Preventing Low Back Pain
Core strength exercises are important because having a weak back can really weaken your training. And we aren’t just talking about the abs and obliques, we need to consider all the muscles from hips on up to the shoulders. This is especially important for preventing low back pain from our workouts.
Core Strength Exercises for the Key Hip Muscle
The most forgot about muscle lies in the hips. This is the gluteus medius. This muscle lies underneath the bigger glute muscle, the gluteus maximus (the muscle we all know about and are familiar with). The gluteus medius is an incredibly important muscle when it comes to providing the stability we need for a stronger core. We don’t want to shift the brunt of the responsibility up to the lower back which can happen when the glute medius isn’t functioning properly… this can lead to low back pain. The glute medius main role is providing stability to the pelvis… the key here is to stabilize the core from the bottom up.
Demonstrating Glute Medius Dysfunction
Everytime we lift our leg up, our pelvis wants to fall to that side because our pelvis doesn’t have that dual support anymore from below. This happens every time you lift your leg. So just think how often throughout the day every time you lift your leg up when you walk or run, you have to be able to keep a stable pelvis and we do that with our glute medius on the opposite side (our grounded leg). So we want to keep our pelvis level even when we lift our leg off the ground. So, when we have a weakness of the glute medius, we start to get the leg dropping, which will lead to a breakdown in the responsibility of the glute medius to provide the necessary stability your body needs.
How to Get the Glute Medius Working Correctly
There are some things we can do that are pretty simple to get the glutes firing properly. We can just start with a body weight exercise version of this where we don’t need a lot of space and don’t need to lift a lot of weight. And these core strength exercises are also good because you can do them multiple times throughout the day.
Hip Drop Exercise
Position yourself next to something stable such as a wall. You stand on your opposite leg and start to allow yourself to drop in the way it wants to letting your glute medius do the work. You end up with your hip dropping out to the side. Now, the exercise here is to get your pelvis back to level. So, from that drop position, bring your pelvis up to a level position. You should feel all the muscle contraction through the glute medius. You can perform this as a high rep exercise (around 50 reps) in a continuous fashion and you will see even people that are really strong at squatting a lot of weight… end up suffering quickly by about 20 reps because of the dysfunction of the glute medius. Keep working hard through the burn to make it to 50 reps, then do the same on the other side.
We can also make this exercise a little more difficult by using a resistance band.
Pallof Press Exercise
With the Pallof Press, we are getting some added rotation during the exercise. Not only do we not want the hips to drop, but we also want the glute medius to do the work. You do this by controlling the rotation by pressing out with each repetition. The Pallof Press makes the exercise more functional and athletic to what you’re trying to do.
Do 15 presses straight out in front of you. We then change directions of the force by pressing straight up. As you pull up, the band wants to pull you down. Here we need the support for working in the frontal plane also.
Why Training Like This is So Important
Many people go crazy with their core training doing single leg balance training, dumbbell curls, and stuff like that. Just remember, there is a time and place for everything. Just because you do single leg training doesn’t mean you are working on hip stability. For example, if you do single leg training on a curl while trying to improve your biceps, you are actually doing a really poor job on both sides because you aren’t strengthening your biceps as much as you can because of the compromising instability that is happening below that. And you aren’t doing a really good job working the glute medius muscles like you should be if you aren’t working them like I am showing you here.
If you want to do hip stability (especially if you have a back injury) I highly suggest doing these core strength exercises. Just 5 or 6 minutes a few times a week is all it’s going to take.
If you enjoyed these tips on core strength exercises and would like to keep it close to you at any time, just save this pin to your Pinterest Ab Training Board.
Core Strength Exercises Related Pages
Med Ball Ab Training
Medicine ball core exercises to increase strength and size of the abdominals and obliques. Learn this unique and fun ab workout toning the muscles around the waist, stomach, and lower back…
Low Back Pain Solution
Core exercises for back pain, especially tight or weak muscles of low back can keep you from training hard and getting in a good workout. Use this simple technique to get rid of low back hip pain…
Advance Plank Variations Workout
Exercises to strengthen core specifically the abs, obliques, and low back. You can think of the core as everything from shoulders to knees. These 4 core drills are variations of the plank movement. Do this workout in less than 5 minutes…
15 Isometric Core Exercises
15 isometric exercises for core strength that dramatically transform your mid-section. Learn the key exercise for shredding the core to get you the impressive looking torso and tapered v-shape…
Ab Exercise With Medicine Ball
Ab exercises with medicine ball to help you get a lean six pack. Use these ab exercises at home to work on strengthening your core.
Ab Exercises with Kettlebell
Ab exercises with kettlebell can be used to improve core strength, reduce body fat, and help improve cardiovascular health.
Core Stabilizer Exercise
Core stabilizer exercises help improve stability, strength, and control in your core, which is important for maintaining proper posture.
Ab Strengthening Exercises
Ab strengthening exercises a crucial for providing stability for your spine and helping you move your body. Increase your core strength.
Ab Isolation Exercises
Ab isolation exercises will help to strengthen your abs. Isolating the core muscles refers to targeting and engaging the muscles of abdomen.
Wood Chopper Exercise
Wood chopper workout focusing on building rotational core strength and power. Learn how the wood chopper exercise can enhance core strength.
Rotational Exercises for Sports
Rotational core exercises and game-changing benefits of rotational core exercises for athletes, with a focus on baseball and golf.
Med Ball Throws for Athletes
Medicine ball throws to boost athletic performance. Learn the art of medicine ball throws for athletes, Unlock greater rotational power and reap the rewards of increased explosive strength.
Med Ball Slams
Medicine ball slam to unleash explosive power. Learn techniques and discover the game-changing benefits of increased explosive strength.
Plank Abs
Plank ab workout to sculpt flat abs, aid weight loss, and strengthen your core. Discover the ultimate path to a fitter, toned midsection.
Med Ball Ab Workouts
Medicine ball ab workouts with ten core-strengthening moves. Discover tailored workouts cater to all fitness levels from seniors to athletes.
Med Ball Core Exercises
Core exercises with medicine ball to strengthen and define your core. Best ab workouts that to transform your abs and boost overall stability.
Home › Core Strength Exercises