Improve Your Athletic Ability With These 7 Core Challenging Exercises

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Improve Your Athletic Ability With These 7 Core Challenging Exercises

As an athlete, you are asking your body to create movement in many different directions at various speeds, often at a split second notice and with the high probability of some kind of physical contact. One of the main focal points for being able to execute these vertical, lateral and diagonal movements is having a strong core. With a strong core, the transfer of force from your lower body through your upper body that is required in order to make these motions, results in more stable, powerful and faster movement patterns.

Made up of the abdominal section, back, hips and chest, your core has nearly thirty different muscles (both large and small) that must be firing at the same time in order for these explosive movements to be made successfully. Many people make the mistake that these quick change of direction movements or the ability to jump with power consecutive times comes from just having a rock hard abdominal section or powerful quads and hamstrings. Improving strength, mobility and flexibility in the pelvis, hips and glutes are equally as important areas to focus on.

While a strong core will provide results on the court, field or ice, it will also assist with your recovery from fatigue or injury. With increased stability, mobility and balance, injuries to your ankles (rolling), knees (ACL, MCL, Meniscus), hamstrings (tearing) groin (pulls), back and arms are less likely to happen and if they do, easier to recover from.

The following core focused exercises will help improve your core strength, stability and flexibility. By adding these exercises into your daily and weekly workout routine your in game performance and your ability to recover quicker will improve greatly.

INCHWORM PUSHUPS: Inchworm pushups combine a strength and flexibility workout on your legs, core and arms all in one. This is a controlled tempo exercise, not an explosive one. Reps 10 / Sets 3

• Starting standing upright (feet slightly separated), activate the core and slowly bend over until your hands touch the ground (allowing a slight bend in the knees if you need). Slowly walk your hands out in front of you until you reach a plank. This will give your hamstrings a great stretch.
• Make sure as you form into a plank that your back is straight and your abdominals are engaged.
• Slowly ease into a pushup, focusing on not allowing your hips to drop.
• Reverse the move from pushup to plank to walking your hands back to your feet and slowly stacking your spine to return to a full stand up position.
• Walking your hands out, into a plank, performing the pushup and then walking your hands back to your feet gives a great workout on your arms, shoulders, chest, core, hips, glutes and calves.

STABILITY BALL STIR THE POT: The instability of the stability ball will challenge your entire body from head to toe. This exercise will work your shoulders, abdominals, back stabilizers, hips, glutes and legs. It is important to work both clockwise and counter clockwise rotations. Reps 8-10 / Sets 4 (2 each side)

• Assume a forearm plank position on the stability ball with your elbows in line with your shoulders at 90 degrees (try to keep your arms shoulder-width apart, but for starters you may need to clasp hands together), a straight line from your head through your back down to your feet. Feet can be shoulder width apart, but for more of a challenge try a narrower stance.
• Engage your abdominals and make sure that your back is flat. Keep your hips from rolling side to side or dipping, your butt from raising up and down and your knees from dropping.
• Start rotating your forearms in small circular motion
• For an additional challenge, narrow the stance of your feet and legs and increase the rotational movement of your arms.

MED BALL LUNGE ROTATIONS: This exercise will work both your upper and lower body, specifically your shoulders, core, glutes, quads and hamstrings. For beginners it is suggested to start the exercise without the addition of the med ball to find the stability and balance with the rotational movement. Reps 10 per side / Sets 4 (2 per leg)

• Standing in a forward lunge position with front and back leg both bent at right angles, hips square, hold the med ball out in front of you with straight arm and hands on the side of the ball
• Rotate your upper body slowly from side to side, keeping your arms straight and your core engaged. Your legs should not move in this exercise.
• Focus on moving slowly and maintaining balance throughout the lower and upper body.
• You can chose to only rotate your upper body to the front knee side and then switch legs or you can rotate both directions and the repeat on the opposite leg.

SPIDERMAN PLANK: The great thing about the basic plank exercise are the progressions that come from it. With the Spiderman plank, it will not only focus on your core, but it will also target your hip flexors and glutes. This plank form will also help improve your balance and coordination.

• You can choose to do this plank off of your forearms (challenge for the abdominals) or a straight arm plank (works the shoulders and wrists).
• Whether you are in a low plank or high plank position, bring your right/left leg up so that your knee bends towards your elbow. Hold for a three count.
• Return the leg to the starting plank position (do not drop) and switch legs.
• Repeat

MED BALL BURPEE / PIVOT/ CHEST PASS: This is a great partner drill, but can be done with the use of a wall if needed. By incorporating the rotational movement of the pivot, it forces you to maintain an athletic stance throughout the entire series. Target using at least a 10-12 pound ball minimum. Reps 8-10 (4-5 for each pivot foot) / Sets 2

• Start facing away from your partner or the wall approximately 6-8 feet (you may have to adjust your distance from the wall as you want the med ball to bounce back into your hands)
• Place the ball on the floor and jump back into your plank, keeping your hips from dipping and your abdominals and lower back engaged, perform a pushup with hands on the ball.
• Jump your feet up to your hands and instead of jumping up, stay in your athletic stance, knees bent. Pick up the ball and with elbows wide, hold the ball at your chest (as if you were to make a chest pass).
• Pivot off of your left/right foot, maintaining your athletic stance, make a chest pass to your partner (or the wall), receive a quick pass back, pivot off the same foot back to the beginning and repeat.

MED BALL TABLE TOP SITUPS WITH LEG EXTENSION: This exercise is not only a challenge for the strength of your core, but also your balance and stability. The weight of the med ball does not have to be that much, aim for 6-10lbs. Reps 6-8 / Sets 2

• Lying with your back on the floor, elevate your knees to a table top position. Hold the med ball above your head with arms extended.
• Slowly lift the ball from above your head, performing a sit-up and set it down on the crook of your ankle (keep feet flexed). For a tougher challenge, keep the legs closed together for a "narrow trench".
• With the ball balanced on your ankles, slowly lower both your upper body and lower body into a straight line, arms overhead and legs full extending (with a slight hover off the ground). Do not let the ball drop on the way down or on the return to table top form. Perform a sit-up and retrieve the ball from your ankles. Bring the ball above your head and again extend your arms and legs out to full extension.
• If at any point the ball falls off your legs/ankles, stop the exercise and start again at the beginning.
• One full trip down and back up = one rep

PALLOF PRESS: One of the best exercises to challenge the strength and stabilization of your core, the Pallof Press focuses on the core's rotation and not allowing your spine to compress in order to keep your body engaged. The great thing about the Pallof Press is that you can choose to use a cable weight or a resistance band if you aren't able to access a gym. Progressions and variations come with body stance and position of the cable/band. Reps 8-12 / 2 sets (1 per side)

• Attach the cable (with handles) or band so that it is approximately chest height. You do not have to use a heavy weight as it is about balance and control. Aim for a weight that challenges you to stay upright.
• Pull the cable/band so that you are a few feet away from the anchor point and there an adequate amount of tension. Assume an athletic stance to engage your core.
• Position the handles/end of the band at the centre of your chest and press outward to extend your arms fully. Do not let your body lean into the cable/band.
• Return your hands to your chest and repeat.
• Progressions include overhead press, split stance and kneeling positions.

No longer are we in the days of banging out hundreds of sit-ups in order to strengthen your core as research has shown the incredible amount of pressure that gets placed on the spine and lower back. By incorporating the above core focused exercises into your workout you will notice an increase in the power, stability and balance that is an essential component to improving your game.