Tip Real Core Strength No Fluff
Tip Real Core Strength No Fluff Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Real Core Strength No Fluff by Gareth Sapstead July 7, 2020June 29, 2022 Tags Training The term "functional" gets thrown around a lot. But that word doesn't refer to your ability to plank for an hour or do a balancing act on a Swiss ball. These don't make you better at the things you routinely do. An exercise is functional if it transfers over to your daily life or your sport. The exercise must improve your ability to function at a specific task to be truly functional. In most daily and sporting scenarios, there's an element of resisting spinal extension, but you're resisting forces that also rotate. Especially in sport, you're not just resisting them, you're often trying to control that rotational force and fire it back in the opposite direction. Traditional planks aren't completely useless, but when you have plenty of other options to choose from why would you pick them? If your ability to hold a front plank is stopping you from doing something like a push-up, then sure, planks can be functional for that purpose. Otherwise, dig a little deeper into your toolbox. Since a plank is like a non-moving push-up anyway, why not try the eccentric one-arm push-up? Not only will it pack some meat on your shoulders and triceps, it challenges your rotary stability too. How to Do It Set up in your regular push-up position but with feet slightly wider apart. Brace your abs hard and engage your glutes. Pick one hand up off the floor and begin to lower with control. Keep your hips level throughout. If you're twisting and dropping one side at a time, go back and master some regressions of these first. You can use a pad on the floor to gauge a consistent depth, or just eyeball it. Catch with the free hand and come up pushing with both arms. You can either alternate arms or stick with one at a time. Aim for 4-5 reps on each side to start out. Lower for a 4-second count and that'll be close to 30 seconds of high-level core engagement on each side. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Inject Some Testosterone into Your Health Club So what if your gym refers to the power rack as the "curl station"? There are ways to butch up even the wussiest gym. Bodybuilding, Training Kevin Larrabee September 29 Training Biomechanical Advantage Extended Sets - Part 1 Anyone who's ever picked up a weight has learned a little about physics, whether he knows it or not. Training T Nation January 19 Training Exercises You ve Never Tried 19 Need some change in your exercise selection? Give these unusual but effective movements a shot. Bodybuilding, Training T Nation February 4 Training Yoga-Plex The Very Best Mobility Exercise The problem with mobility exercises? There are hundreds of them! Ain't got time for that? Here's the ONE move lifters need. It Hurts Fix It, Training Nick Tumminello May 20