Dump them! Forget the boring and ineffective crunches and
sit-ups. In this modern age of fitness and performance
training we have so many more effective and challenging
options for core training.
Great old time strongmen knew secrets that have avoided our
modern lifters for years. Lifting heavy non-conforming
objects can strengthen the trunk like nothing else! Many
people have heard of “farm boy strength”, that overall body
strength that seems unexplainable in those that don’t lift
weights, but work manual labor all day.
Don’t be mistaken, these guys are strong! Lifting odd
objects strengthen the tendons and ligaments in ways that
traditional strength training often misses. Also, you just
can’t do some of these great lifts with odd objects with
dumbbells, barbells, or even medicine balls. The result?
Your trunk becomes a solid piece of rock!
Unlike many other forms of core training, lifting odd
objects can expend the most calories of all strength
training modalities. Because it takes all the muscles
working together you hit every muscle in the body from head
to toe.
What should you lift? I have found sandbags to be the most
realistic and challenging. Because of their unstable and
shifting nature they are quickly becoming a staple of elite
military and pro athletes’ training programs. Try these five
exercises shown on the following video and see how your
midsection tightens up in no time!
One Arm SandBag Shouldering
SandBag "Atlas Pulls"
SandBag Cyclones
SandBag Shoulder Get-Ups
SandBag "Windshield Wipers"
About Coach Josh Henkin
Josh Henkin is owner of Innovative
Fitness Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona. For the past ten
years he has created effective training programs for a
wide array of clients.
Josh is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Physical Education. At Arizona State, he was also a member of the Men’s Basketball Team.
Josh is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, certified club coach with USA weightlifting, and certified Russian kettlebell instructor and a certified corrective high performance exercise kinesiologist. Coach Henkin is well known nationally as an expert in fitness and sports performance training and has been invited to appear at national conferences and write for numerous fitness magazines.
Coach Henkin has dedicated himself to providing cutting-edge, easy to apply training information to the masses. He has created the Ultimate Sandbag for those that wish to get the immense benefits of odd object lifting at home or at their gym, along with the very popular High Octane Sandbag Training DVD. He has also recently released SMASH: Total Conditioning with Sledgehammers. These programs have become so popular because they are effective and they are fun! Check out coach Henkin’s site at: