Core Tools

Crunches are dead! Here are several excellent core exercises that are brutally effective and much more fun than your run-of-the-mill core exercises: 

Bench Press Sit-Up

Lie on your back on the floor with a barbell held in the hands as if you were locking out on a bench press. Keep the elbows locked out at arms' length, shoulders packed, and knees bent. Keep the arms from drifting backward or forward.

Keeping a neutral spine, push through the feet and sitforcefully up until your torso is vertical and the arms are locked straightover head.

Pause at the top and sit back slowly, trying to roll back one vertebra at a time.

Perform 3 sets of 5

Suitcase Deadlift

Place a moderately heavy barbell on the floor. Stand parallel to the side of the bar, right in the middle.

Hinge at the hip and and set yourself in the same position you would to deadlift (back flat, chest up.) Get a firm grip right along your ankle in the middle of the bar. Pick the barbell up just as you would a suitcase.

Keep your core and your lower back tight throughout the movement. If your torso twists, lighten the load.

Perform 3 sets of 5 on each side

Squat Landmine

Place one end of a barbell bar in a corner. Put a weight plate on the other end. Stand at the weighted end with the bar pointing to the middle of your body, feet a bit wider than shoulder width. Grab the bar with both hands (one will be higher on the bar than the other) and squat so thatyour thigh bones are parallel to the floor.

While maintaining the squat position, extend your armsstraight out, keeping a slight bend in the elbows. Trace an arc or “rainbow” from side to side with the barbell. Keep the bar under control; don’t allow momentum to take over.

Perform 3 sets of 5 (each full arc counts as 1 repetition)

Pitchfork or Shovel Lift

Load one end of a barbell with a moderate weight. Grab the bar near the unloaded end with one hand and grab the bar in the middle with the other hand.

Bend the knees and a bit sideways at the hip and lift the bar as if you were shoveling dirt or picking up hay. Turn the bar outward at the top of the move as if you were dumping out dirt.

Perform 3 sets of 5 on each side

Body Saw

You’ll need some furniture movers or a couple of hand towels and a slick floor (such as tile or wood) for this one.

Get in a plank position and place your toes on the towels are furniture movers. Keeping your entire body tight, push your body backward, away from your shoulders as far as you comfortably can. The range-of-motion is usually several inches.

If you feel pain or tightness in your low back, you’ve gone too far. Now “pull” your body forward back to the starting position.

Perform 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions. When this becomes easy, wear a weight vest or put some weights under your feet.

If you perform these exercises regularly, your core will never be stronger!

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