core

The Hardest Core Exercise I Do

I am a big fan of anti-extension exercises like planks, hollow body holds, and carries.  I like to change up my core movements and give myself a challenge every once in a while.  That’s where the incline barbell roll-out comes in.  The nice part about this exercise is that you don’t need any fancy equipment, just a barbell and an incline like a hill or driveway.  I prefer doing roll-outs on a slight incline so gravity can assist the return back to the starting position.  Obviously, if you are strong enough to do this on level ground, more power to you, but I try to go through the full range of motion with the arms completely overhead.  The arms overhead has the most transfer to other exercises that I utilize like handstands and overhead presses.  My goal is to keep a completely rigid core, maintain a hips tucked position, and get some upward rotation and elevation of the scapular so that my shoulders don’t impinge.  If you focus on these three factors, the movement becomes INCREDIBLY challenging, even on an incline.

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Floch Fitness Workout of the Week

Welcome back to another great core workout! If you are looking to smash your core, in need of a travel workout, or just looking for some training variety, this workout is for you!

Let me help you reach your fitness goals. Whether at-home personal training, personal training via zoom, or individualized training program, Floch Fitness has exactly what you need. Click the link below to get started.

This Common Ab Exercise Is Making Your Lower Back Pain Worse...

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It has been ingrained in us since grade school (see the Presidential Fitness Test) that the sit-up is the most important ab exercise you can do. If you have lower back pain however, I would avoid the sit-up like the plague.

"Blasphemy!" my gym rats bro-science experts will say. "You need a strong core!" First off, what do you consider your "core." Secondly, relax, this is just an article written by a guy who thinks the movie Borat is my generation's Citizen Kane. I digress. When you say core, I are assuming that you are talking about the muscle that support all ranges of motion of the trunk/pelvic AND your ability to respire (breath in and out). The sit-up, that targets the rectus abdominis, does a pour job at both these objectives. The rectus abdominis's primary motor function is controlling spinal flexion in the sagittal plane (back to front bending), and it actually has an insertion point that is anchored to the sternum, preventing the sternum from elevating during inhalation when active (that's bad). It's like watching Chris Farley wearing a jacket that's too small.

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Your sternum gets pinned down by your rectus and without the expansion things get ugly really quick. You are soon compensating by extending the lower spine, further exacerbating stress on the lower vertebrae and muscles.

If you have lower back pain, and the sit-up is your primary core strengthening exercise, do yourself a favor and give the sit-up the ol' 86!

In future posts, I will be writing about my favorite ab exercises for alleviating lower back pain. You don't want to miss out, so make sure you click the link below to join our mailing list.

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