Exercise of the Month
( Core Stabilization Phase 1 & 2: Kneeling Oblique Stabilization )
Core training is one of the most popular styles of training today along with it being one of the most discussed topics in both the fitness and sports perfomance industry. It has gotten so popular like functional training that now its trendy to say that you do core training or that you specialize in core training. Now you seek and multiple books and DVD's on core training. Most of the time people do core training without really thinking of where to start. You can find many videos on youtube which show various forms of core training but nobody really tells you what stage or level to start at nor how to progress. I added these videos on youtube in an effort to show you one of a few fundamental exercises you can perform without to much fancy equipment.
In training the core it is important that like anything else you simply master the basic skills. Forget crunches! Crunches do very little to train your core and such an exercise is rarely effective for functional movement. Turkish Get-Ups are a more functional movement than crunches which only work the abdominals and not much of anything else. When we get up and out of bed we do more of a Turkish Get-Up type movement. You can find the Turkish Get-Up in my 'Exercise Archives' page. Core training also doesn't mean you should be training the abdominals. Core training refers to the strengthening of the Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Complex for which the abdominal play a role in stabilizing the mid-section. Notice I used the word stabilize! Stabilization should be the first thing you master before adding rotational movements but most people go straight into rotational movements with disregard to what the objectives are and the role of the core. You should master both the Plank and Bridge exercises before moving forward to this exercise! Once mastered proceed here!
In the first video you see the 'Kneeling Oblique Stabilization' exercise which shows me using a Super Band. The Super Band comes in 4 different resistance levels based on width. In this video I am using the lightest resistance thus the thinnest width. This oversized rubberband can be used to train the body in many different ways and cost around $12.95. In this exercise I rap the Super Band around a multi-cable machine and go into a half kneeling position ( low phase of a split squat ). I put myself far enough to get some resistance and force my back muscles and abdominal muscles to co-contract. This forces me to stabilize by resisting my bodies desire to rotate. I keep my torso upright and flex both knees to a 90 degree angle. The difficulty can be increasing by holding myself steady for more time, moving further away from the machine to add band resistance or by using a thicker Super Band. This could be considered a 1st step Stabilization Phase I of this exercise.
In the 1st step Stabilation Phase II you would be kneeling on both knees as seen in the next video. This makes it more difficult as you are now grounded not on your feet but rather on both knees. The knees are not as stable as your feet are as they form no flat surface with the floor. You must still be able to maintain a stable position as the core and must engage the glutes to help with the stabilization. Many more variations can be added to make this exercise more difficult but that is another discussion. Learn these two exercises and then if you are interested in more you can e-mail me to: damien@irondogfitness.com for a FREE CONSULTATION WITH ASSESSMENT! The Super Band picture seen here is just one more exercise which can be performed using the Super Band.
If you do not currently possess a Super Band you may purchase one by clicking on the picture provided ---->
*Always consult with a fitness professional before attempting any of these exercises. Always consult with a physician before starting an exercise program!