‘BULLET-PROOF’ Core Strengthening Workout
September 13, 2010 | Author Kevin Yates
I have to admit I LOVE lifting heavy! 
Considering that years ago I had pretty bad shoulder and lower back pain you probably think it’s because of all my heavy lifting.
But, here I am with ZERO shoulder and low back pain…
In fact, my shoulders and lower back are probably the strongest they’ve ever been even though I continue to perform heavy squats, rows, presses, deadlifts, power cleans, snatches and the like.
Actually, I realized that all of my problems (as is the case with most shoulder, low back and knee problems) wasn’t due to the loads I was lifting.
It was due to muscle imbalances that I had for so long and didn’t even realize at the time.
And, once I figured out how to identify and address muscle imbalances with specific exercises the results were amazing!
So, what’s the SECRET to fixing most nagging injuries?
To build an INDESTRUCTIBLE core!
I’m not talking about doing stability ball crunches and tons of abdominal exercises, but REAL core training.
See most people see the core as only involving the abdominals but it’s much more than that.
When you move forces are constantly being transmitted between your lower and upper body. And, the muscles that connect your extremities are every bit as important for a strong core as your abs are.
Core training should be based on movements that develop REAL CORE STRENGTH. That is strength you can actually use outside of the gym.
Try this functional core strengthening warm up to address muscle imbalances of the shoulders, lower back and hips and feel how different your body moves after:
3 Responses to “‘BULLET-PROOF’ Core Strengthening Workout”
Leave a Reply
Great stuff as allways. Many younger (and older alike) lifters don’t know that you should firts properly warm up to stabilize and mobilize your body and that treadmill runing or biking are not the most perfect warm up routines.
Beacuse of this one-dimensional approach in past I have very much jacked shoulders. Specialy in pec minor region. I can not touch the floor lying prone, behind my head with stretched arms, also holding the bar behind my head is very limited. Or is the bar too high on my neck or I must hold with very wide grip, which is not so good also.
Any suggestions how to approach this problem
Thanks and keep up the good work.
Robert
Thanks for this question Robert. You know I used to have ‘jacked’ shoulders as well from many years as a baseball pitcher and outfielder.
So, I hear you about how limiting things can be with shoulder problems. Anyway, the way you can approach this problem is by focusing on both shoulder (active) mobility and scapular stability.
But, the cool thing is that both go together so they don’t have to be trained individually. Your mobility will most likely improve as your ability to recruit the scapular stabilizers improves.
Try lying on a 1/2 or full foam roller (on your back of course) and work through pushing in a line through your ears as if doing an overhead press while keeping your lumbar spine in contact with the foam roller at all times.
Then pull your arms back down as if pulling your elbows in your back pockets again without allowing the lower back to lose contact with the foam roller.
This will not be an easy exercise to do. Also, use the foam roller to keep your shoulder blades ‘pinched’ against. You want the feeling that your shoulder blades are so tight that if you stood up the foam roller would not drop to the floor.
Make sense?
I hope this helps
Thanks Kevin
for answer.
Yes I know and I try to get mobile shoulders and to stabilize my scapulae. For more than I year now, but very little progress. At least there is some
I mostly do Y T W L on feet or swiss ball, and some shoulder mobility work with a stick lying or stnading.
Sure I will try your exercise tomorrow morning.
Thanks for all the good work you are doing for all of us.
I study sports science and hope that someday I will work in this field too.
Thanks again
Robert