Related Short: Forearm Plank Form Reminders

Focus & Benefits: Core work includes strengthening the muscles in the abdominal wall, lower back, glutes, pelvic floor, and hip flexors. One of the best ways to challenge and load the core muscles is during heavy lifting compound movement patterns (think squats and deadlifts) and multiplanar agility training; however, core work that involves a more targeted focus on these foundational muscle groups is still integral to improving total body stabilization and integrated force production.

Equipment: All you need is a mat for this workout!

Tips & Helpful Information: Due to the supersets formatting of this workout, you’ll be contracting your core muscles for a long duration of time. Take breaks as needed but give yourself a quick “3-2-1” countdown before hopping back into the work interval to ensure that your breaks are short and we’re focused on improving core muscle endurance.

Difficulty & Modifications Explained: This routine is rated as a level 3 due the general accessibility of the exercises but could feel like a level 4 if minimal breaks are taken during the working intervals, if exercise progressions are taken, and if you’re tacking this routine onto another workout (accumulated fatigue). To decrease the difficulty of the routine, decrease your range of motion for any of the exercises, opt for the modifications, and/or increase your recovery time between superset rounds.

Closing Notes: Whichever way you choose to use this workout, slow your cadence and tune in to your form to truly feel proper engagement of the target muscles (rather than relying on compensatory movement patterns from larger muscle groups).

Enjoy!

Workout
Warm-Up/Core Activation: 20 sec per exercise, no rest between exercises (~1:30)
-Slow Bent-Knee Roll-Down  
-Double-Press: Hands-to-Knees Iso Press
-Modified Forearm Plank (knees down)
-Bear Crawl Iso Hold

***20 sec off***

Superset Format: 20 sec on / 5 sec off / 3 rounds – 20 sec off between rounds (~3:00 per Superset)

Superset #1:
-Full Plank: Spider-Human
-Forearm Plank

***20 sec off***

Superset #2:
-Dead-Bug
-Hollow Hold

***Water Break***

Superset #3:
-Back Extensions (upper + lower body / hands beneath chin)
-Super-Human Hold

Cool-Down: approx. 30 sec per stretch (approx. 2:00)
-Child’s Pose
-Modified Cobra Stretch
-Lying Bent-Knee Spinal Twist - R
-Lying Bent-Knee Spinal Twist – L