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OPTION #1

Few exercises are as effective for targeting the musculature of core as ab rollouts. Unfortunately most individuals perform them incorrectly. Some of this is due to misinformation provided by the mainstream fitness industry and “expert trainers”. However, some of these aberrations are simply a result of the difficulty of the movement. With that said I’ve recently been having many of my clients and athletes perform ab rollouts from the bear crawl position (crawl position ab rollouts).

To perform the bear crawl ab rollout simply rest on all fours with the knees on the floor, and hands/elbows on the rolling device. Then elevate the knees several inches so that the hips and knees still maintain 90-degree angles. At this point there will only be two points of contact, namely the balls of the feet and the hands/elbows. From there perform ab rollouts with a slightly abbreviated range of motion.

Besides providing an intense full body stimulus that brutalizes the core and abs, there are 5 reasons why the bear crawl position ab rollout is so effective.

1. Perhaps the single most common mistake I see individuals make when performing ab rollouts is allowing their lumbar spine to excessively arch. Part of this is due to the fact that they’re simply attempting to roll out too far and use excessive range of motion which also overstretches the abdominal wall. However some of this is also due to the intense extension forces placed on the lumbar spine from ab rollouts. In fact, the very nature of the rollout is that it’s designed to be an anti-extension exercise where the lifter resists extension forces by keeping a neutral spine throughout. Here's what correct technique for the traditional ab rollout should look like. However, most lifters including many coaches produce varying degrees of lumbar extension during ab rollouts which not only minimizes tension to the core but also places undue stress on the low back. The bear crawl ab rollout directly addresses this issue head on. That’s because it’s literally impossible to hyperextend the lumbar spine if in fact the lifter maintains a perfect bear crawl position with a double 90-degree bend at the hips and knees. In other words, for the lumbar spine to extend, the knees and hips would also have to extend. I’ve used this technique on several dozen athletes and clients over the last few months and it’s been incredibly effective for eliminating most if not all traces of lumbar extension during ab rollouts.

2. The bear crawl rollout not only reinforces proper spinal positioning during ab rollouts, it also incorporates the dual-core activation method by targeting the muscles of both the lumbar flexors and hip flexors. In fact, many variable resistance companies frequently attempt to build abdominal machines that involve simultaneous lumbar flexion and hip flexion. Additionally, many popular ab exercises including hanging leg raises, knee tucks, jackknives, v-ups, and pike ups are also employed with the notion that targeting both the core and hips together will produce greater activation of the abs. Unfortunately many of these variations also sacrifice optimal spinal alignment as the athlete is forced to abandon neutral spinal mechanics. The bear crawl rollout directly targets these same muscles using very similar activation principles, however, the athlete is able to maintain a neutral spine throughout. In other words the bear crawl rollout involves anti-extension of both the core and the hips not to mention the knees.

3. Most individuals perform ab rollouts with excessive range of motion by attempting to over-stretch their abdominal wall. As with any exercise the goal should be optimal range of motion not excessive range of motion. Although the bear crawl rollout represents a movement that involves a slightly abbreviated range of motion compared to standard rollouts, this also helps eliminate overstretching. If you tend to collapse on ab rollouts or have trouble finding your natural stopping point, bear crawl rollouts are a simple but effective method to quickly resolve this.

4. Consciously contracting your glutes while performing ab rollouts or any anti-extensor core exercise is plain wrong. Instead focus on firing your core and hip flexors. This is something I’ve stated repeatedly over the years but it’s worth repeating as many fitness professionals are still erroneously applying this cue to their training. In fact, one of the main reasons why individuals perform ab rollouts with an excessive range of motion is because they emphasize the “glute squeeze” cue. This is the single worst training cue you could use on any anti-extension core exercise including rollouts, planks, pushups, and even hollow body holds as the hip flexors (not the hip extensors) should be firing aggressively. During any anti-extension core exercise, the stomach should remain pulled in and the hips should remain tall and relatively high as this facilitates a hollowed core position similar to a hollow body leg raise. Dropping the hips even slightly, reduces this hollowed core position and places undue stress on the low back (i.e. extension forces) not to mention the core musculature loses significant intramuscular tension. Flexing the hip flexors helps to promote optimal mechanics as the hip flexors resist the very thing the rollout is attempting to do to your spine, namely hip and lumbar extension. Contracting the glutes (hip extensors) works against optimal body mechanics as it simply adds to the already high levels of extension forces working against the hips and core. Simply put, because the ab rollout is an anti-extension exercise (of the spine and hips) this necessitates activating both the anterior core musculature and hip flexors as they work in conjunction with each other. Again this is similar to many core movements such as pike ups, leg raises, knee raises, body saws, and hollow body leg raise holds. Forcefully contracting the glutes on any of these would not only be detrimental and degrading to natural body mechanics but it would feel incredibly unnatural and dangerous. In addition, squeezing the glutes emphasizes hip extension and inhibition of the hip flexors (as these muscles cannot co-contract when a prominent force vector acting in one direction is present) which is exactly the opposite of what should be occurring during any anti-extension movement. If anything there should be a slight V position in the hips as they sit tall throughout which helps to hollow the core and further resist extension. With all of this said, the bear crawl ab rollout directly reinforces this principle as the hip flexors are contracting throughout to maintain a 90 degree hip bend. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should be contracting your hip flexors or hip extensors during ab rollouts, planks, or any other anti-extension exercise, give the bear crawl rollout a spin. You’ll immediately see how important the hip flexors are and how counterproductive it is to forcefully contract the glutes during anti-extension movements.

5. The bear crawl rollout is incredibly effective for reinforcing proper shoulder mechanics during anti-extension movements. Most athletes have a tendency to move their shoulders into excessive elevation and protraction by allowing the extension forces to yank their shoulders up and over. Besides ingraining faulty upper body mechanics this also reduces stress to the core while placing undue stress on the spine. Due to the semi-rigid and tighter setup, the bear crawl position helps pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint into a very natural and stable position. As a result you’ll be more likely to perform rollouts without forfeiting optimal shoulder mechanics.

QUICK NOTE

Although the amount of intramuscular tension is quite high during bear crawl rollouts, some individuals will notice they need additional loading in comparison to standing/pushup plank ab rollouts due the shorter lever arm and abbreviated motion. However, focusing on performing the movement with perfect mechanics will produce incredibly high levels of core activation making these challenging even for the most advanced trainee.

OPTION #2

Perturbation training has been shown to be an effective method for improving stabilization, kinesthetic awareness, proprioception, balance, & body control. The unpredictable oscillations & perturbations teach the athlete to dial in their mechanics by controlling their body, engaging the core, & maintaining full body tension from head to toe.

1. Split Squat Lunge with Ball Tap Partner Perturbations: This has tremendous carryover for athletes as the split stance position with 90 degree eccentric isometric hold in the bottom of the lunge is essentially a form of deconstructed stride mechanics that has great specificity for sprinting. Besides reinforcing proper stride mechanics, body alignment, & cross crawl activation patterns, it also teaches athletes how to absorb force & impact from unpredictable direction on the playing field which for football athletes is critical.

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NOTE: sliders, roller discs, or towel on slick surface can also be used

This next exercise is a unique eccentric isometric lateral lunge on the slide board using 2 forms of band resistance, one pulling from the lateral direction & the other pulling in the anterior direction. Besides being one of the most intense and effective drills for the inner and outer hips not to mention the entire lower body, there are 3 unique things going on here.

1. The lateral band tension creates greater stress on the adductors of the inside leg. However, due to the nature of band tension it provides accommodating resistance so it lets up slightly in the bottom stretched position while providing the highest level of tension in the top contracted position. If you have trouble waking up your inner thighs & adductors gives these a try. Paired with Copenhagen planks the combination is brutal.

2. The lateral band tension not only works the inner thigh of the inside leg but it also has an indirect pulling effect on the abductors of the outside leg. Essentially the band force is attempting to pull you inward (valgus force) on the squatting leg, forcing the lifter to fire their glute medius & abductors to resist these forces.

3. The anterior band tension around the front knee of the squatting leg helps teach the lifter to avoid excessive anterior knee drift (i.e. knees too far forward) which is a common issue not only during lateral lunges but on squats and traditional lunges as well. This helps remedy it while also reinforcing sitting back into the hip rather than placing so much tension on the knee. The glutes & quads get pummeled from this. Basically it’s a form of RNT (reactive neuromuscular training) as you’re feeding a form of dysfunction you must resist.

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OPTION #1

It’s important to highlight I used to be a huge ATG squat advocate & was big on range of motion, mobility, & flexibility during my first 8 years in this industry.

Unfortunately I began noticing trends not only amongst my own clients but also when talking to other experts & trainers in the industry expressing how often they had to have their athletes & clients do soft tissue work & lengthy warmup & mobility sessions just to warmup. Additionally trends of injuries on & off the field as well as in the weight room & across the fitness industry became more & more rampant and still are to this day.

At that point 10 years ago I decided to unlearn everything I had learned over the prior 8 years & start with a clean slate by doing my own research & investigation & looking at the data for myself & coming to my own conclusions based on science not on bro-science advocated throughout the industry. Additionally it became obvious that body mechanics & muscle function were critical for performance, injury prevention, & physique changes.

The more I looked at the research the more apparent it became that the key to maximizing training success was proprioceptive mechanisms such as intrafusal muscle fibers & muscle spindles. It also became clear that 90 deg eccentric isometrics were the key to mastering body mechanics & ultimately human performance, strength, hypertrophy, joint health, & overall physiological function. Read more at: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/squats-truths

OPTION #2

This next exercise is an eyes closed eccentric isometric kickstand goblet squat. The level of focus needed to dial these in while using the kickstand position under eyes closed conditions is quite high. Besides working the daylights out of the feet & ankles it also requires near perfect body alignment as even the slightest deviation & misalignment will result in loss of balance. Because of the loading nature of traditional goblet squats, the upper body and core tend to be the limiting factor as the arms, shoulders, and abs can give out well before the legs. With that said, the goblet squat is very conducive for pairing with the kickstand protocol as the legs tend to give out before the upper body and core.

HOW TO PERFORM THE KICKSTAND SQUAT

To perform the kickstand squat, simply stagger your feet so that one foot is in front of the other while placing most of the tension on the front leg. The heel of the front leg should be anywhere between 1-6 inches in front of the toes of the back leg. In addition, I’ve found that having the feet slightly, but not excessively staggered (laterally) feels ideal and promotes optimal mechanics. In other words if you were to slide the back leg forward and parallel to the front leg it should land almost right next to it with little or no space in between each foot.

Additionally, some individuals will report that the movement feels like a mini lunge or split squat. However, the main difference is that slightly more tension is placed onto the front leg with less tension on the back leg in comparison to a true lunge or split squat.

As you squat down focus on driving through the heel of the front leg while keeping the heel of the back leg tall rather than down or sagging towards the ground. This helps to ensure more tension is placed on the front leg and also ensures optimal activation of the posterior chain of that leg. In regards to depth both legs should move into an approximately 90-degree joint angle. Lastly, make sure your hips are set back throughout by maintaining a proper hip hinge rather than allowing the hips and knees to drift forward which promotes dysfunctional lower body mechanics and potential injury.

BENEFITS OF THE KICKSTAND SQUAT

Now that we’ve covered the technical components, let’s discuss the various benefits of the kickstand squat. Here are 8 reasons why it’s so effective as well as a few unique variations.

1. The kickstand squat is essentially a single leg squat with slight support from the back leg. Simply put, it provides an effective method for performing single leg squats while also providing just enough support to allow the individual to overload the movement. For instance when performing true single leg squats, I’ve found that most individuals must decrease their load substantially to the point where they may only use a quarter or a third of the load they typically use for bilateral squats. For example I have several athletes who can back squat over 500 pounds yet rarely go past 155 on single legs squats as any additional weight will make it difficult to balance and control. In contrast I’ve found that most individuals can handle up to 2/3 of their typical bilateral squat weight when performing the kickstand squat most likely because of the slight support provided by the back leg that helps the individual balance their body. In the case of the 500-pound squatter this would allow them to handle well over 300 pounds. In such a scenario performing a mildly supported single leg squat with 300 pounds provides enormous tension to that individual leg thereby creating significant levels of mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress. As a result the kickstand squat is an incredibly effective lower body variation for inducing significant functional strength and hypertrophy throughout the glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also maximizing the overload response.

2. The kickstand squat is exceptional for eliminating various imbalances and alignment issues throughout the lower body as the hips, ankles, and knees must maintain proper alignment, positioning, and mechanics throughout in order to successfully complete each repetition. Otherwise, the lifter will struggle to maintain balance and lock the movement in.

3. While the kickstand squat doesn’t provide as much instability as a true single leg squat, it’s still relatively unstable and difficult to balance particularly when ample overload is applied. As a result it’s quite effective for strengthening the muscles of the feet and ankles while also promoting better balance and stability.

4. The kickstand squat helps to promote optimal hip hinge mechanics during the squat (a critical component of correct squatting technique) as it feels very natural and comfortable to keep the hips set back throughout. This not only promotes optimal technique for single leg and split squat variation but also transfers quite nicely to bilateral squats including barbell back squats.

5. The kickstand squat is highly effective for improving sprint speed and mechanics particularly out of the starting position as most sprint starts involve setting up in a position that’s quite similar to a kickstand. Whether you’re a track athlete looking to improve their speed out of the blocks or a football player looking to improve their sprint power out of the 3-point stance, this squat variation will provide tremendous benefits.

6. The kickstand squat is surprisingly easy to teach and even easier for individuals to learn. This is most likely because the movement feels very natural and represents a very functional position that’s used in everyday life.

7. Programming lower body exercises that provide significant overload to the legs yet also minimizes tension to the low back and spine can be quite difficult. The kickstand squat provides a highly effective movement choice for crushing the lower body while minimizing stress to the spine.

8. Similar to other squatting variations, the kickstand squat is incredibly versatile and can be applied to nearly all squatting variations including front squats, goblet squats, trap bar deadlifts, overhead squats, Zercher squats and more.

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Working on balance/stability and hypertrophy is not necessarily an either or scenario. In fact I’ve often found that by taking traditional moves and adding a unique stabilization & balance component, not only does it address motor control, stability, & technique, but the instability & perturbations often force the lifter to use unusually smooth & strict mechanics thereby creating greater direction tension & metabolic stress to the targeted musculature.

Not only does this exercise address balance, stability, & control, but the oscillations force the lifter to activate the daylights out of their entire posterior chain including the glutes, hamstrings, upper back, & lats. Additionally the added foot & ankle activation further increases signaling up the kinetic chain thereby producing even greater posterior chain activation.

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OPTION #1

(Elevation on bench is optional based on desired level of difficulty) The chaos pushup as made popular from Jim Smith and Tony Gentilcore is an awesome combination strength and stabilization movement. The instability produced from the bands forces the lifter to lock in their mechanics, centrate their glenohumeral joint, pack their shoulders, tighten their core, and control the movement with precision.

Here's one of my amazingly strong figure competitors Leslie Petch performing a very advanced variation of the chaos pushup as she performs it weighted, single leg, with her feet elevated on a bench. This requires even greater motor control as there is a slight rotary stability and anti-rotation component involved thereby forcing the core and the upper body stabilizers to work overtime. The feet elevated position also increase the difficulty with added tension and also targets the upper chest similar to an incline press.

OPTION #2

The hanging band technique is one of the most effective protocols for strength training as it has a number of benefits for improving stability, motor control, body mechanics and activation not to mention functional strength and size. Here's how to apply it to chest training on the incline barbell chest press. Read more in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/buildmusclewithhangingbands

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OPTION #1

Here is a brutal barbell chaos Bulgarian split squat. Be prepared to slow everything down and use smooth and controlled form to maintaining balance as you feel every muscle in your lower body fire.

OPTION #2

The hanging band technique is one of the most effective protocols for strength training as it has a number of benefits for improving stability, motor control, body mechanics and activation not to mention functional strength and size. Here's how to apply it to chest training on the incline barbell chest press. Read more in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/buildmusclewithhangingbands

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The next time you want to crush your backside try this very unique but brutal chaos glute bridge exercises as demonstrated by one of my awesome figure athletes Leslie Petch.

Yes the glutes and hamstrings respond very well to overload but most people don’t realize that they also respond quite well to instability as the oscillatory nature of the surface forces the smaller stabilizers around the hips, feet, and ankles activate. This produces incredible signaling throughout the larger muscles of the posterior chain (due to concurrent activation potentiation) resulting in significant growth and strength to the glutes and hamstrings. It also does wonders for cleaning up areas in the posterior chain and lower extremity that are prone to misalignment, energy leakage, and other forms of muscular dysfunction.

In addition the chaos glute bridge requires very smooth and controlled mechanics as the use of excessive momentum will cause the bands to oscillate in an uncontrollable fashion. That means more constant and continuous tension to the glutes and hamstrings.

Finally, the chaos glute bridge requires intense foot and ankle activation to lock the movement in. When you examine the way most lifters perform glute bridges they typically have poor foot and ankle alignment as you’ll often notice one or both toes flaring with very littler motor control of their lower extremities. Because of the heightened instability of the chaos glute bridge you’ll be forced to activate the muscles around the feet, ankles, and shins in order to achieve proper alignment through the foot and ankle complex. Anything less will result in loss of stability and lack of control.

You’ll notice the use of the dorsiflexed foot and ankle position. The dorsiflexed position is something I advocate on most movements when possible as it helps to ensure that the calves are not taking over and tends to create a stronger muscle mind connection to the posterior chain. For athletes, it also does wonders for improving running and sprinting mechanics as dorsiflexion plays a key role not only in gait and postural control but also in sprinting speed and foot and ankle positioning/shock absorption.

PROTOCOLS

Because of the intense nature of these you can begin with the double leg variation then progressing from there. Once you’ve mastered those try bodyweight single leg variations then add weight in the form of barbells, plates, and dumbbells for increased intensity. Several sets of 8-10 repetitions will leave your glutes and hamstrings pummeled for several days.

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The hanging band technique (HBT) is one of my favorite methods for improving lifting mechanics as the oscillating kinetic energy produced from the hanging loads increases proprioceptive feedback and body positioning. Unfortunately this technique is often limited to barbell movements as it can be difficult to incorporate into other exercises.

Although the oscillations won’t be quite as extreme or direct, applying the HBT method to pullups produces a similar effect which improves sensory feedback and overall pullup mechanics. It also helps to eliminate excessive momentum as jerky motions will cause the weight to bounce and drift in an uncontrollable fashion. Although it can be incorporated with the dorsiflex loading method (by hanging the band from the toes), most individuals will be better suited to the knee-flexion protocol as this keeps the weight from hitting the floor unless of course they have access to a very high pullup bar

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A more advanced progression of my ball-to-the-wall overhead press exercise involves holding an isometric squat position throughout the duration of the set as shown here. Notice the 2 advanced variations illustrated in the video, including the highly difficult single leg variation.

his squatting ball-to-the-wall press truly taxes the entire body from head to toe making this one of the most intense full body exercises you’ll ever attempt. Although these aren’t necessarily as mobility friendly as the angled standing version due to a lack of an angular component, this variation does have quite a few of its own unique attributes, 5 to be exact.

1. Similar to the straight leg angled version, the lumbar support from the ball makes this overhead press very low back friendly and easy on the spine. Additionally, it still provides the benefits associated with direct vertical force vectors and axial loading that transfer well to more traditional overhead presses. Simply put, it teaches you to stabilize the spine and low back (via enhanced core activation) while also reducing stress and compressive forces to the actual lumbar region.

2. On a similar note, the squatting variation of the ball-to-the-wall overhead press makes it impossible to over-extend the lumbar spine and produce excessive lordotic curvature. One of the most common issues during overhead presses is allowing the hips to sag forward into excessive extension which places enormous tension on the low back and lumbar spine. Because the hips will be forced to sit back to maintain the 90-degree squat position, the athlete will be unable produce the aforementioned compensation pattern.

3. This incredibly strict and rigid upright torso position that’s ingrained by this exercise makes it nearly impossible to lean back and cheat. As a result the squatting wall-to-the-ball press truly isolates the daylights out of the deltoids and traps even more so than most presses.

4. Besides eliminating the backward lean that reduces tension to the targeted musculature of the shoulders (typically placing more tension to the upper chest), the squatting ball-to-the-wall press also provides constant tension to the shoulders including in the overhead lockout position. That’s because holding a squat while performing overhead presses changes the dynamics of the movement by providing extreme tension in the top fully contracted position that absolutely annihilates the musculature of the shoulders. During most overhead presses, the top lockout represents a position where the lifter can typically rest the involved musculature as they can use their overall body structure to maintain an overhead slot position similar to that used with Olympic weightlifting. Although this crushes the core it tends to reduce tension to the deltoids. The squatting ball-to-the-wall press eliminates this resting phase as the top lockout position is just as difficult as the bottom stretched position due to a constant tension component that’s difficult to replicate with any other overhead press.

5. Besides improving overhead pressing mechanics that translate incredibly well to traditional military presses, the ball-to-the-wall squatting press also improves squatting technique. That’s because it helps to reinforce the idea of sitting back into the heels during squats as it’s nearly impossible to perform these without this element. As a result the level of intramuscular tension throughout the entire lower body including the quads and glutes is quite high.