Kevin Kearns knows what it means to train like a fighter – he has trained UFC fighters like Kenny Florian, Stephan Bonnar, and Marcus Davis for a living for many years. Now you can get a chance at these hardcore workouts, that also happen to be a lot of fun.
To learn more about Kevin, read our feature interview:
Featured Coach: Kevin Kearns, Part 1 – Blowing Up With the UFC
Featured Coach: Kevin Kearns, Part 2 – Everybody Has a Good Fight
Workout 8: “Core Killer”
You have heard this term beaten to death in our industry. This works your core or that works your core. Let’s break it down to K.I.S.S. – keep it simple and seamless. To find your core, take a crayon and draw a line from your left shoulder to your opposite hip. Repeat on the other side. All the muscles in that “performance X,” as I call it, are anterior and posterior muscles that comprise your core. That means your abs, low back, hips, and glutes are all involved.
Many people believe the way to obtain washboard abs is by doing thousands of sit-ups or crunches. Wrong. Sit-ups and crunches will make the muscles on top strong, but not the internal framework. The core includes the surface abs, the internal abs (transverse abdominal, internal oblique, external oblique) glutes, muscles related to the hips, and low back muscles. That is what we consider the core.
In this workout we will show the same movements that my UFC fighter clients use to strengthen those essential muscles. Want more power in your strikes? Then start at the core. Not only will this enable you to punch, kick, elbow, and knee with more authority, it will also enable you to absorb more punishment to the mid-section.
This is a simple workout that can fit into anyone’s regimen. It takes little time and can be done with a medicine ball or band. The best part is that anyone can do it and you work your whole body including fight mechanics.
“Core Killer”
1. Russian twists: 20 reps 3 sets
2. Wood chops: 20 reps 3 sets
3. Diagonal chops: 20 reps 3 sets
4. Figure 8s: 20 reps 3 sets
5. Big circles: 20 reps 3 sets
