We should be performing core exercises to train the trunk as it was intended to function, which is to help prevent motion. Think of a building structure, what’s paramount is a solid and strong foundation and the same goes for your body. The core muscles are your foundation and these muscles need to be able to stabilise and control your posture as well as reduce the forces placed upon them. This then allows you to be able to move optimally. The better you are at maintaining posture whilst reducing impact and decelerating your body weight, the greater your ability will be to generate force and become strong. As the human body spends more time decelerating and controlling movements it makes sense to train accordingly. This is where anti-tension core training comes in.
There are a few things to understand about muscles and movements to fully appreciate why this system of training is so important. Firstly, muscles can contract in different ways. They can shorten and create movement, lengthen under tension to decelerate movement or create equal force to hold a joint stable (isometric contraction). Secondly there are three planes of motion in which we can move. When it comes to the movements of the trunk these play out as flexion / extension (think crunches and cobras), lateral flexion (think side bends) and rotation (think Russian twists)
Anti-tension core training primarily requires working the deceleration and isometric components of muscle contractions. We are going to do exercises that train each of the three planes, Anti Extension, Anti Lateral Flexion and Anti Rotation. This will give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to maximising your core strength, getting functionally strong and safeguarding yourself from injury
The focus here is trying to stop the ribs from flaring and the spine from over aching.
This plank variation is all about a maximum effort co-contraction of the inner thighs, thighs, bum and abs. I like to focus on a full exhale during the max effort squeeze and try to hold that level on tension on the inhale before ramping up even more tension on the next exhale. Place a yoga block between your thighs to get the most from this exercise.
3 x 3-5 max effort squeezes
Lie on your back with your feet up, knees at 90º. Hold a kettlebell with the bell end facing back overhead. Reach the arms back overhead keeping the elbows straight. The tendency is for the back to arch away from the floor so your focus is to try and keep the spine in contact with the ground and get the arms to reach overhead as far as you can. Try to make sure you breathe out on the way down and hold for 2 seconds in the bottom position before returning up and breathing in.
3 x 8-10 reps
This is one of the most demanding anti-extension exercises out there. Take 2 kettlebells, one in each hand and reach them over head with the kettlebell hanging behind the wrist. This places a huge demands on the muscles around the spine, keep your eye line about a meter in front of you and really focus on keeping the ribs down as you walk. You need to keep the arms locked out long overhead as you walk.
3 x 15-30meters
The focus here is to stop the spine from being pulled into a lean left or right. If your still doing side bends with weights you are doing more harm than good so stop them immediately and check these out.
These can be loaded with a bar, dumbbell or kettlebell. Start in a kneeling position to really focus on bracing the glutes and abdominals, take a heavy weight in one hand and focus on resisting the spine being pulled towards the load. Note it’s cheating to lean away from the weight, the idea is to kneel tall and have your spine level and symmetrical
3 x 30seconds each side.
Get into the half kneeling position to create a strong base of support. Set up the cable just above shoulder height. Take hold of the handle and bring it under your chin, keep your elbows in and press the weight overhead resisting the pull from the cable. Exhale during the pressing motion and pause at the top for 2 seconds before inhaling and coming back down.
3 x 10 each side
Bring a KB up into the front rack position, offset on one side of the body only. Don’t be afraid to load these up fairly heavy. Keep your eye line down and walk at a controlled pace trying to stay as tall as possible and not allowing the weights to make the spine lean. You will feel the trunk muscles on the opposite side from the weight working.
3 x 15-30m each side
The focus here is to stop the spine being rotated. Rotation is often the movement pattern we do the least of in the gym which makes this section really important.
Set up a cable to about chest height, go onto one knee in the half kneeling position with both knees at 90º. Take hold of the cable handle, set with light to moderate load, and press the weight straight out on line with the sternum resisting the rotational force as you press, hold for 2 seconds in the lock out. Try to make sure you breathe out as you press.
3 x 8-10 each side
Similar to the RKC plank but now we are using a set of small plates to move from one side to the other. Use 2.5kg plates and no more than 4 or 5 stacked up as you wont be able to control the rotation when raising the arm to take the top plate. Set your strong plank position. Use the opposite arm to take the top plate and start building a stack of plates on the opposite side. The key here is to not rotate, if you allow your hips to lift or your ribcage to drop its no longer anti rotation. Try to move your stack of plates 4 x before resting.
3 x 3-5 plates (12-20 moves)
(the only video i’ve not got on my youtube channel!)
The key here is to stand tall and hold the landmine in both hands with the bar just below the chin and not out in lengthened arms. Keep tight to resist the rotation coming from the bar and take one elbow down into the side of the spine with the other arm coming across the chest, before returning to the top and repeating the other side. The focus here has to be keeping the elbows in towards the trunk throughout and not allowing the arms to drift too far away from the torso.
3 x 6-8 each side
I recommend starting with the beginner moves from each plane of motion and do one of each throughout your 45-60min workout. Up to 3 x per week. After a 4 week period working up the weights. Switch to intermediate for 4 weeks before going to the advanced section. I see far too may people trying too hard an exercise to soon, you need to make sure you have totally mastered the exercise before progressing. Always take the time to build a strong base. Train smart!
Here’s the thing, I live in a social media bubble where I surround myself with women lifting weights, getting strong and generally being freaking badass human beings. Yet when I walk into most gyms, this isn’t exactly what I’m seeing.
Elevate your conditioning with well-designed circuits. Far too many routines throw together exercises haphazardly, creating unbalanced fatigue and overwhelming recovery demands. It’s about strategic selection and smart planning—ensuring each session builds you up without burning you out.
The big scary carbohydrate is here to ruin your diet and make you gain weight. It’s time to separate the facts from the fiction, such as why you should not cut a whole food group out of your diet and why we need carbs.
It’s a common misconception that exercise must be long to be effective. This usually aligns with the notion that exercise is all about calories burned.
Copyright © 2019 Andy Vincent PT
Created by DO Digital Marketing
1 thought on “Why you need to be doing anti tension core training.”
Pingback: Too Much Too Soon? | Andy Vincent PT