If there’s ever a time not to draw in your navel, it’s during exercise. Despite the long-held belief that “sucking in your gut” strengthens your core, this practice can actually reduce stability, weaken your lifts, and increase injury risk. Unless you’re using it as a motor re-education method for injury rehabilitation, you should abandon it…
The half-kneeling rope woodchop and reverse woodchop are two exercises that work your obliques in a “spine-friendly” manner. Give them a shot!
To maximize intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during strength training, research indicates that you should breathe deeply (about 75% of maximum) into your belly and hold that breath throughout the rep, exhaling only after completing the movement. This technique provides optimal spinal support, enhances strength, and reduces injury risk. Breathing and Athletic Performance Proper breath control isn’t…
If there’s ever a time not to draw in the navel, it’s during exercise. In fact, this act should be abandoned altogether unless there’s a specific reason to do so (e.g., as a motor re-education method during injury rehabilitation). Drawing in the navel, or the act of “sucking in your gut as if you’re putting…
The push-up is one of the most poorly executed exercises. One major issue is core stability—many people resemble a dolphin “swimming” through their reps. The core must remain tight and stable with a neutral spine throughout every repetition. If form breaks down, the set should be terminated. Another common mistake is inadequate depth. Every rep…