation
• Anti-lateral flexion (side-bend)
• Anti-flexion (more on this in the next article, when I cover the one-arm farmer’s carry)

We covered specific core exercises in my previous article. Now it’s time to step it up a notch and discuss progressions in these exercises to provide an increased challenge.

These four exercises will provide a challenging stimulus for your body to respond to:

1. Long Lever Mountain Climber
2. McGill Side Bridge
3. Dead Bug With Breathing
4. Tall Kneeling Pallof Press

Long Lever Mountain Climber (Anti-Extension)

We’ve all seen it: “One minute on the clock. Give me as many mountain climbers as you can. Go.” This makes me want to cry myself to sleep. I’d rather watch molasses attempt to travel uphill. It kills me that much.

Why? Tell me the last time you saw someone who could lock down their core stability like their life depended on it, all the while alternating one knee to their chest at a time, in a slow and controlled manner – let alone an individual who could maintain a lower back position that could house a tall glass of water filled to the brim without spilling it. I’ve never seen this before.

You need to own core stability (i.e., think lumbar spinal stiffness) and hip mobility at the same time. They need to work together for optimal function and performance to occur.

The long lever mountain climber is a pretty damn awesome exercise when performed with pristine execution and form. It might get overlooked in your typical fitness facility due to the fact that most athletes use it as a conditioning tool, while letting their hip stability fall out the window. That’s not the case here, though. Balance that tall glass of water like you’re out in the desert and it’s the last one you have access to.

Do This:

1. Flex your right knee up toward your chest. Pause. Return your right leg back to the starting position.
2. Repeat with the left leg. That equals 1 rep per side.
3. Complete 12 reps per side for 1 set.
4. Perform 3 sets.

McGill Side Bridge (Anti-Lateral Flexion and Anti-Extension)

Dr. Stuart McGill is the leading expert on spine biomechanics. Basically, if you want to know anything spine-related, chances are he and his team have already run thousands of tests and produced an insurmountable amount of data on it. Plus, he has a flawless mustache. Seriously, it’s so money.

The McGill side bridge is one of those exercises that looks easy initially, but becomes challenging once you give it a shot. Why? Try to maintain a stiff spine while using your hip mobility in a hip hinge pattern to explode from the back to the front. And don’t forget to lock down those abs and keep a stable spine to avoid excessive lumbar extension. It’s not as easy as you think.

The beauty of this exercise is that it’s simple. It’s so simple that it becomes complex for some people, because too many of us out there want to overcomplicate things.

Let’s break it down:

• Can you hip hinge correctly? Meaning, can you hinge at your hips just like a door opens and closes?
• Next, can you activate your glute muscles to assist in the necessary hip hinge pattern?
• Lastly, can you finish the hip hinge with a stable spine, while avoiding excessive lumbar extension?

If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” watch the tutorial video below to check your form and receive a handful of technique fixes to ensure proper execution.

Do This:

1. Start on your left side with your hips flexed back.
2. Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes at the end to lock out into a neutral spine (avoid hyperextension in the lumbar spine).
3. Bring your hips back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
4. Complete 12 reps on your left side side for 1 set.
5. Switch sides and repeat.
6. Perform a total of 3 sets per side.

Dead Bug With Breathing (Anti-Extension)

There’s nothing I love more than the dead bug exercise. Not only can it be used in training, but it can also be utilized as an assessment tool. Due to its versatility, we see this exercise in a lot of training programs across a wide spectrum of skill levels and training abilities.

Unfortunately, that popularity often leaves a wide-open door for poor form and technique. The key is to lock down your core stability and begin by moving one limb at a time. Once you’ve mastered that, it’s time to perform the dead bug exercise by alternating limb movements simultaneously.

Your ability to hone in on the breathing component is what increases difficulty. Slow everything down, almost as if to put it all in slow motion, and add your inhales and exhales to each specific movement of the dead bug exercise. Not only does breathing provide more control, it also directs more awareness to where your breath is going. We want air to fill up the lower abdomen and lower back. Check out this video of the 90/90 wall breathing.

Once you have that down, take the 90/90 wall breathing concept with you when you perform the dead bug with breathing exercise.

Do This:

1. Lay on your back with your arms straight above your shoulders and your knees bent 90 degrees directly above your hips. Dorsiflex your ankles with your toes pointing up toward your hands.
2. Inhale through your nose for 3 seconds while filling up your entire abdomen and lower back (full 360 degrees of expansion).
3. Simultaneously extend your right arm and left leg while you exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds like you’re trying to blow out a candle 3 feet in front of your face.
4. Inhale through your nose for 3 seconds to bring your right arm and left leg back to the starting position.
5. Repeat the same sequence with your other contralateral extremities. That’s 1 rep per side.
6. Complete 12 reps per side for 1 set.
7. Perform a total of 3 sets per side.

Tall Kneeling Pallof Press (Anti-Rotation)

There are much easier ways to perform this exercise, but this variation puts you in a position where you truly need to feel something. That “something” is your glutes. More specifically, your glutes activating and firing together to keep your spine above it locked down. Essentially, your hips and spine need to stabilize together as a team.

That’s pretty damn tough for some people. A lot of movement education and pattern recognition is needed to reach that point. However, once you’ve mastered that aspect, it’s time to add it in to the tall kneeling Pallof press exercise below to truly challenge the core in an anti-rotation manner.

Set your knees hip-width apart on the ground. Drive your toes forward. Squeeze your glutes. Drive your rib cage down slightly with a mini-ab crunch, and finally, press the band away. You’re locked in.

Do This:

Accept the Challenge

You need to challenge your body to work as a system. It’s impossible to build a resilient spine with optimal function and performance if you don’t provide the right stimulus.

The right stimulus is created by placing the demands of motion on the spine, all while asking it to stabilize and remain still. By performing exercises that have movement in the upper or lower extremities and stabilization in the core, you place an increased demand on your body – otherwise known as a challenge.

More Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy:

• Build a Resilient Spine: Start Here
• Build a Resilient Spine: Lock Down Core Stability
• Build a Resilient Spine: Create Power for Sport Performance

Headline photo courtesy of Jorge Huerta Photography.

Photo collage courtesy of Matthew Ibrahim.

The post Build A Resilient Spine: Challenge Your System appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This means your midsection needs to be functioning properly with sound technique and mechanics during exercise. Sure, you want to lift heavy weights and train hard, but possessing the ability to move well with good form should be your first priority.

lift heavy weights and train hard, but possessing the ability to move well with good form should be your first priority.

Establishing spinal stiffness and core stability is the first step you need to take before getting to this point. Once you’ve mastered those areas, your next mission will be to add movement to your stable foundation, otherwise known as your core.

Energy is transferred through your core when lifting heavy. Ensure that your midsection is rock solid with these core-stabalizing exercises.

Sensory Input for Optimal Movement Output

These exercises will challenge the core by moving one arm or leg. This provides an increased stimulus for the spine and surrounding musculature to help stabilize. It’s kind of like that annoying kid who sits next to you in class and just wouldn’t shut up while you were trying to pay attention. Annoying? Yes. Effective? Highly.

When you challenge the core by moving one arm or one leg, you’re asking your muscles to fire at a higher rate to keep you in a stable position. This won’t be easy, but it will have a direct carryover into your bigger lifts and exercises when the stabilization demand is needed.

You’ll also use tools such as manual perturbations and resistance bands to get the job done. No need for fancy or gimmicky training tools here – keep it simple. What you’re looking for is sensory input to provide proper movement output.

That’s why using neuromuscular feedback and reactive neuromuscular training techniques are so important. Not only can they be used as corrective ways to groove a good pattern, but they can also be used to provide that sensory feedback the body needs to correct itself.

It Starts With Breathing

No, I’m not going to advise you to spend sixty minutes on breathing. Not only is that a time dump, it’s not what we came here to do, which is train and move weight.

Most people miss the boat big time with respect to proper breathing patterns. My approach is super simple, per usual. Take the things you’re already doing in your training, and simply add basic breathing patterns to those.

As a bonus, proper breathing during training allows you to feel more tension and stability in your mid-section with 360 degrees of expansion. This will make the weight and resistance will seem much easier to move. You can thank me later.

These four exercises will help you build stability during movement:

1. RKC plank with alternating 1-arm reach
2. Side plank with breathing
3. Bird-dog reactive neuromuscular training with band
4. In-line half-kneeling chop

RKC Plank With Alternating 1-Arm Reach

The spine was designed to stabilize in response to stimuli. Have you ever slipped off a street curb and lost your balance, only to catch yourself by landing properly? You were able to regain balance because your spine and the surrounding musculature were resilient enough to adjust in time. That’s called “stability.”

By providing a challenge to the system, you will be able to force your spine to do its job: stabilize. It’s important to maintain proper positioning to ensure you don’t succumb to a faulty lumbar hyperextension pattern.

What we’re looking for in this exercise is for you to uphold the same core and spine position you’d see in an RKC plank (four points of contact), but with one caveat: when you reach one arm forward, you’ll only be working with three points of contact.

Do This:

1. Extend your right arm out in front. Pause. Return your right arm back to the starting position.
2. Repeat for the left arm.
3. That equals 1 rep per side.
4. Complete 8 reps per side for 1 set.
5. Perform 3 sets.

Side Plank With Breathing

Dr. Charlie Weingroff says, “breathing is the keyhole to the nervous system.” Think about it for a second: when was the last time you monitored your breathing patterns for the primary purpose of seeing how efficient your movement was?

Faulty breathing patterns have a negative impact on movement patterns because they cause you to resort to high-tension compensatory strategies. Examples of these can be seen during what we would call “stressful” breathing through an increased tone in the upper traps and neck muscles. You can also see this during “rib flare” where the athlete is very top-heavy during their breathing without accessing their lower abdominals.

Own your breathing to own your movement. Check out this video here of the 90/90 Wall Breathing Drill to see what I mean.

Once you’ve mastered that, it’s now time to work that breathing component into the Side Plank exercise. When the position is locked in, place all of your focus on the breathing only. This will reinforce proper positioning throughout the duration of each set.

Do This:

1. Starting on your left side, inhale through your nose, while filling up your belly.
2. Exhale through your mouth, while attempting to put out a candle three feet in front of you.
3. Continue for 30 seconds. That’s 1 set on your left side.
4. Repeat for 1 set on your right side.
5. Perform a total of 3 sets per side.

Bird-Dog Reactive Neuromuscular Training (RNT) With Band

Reactive neuromuscular training, or RNT, is a fancy way of saying that we’re going to feed your body into a bad position, and in the process allow the nervous system to work with your body to move into a good position. It’s another way of feeding the negative to produce a positive.

RNT allows us to re-educate proper patterns in the body. It can be used as a guide in a safe situation to teach the body where it needs to be for optimal positioning. The Bird-Dog exercise is a great start, but adding the resistance band helps athletes actually “feel” it much more, which ultimately decreases the level of difficulty for the exercise.

Do This:

1. Loop band around right hand and left foot.
2. Extend right arm and left leg simultaneously.
3. Bring both limbs back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
4. Complete 8 reps in that fashion.
5. Switch sides and repeat for 8 reps. That’s 1 set.
6. Perform a total of 3 sets per side.

In-Line Half-Kneeling Chop

Holding a rock-solid position with your core engaged is not easy. Adding upper extremity movement while still maintaining this locked-in position is an even greater challenge.

The In-Line Half-Kneeling Chop exercise gives the athlete constant feedback in terms of proper positioning, core activation, and spinal stability. It’s impossible to complete this drill the right way without good form.

Being able to maintain the narrow in-line position is your first order of business. Remember: own this position and keep it owned for the entire duration of each set. The next step is to add in your upper extremity chop pattern. Take your time with this one, and be sure to constantly check in on core and glute activation.

Do This:

1. With your right knee up (closest to the pulley) and your left knee down (furthest from the pulley), chop the rope attachment down toward your left pocket.
2. Complete 8 reps on that side.
3. Switch sides and repeat. That’s 1 set.
4. Perform 3 sets per side.

Stoke the Fire

Once you’ve locked down stability in your core, it’s time to add movement. Basically, you’re trying to piss off your core by adding another stimulus to it. Not only is this a surefire way to build a stronger core, it’s also a quick route to a more resilient lower back and spine.

More Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy:

• Build a Resilient Spine: Start Here
• Build A Resilient Spine: Challenge Your System
• Build a Resilient Spine: Create Power for Sport Performance

Headline photo courtesy of CrossFit, Inc.

Photo collage courtesy of Matthew Ibrahim.

The post Build a Resilient Spine: Lock Down Core Stability appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

You wake up with a sore lower back, and you go to bed feeling the same way. The discomfort is a constant reminder of how deconditioned you are. Trust me, I’ve been there. You know there’s something wrong. What gives?

If you’re dealing with debilitating lower back pain that just won’t relent, you’d benefit most from physical therapy and rehabilitation treatment. However, most people aren’t at that stage. Rather, they’re just dealing with a weak lower back, and are in dire need of good strength training.

But there’s something in between physical therapy and strength training. This is the grey area otherwise known as “prevention.”

Prevention Is Synonymous With Training

Mike Boyle talks about how “[ACL] injury prevention is just good training.” Replace the word “ACL” with “lower back,” and this statement still holds true. Check every physical therapy treatment program and look into their exercise prescription for rehabbing the lower back. Do the same thing for all strength and conditioning training programs, and see which exercises they’re using to build core strength and stability for their clients.

You’ll notice a trend. There’s an overlap that can’t be denied. Most of these exercises are the same for both ends of the spectrum, with the only difference being various levels of progressions, regressions, and intensity.

Let’s look at these overlapping exercises to build a resilient spine, and how you can incorporate them into your training.

These four exercises are insurance for your back. Upper left: RKC plank; Upper right: Side plank; Lower left: Bird-Dog; Lower right: Half-kneeling chop.

Proper Alignment Sets Your Foundation

The most important aspect to conditioning your core and building integrity in your spine is proper alignment of your rib cage over your pelvis. Imagine your rib cage representing the top floor of a building and your pelvis representing the bottom floor of a building. If you don’t want this building to collapse, the top floor (rib cage) needs to sit in proper alignment directly positioned over the bottom floor (pelvis).

Improper alignment of the rib cage and pelvis ultimately leads to an unstable midsection that isn’t primed for power output. This can cause the ribs to flare out or an anterior pelvic tilt with excessive arching in the lumbar spine. You can’t build strength from this position. Either an injury or general soreness is likely to occur.

The first step to acquiring proper alignment is to incorporate breathing patterns for optimal positioning. Breathing can seem boring, but it is one of the most beneficial skills you can develop. Breathing drills should be a staple in every training program, as it will transfer directly into stronger, more powerful lifts and movements.

Do This:

1. Inhale through nose for 3 seconds.
2. Exhale through mouth for 6 seconds. That equals 1 rep.
3. Perform 10 reps.

The Lumbar Spine Was Built to Stabilize

Train function, not anatomy. This is especially true when it comes to your core and lower back. The spine is a unique multi-segmental joint that requires mobility and stability in different areas to operate at full capacity.

The joint areas of the body alternate in purpose between mobility and stability.

Per the joint-by-joint approach, the lumbar spine is meant for stability. Below it we find the hip joints, and above it we find the thoracic spine. In both of these areas, we’re looking for the opposite of stability: mobility. Having adequate mobility in the hip joints and thoracic spine enhances our ability to create stability in the lumbar spine.

With this concept, we can begin to appreciate that the lumbar spine was intended for stability. Building stability in the lumbar spine is the most essential aspect to core development.

Below are four exercises that will serve as your building blocks for creating a strong and stable lower back:

1. RKC plank
2. Side plank
3. Bird-Dog
4. Half-kneeling chop

1. RKC Plank

This is hands-down the most important exercise you will ever do. It has a direct transfer into every other exercise and movement. The RKC plank will teach you how to brace yourself while under the stress of a heavy load by allowing you to feel a challenging stabilization demand in your entire body due to the maximum full-body tension you create.

This exercise uses the same spinal position you created in the 90/90 wall breathing exercise. You also need your big upper back muscles (i.e., latissimus dorsi) and posterior chain muscles (i.e., glutes, hamstrings) to fire on all cylinders.

Be sure to use slow and controlled breathing.

Do This:

1. Hold plank for 10 seconds.
2. Rest for 10 seconds.
3. Hold plank for 10 seconds. That equals 1 set.
4. Perform 3 sets.

2. Side Plank

This side plank incorporates the same concepts learned in the 90/90 wall breathing exercise and also in the RKC plank. The only difference now is that you’ll be on one side, which makes the exercise more challenging.

Set yourself up on the ground while lying on one side. From there, drive your elbow down toward your feet to fire your upper back muscles, which are critical for spinal stabilization and breathing.

Pop up into your side plank. Be sure to squeeze your glutes and abs, just like you did in the RKC plank to create full-body tension and stabilization.

Do This:

1. Hold side plank for 10 seconds on left side.
2. Hold side plank for 10 seconds on right side. That equals 1 set.
3. Perform 3 sets per side.

3. Bird-Dog

Dr. Charlie Weingroff talks about stability being “control in the presence of change.” This always makes me think of the bird-dog exercise. The primary goal here is to maintain the same full-body tension as in the RKC plank exercise while extending your contralateral limbs (i.e., right arm and left leg). Pause once you return, and then alternate.

This exercise might look easy, but it often poses a challenge due to increased stability demands.

Do This:

1. Extend right arm and left leg simultaneously.
2. Bring both limbs back to the starting position.
3. Extend left arm and right leg simultaneously.
4. Bring both limbs back to the starting position. That equals 1 rep per side.
5. Complete 8 reps per side.
6. Perform a total of 3 sets.

4. Half-Kneeling Chop

The half-kneeling chop is a challenging position that requires tension in your core and hips to stabilize the body. Adding in the arm chop across the body is a good way to disassociate lower body stability (i.e., core and hips) and upper body mobility (i.e., shoulders and minor thoracic spine rotation).

This exercise is a great way to display your ability to control your lower body in the presence of change – in this case, upper body movement.

Do This:

1. With your right knee up and closest to the pulley, chop down from your right shoulder down to your left-hand pocket. That equals 1 rep.
2. Complete 8 reps on that side.
3. Switch sides and repeat for 8 reps. That equals 1 set.
4. Perform a total of 3 sets.

Build a Supple Spine

Movement and performance should never be robbed by lower back pain. You should be moving, performing, and training with a resilient spine that is built to last. Spinal stabilization is your first step toward building that resiliency for the long term. Your movement and performance will make strides once you’ve mastered these basic exercises.

More Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy:

• Build a Resilient Spine: Lock Down Core Stability
• Build A Resilient Spine: Challenge Your System
• Build a Resilient Spine: Create Power for Sport Performance

Photo collage courtesy of Matthew Ibrahim.

Headline photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Build a Resilient Spine: Start Here appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What’s your problem?

The exercises I will show you will improve your mobility and increase your lifts.

Well, you’re missing out on a few game-changing bang-for-your-buck mobility exercises. Not only will these drills become staples in a quick and efficient warm-up routine, but they’ll also increase your lifts across the board when performed in between training sets.

Your solution moving forward: a dynamic twist to mobility exercise drills through an innovative approach and a seamless transition within your training for truly game-changing results. Let’s first address what I suspect as your problems, then go through the solutions.

Problem #1: Your Warm Up Is Killing Your Performance

I have an issue with your warm up. It’s way too long. A long warm up will eat away your overall performance. Unless you’re a high-level athlete with ample amount of time on your hands to train in the gym each day, there’s no reason to spend more than eight to ten minutes with your warm-up mobility exercises. You can watch your performance go down the drain if you are.

Always keep in mind that efficient warm-up mobility exercises specifically targeted on primary joints and movement patterns prior to a training session can go a long way toward increasing your overall performance. It’s important to have quality over quantity in your warm up.

“Not only will these drills become staples in a quick and efficient warm-up routine, but they’ll also increase your lifts across the board when performed in between training sets.”

Even more important is the exact opposite fact: time-consuming warm-up mobility exercises that take too long and sap your energy and capacity to produce power chew a major dent in your performance in training. Don’t let this happen to you.

Think about it for a moment: what are your goals in training? If your warm-up mobility exercises aren’t enhancing your chances to achieve these goals via increased range of motion, blood flow, mobility, and access to greater positional capacities, then you’re wasting your energy and time.

Your goal should always be to perform quick and efficient warm-up mobility drills with special consideration toward your actual training session and the movements and lifts included.

Take a step back and look at the bigger overall picture for a moment. Would it make sense for you to run through a mobility exercise that won’t help you much during your lift, or instead, use that time prior to your actual lift to mentally prepare yourself? Always think big picture.

A good warm up is quick, efficient, and goal-oriented.

Problem #2: You’re Wasting Your Time

As I’ve mentioned previously, a warm-up routine should only take you eight to ten minutes. That’s it. This means you should spend time focusing on the most important areas you’re planning on attacking in the actual training session, rather than cranking out five sets of thirty reps per side of wall ankle mobility drills.

“Your goal should always be to perform quick and efficient warm-up mobility drills with special consideration toward your actual training session and the movements and lifts included.”

Ask yourself this question every single time you warm up: “Does this specific warm-up mobility exercise address a primary joint and/or movement pattern that I will be loading in the upcoming lifting session?” If the answer is “no,” then drop the drill and move on to something that does. It’s that simple.

Problem #3: You’re Missing the Window of Trainability

Here’s a scenario: You’re performing heavy back squats, but your depth is absolutely brutal. What do you do about it? Keep squatting, of course. What happens to your squat depth? It doesn’t improve at all.

But what are you doing in between sets of heavy back squats to improve hip mobility, increased range of motion in your hip joint, and more importantly, greater depth and ease into the bottom portion of the squat pattern?

That’s right – nothing at all.

Enter the window of trainability. In between training sets is where the real magic can occur. In the scenario above, you’re clearly lacking the ability to hip hinge and sit down into your back squat with enough depth to call it a respectable lift. Using the window of opportunity to increase the hip hinge pattern should be your primary focus now.

Stop sitting around and wasting precious time in between training sets. Instead, spend that time efficiently on specific mobility exercises that will enhance your lifts.

Use time between sets to work on mobility and prep for bigger lifts.

3 Bang-for-Your-Buck Mobility Exercises

More efficiency in your warm-up exercises is what you need to take that next step toward advancing your training. Below, I’ve provided a few catch-all mobility exercises to perform during your training in between sets.

All three exercises will help you in the following areas:

• Increased range of motion
• Increased mobility
• Increased depth for certain lifts
• Increased positional capacities
• Save time and energy to spend on actual training
• Boost overall performance
• Address primary joints and movement patterns

Yoga Push Up to Hip Flair

• Perform 3-5 reps per side following a training set and aim for a total of 2-3 sets.
• Targeted Areas: Overhead shoulder flexion patterning, lats, triceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings, anterior hip compartment, and obliques.
• Ways to Incorporate: I typically use these in between sets of the bench press, push ups, pull ups, overhead pressing, and any other type of horizontal pushing/pressing exercise.

Hammer-Nail Drive With Reach Under

• Perform 3-5 reps per side following a training set and aim for a total of 2-3 sets.
• Targeted Areas: Hip external rotators, glutes, lats, triceps, shoulder joint (posterior capsule), and obliques.
• Ways to Incorporate: I’m a huge fan of using these smack-dab in the middle of sets of deadlifts, squats, and all other lower-body pull/push exercises.

Elevated Half-Kneeling Overhead Rotational Pattern

• Perform 3-5 reps per side following a training set and aim for a total of 2-3 sets.
• Targeted Areas: Overhead shoulder flexion patterning, thoracic rotation and extension, lats, triceps, forearms, anterior hip compartment, glute activation, and obliques.
• Ways to Incorporate: Use this one in between sets of the bench press, overhead pressing, push ups, pull ups, horizontal pushing/pressing exercises, and hip extension exercises. You’ll be surprised as to how well this targets hip extension, especially for those who get their hips glued down during squatting so often.

Circuits to Use

Additionally, here are a few training circuits I like to use for incorporating the mobility exercises:

Circuit #1: Perform the bench press for one set, immediately followed by the yoga push up to hip flair for one set.

A1) Bench Press, 5×5

A2) Yoga Push-Up to Hip Flair, 3×5/side

Circuit #2: Pull the sumo deadlift for one set, followed right away by the hammer-nail drive with reach under for one set.

B1) Sumo Deadlift, 5×5

B2) Hammer-Nail Drive with Reach Under, 3×5/side

Circuit #3: Back squat for one set, followed by one set of the elevated half-kneeling overhead rotational pattern.

C1) Back Squat, 5×5

C2) Elevated Half-Kneeling Overhead Rotational Pattern, 3×5/side

These combinations have worked well for me and my athletes, so give them a shot. If you have questions on any of these exercises, please post them to the comments below.

More Like This:

• Mobility Work: You’re Doing It Wrong (And Too Long)
• Why Your Mobility Work May Be Harming You
• Is Mobility Just a Fad?
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 by By Cpl. Robert Reeves, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Shutterstock.

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