Name: Playbook - TrickStrong RX - Cross Body Core
Uploaded: 2023-11-29T19:22:50.716Z
Duration: 40 min
Description: Cross Body Core

Ange

Ryne

Kills me every time but the strength gains in my obliques are immediately noticeable

Mikael

Ethan

Welcome to our Cross Body Core workout!

The emphasis is on driving movement with the core. By actively pulling, pushing and engaging through our center, we should feel our entire body helping with each movement.  

Kettlebells work best, but dumbbells can be used as a substitute for all exercises requiring resistance. Feel free to perform an exercise bodyweight or modify as needed. 

If you have tried our Rotational Athlete Series, you know that we are big on creating efficiency throughout the entire kinetic chain. What do we mean by this? 

It is quite common to have deficiencies in strength, stability and mobility in the frontal (side-to-side) and transverse (rotational) planes of motion. This is due to how modern life is set up, as well as traditional “fitness” that stresses using two arms, two legs and machines (think bench press, squats, barbells, smith machines, etc.). While there’s nothing wrong with these methods of strengthening, if it is ALL we do, then when we go to move more athletically and dynamically, we are less efficient and put ourselves at risk for injury. 

Cross Body Core puts heavy emphasis on coordinating both sides of our body to work together. By learning how to coordinate efficiently in these patterns, we can improve performance and aesthetics while preventing injury to the entire body. 

Let’s get it!

The reps are a guideline. The hallmark of a good warmup is that you feel prepared to move!

Shoulder halos are a great mobility exercise for the shoulder girdle and thoracic spine. 

For shoulder halos, trace around your head with your arms as if you are making a halo around your crown. Remember to do both directions!

It isn’t necessary to do it loaded (as in, with a weight), but doing so enhances the benefits if your shoulder can handle it. Start small and increase as tolerated to improve your shoulder stability and mobility over time. If you are in need of kettlebells, head over to trickstrong.com/shop 

I like using an underhand grip here which prevents impingement and promotes external rotation, or opening of the shoulder.
Notice the isolation of movement to the shoulder and thoracic spine from the side view. 

It is very easy to overarch at the lower back if our core is not engaged. We want an arch in the thoracic spine as the arms come behind us. This helps correct poor posture over time as many are flexed in this region.

Shoulder Halos

KB swings are great for building explosiveness in our hinging pattern. This is important for any athletic activity, including jumping, landing, running, cutting and pivoting. 

Doing this with one arm is more challenging to stabilize as it is asymmetrical.

The deadlift is very effective in strengthening the hip hinge, whereas the KB swing stresses power. Like the deadlift, we need to maintain a neutral spine when doing this. The core stability we need is much more dynamic as we move quickly through this exercise. 

Start with a KB between your legs. Bend at the hips and knees a bit, similar to the bottom of a deadlift. Swing that KB backwards between your legs. Use that momentum, combined with great timing of your glutes to thrust your hips forward. Maintain a neutral spine. 

Your arm should reach chest height just due to the momentum alone.

Once your form is solid, progress in weight to challenge yourself! Do this on both sides as shown.

Modifications: dumbbells, two handed

Single Arm KB Swing

The Alternating Cossack Squat is an amazing strength, mobility and coordination drill for the lower extremities. It is helpful in mobilizing our feet and ankles, knees, hips and lower back. 

To do it right:

1) Begin in a wide stance that is comfortable for you

2) Shift to one side, performing a single leg squatting motion while the free leg remains grounded 

3) Spin the free leg outwards while keeping heel contact to mobilize the adductor and hamstrings

4) Hold for 5-10 seconds before returning to a stand

5) Only perform this to a depth where good form and alignment are maintained

6) Perform on both sides for 1 repetition

Alternating Cossack Squats

Cross Body Warmup

The windmill is an amazing exercise for combining the hip hinge movement pattern with spinal rotation, which not only trains our core and shoulder stability, but also lengthens our hamstrings, thoracic spine, pecs and neck. 

Think about why we would need this movement pattern as tricking athletes. Owning this movement creates more stability in tricks such as touchdown raiz, gumbi, sideswipe – any move that loads through the hips with spinal rotation.  

You can begin this with soft knees, and progress to straight knees which will stretch the hamstrings. Notice how I turn my feet away from my overhead arm about 45 degrees to allow room for the rotation. 

Look towards your overhead arm the entire time. As you maintain core tension, load your shoulder in line with gravity by aiming the weight directly at the ceiling.
Avoid excessive shrugging and trunk sagging.

Modifications: dumbbells, unweighted, medicine ball

KB Windmills - 3x5

The Turkish Getup is an incredible full body exercise that does it all - full body strength, mobility, coordination, endurance, grip strength, the list goes on. 

It is a bit complicated, but learning this sequence will pay off greatly. 

Steps: 
1) Roll <-> Press 
2) Press <-> Elbow
3) Elbow <-> Post
4) Post <-> High Pelvis
5) High Pelvis <-> Kneel
6) Kneel <-> Half Kneel
7) Half Kneel <-> Stand

If you need a movement breakdown, check out our form tutorial on the Turkish Getup.

Modifications: dumbbell, medicine ball, 'bell up'

Turkish Getups - 3x3

This is an advanced deadbug variation to challenge our dynamic core stability. Perform on both sides.

The Anterior Oblique Sling (AOS) consists of the pec, opposite side obliques and adductors. This system is activated with many athletic activities, such as throwing a ball or setting for a butterfly twist. By training these muscles along their functional path, we improve our movement efficiency. 

To do this right: 

1) Rolling and pressing the weight up is safest for your shoulder

2) Roll to back with both legs bent and arms straightened towards the ceiling, tensioning your core until your lower back is in a neutral alignment.

3) Hold the KB in one hand in a straight arm position. This is the pressing arm.

4) Part 1- perform the first part of the deadbug, where your unweighted arm and opposite leg stretch out towards the ground (arm goes above your head, leg lowers to a hover). While this is happening, the remaining arm and leg keep still. You should feel this intensely all along the AOS line of tension (shoulder to opposite hip) on both sides

5) For part 2 of this exercise, return to starting position and now perform a KB/DB press with the weighted arm while the opposing leg straightens out to a hover as shown

6) Perform on one side (keep KB in one hand) to allow for fatigue before switching to the other side to complete each set

It is important to choose a challenging but controllable weight so that 8-10 reps is difficult

Deadbug + Cross Body Press - 3x8

The Lunge Step Through is a great exercise to build total body coordination, power, explosiveness. 

To do this right:

1) Begin either bodyweight or with a KB/DB horizontally in both hands. 

2) Step forward into a lunge, loading into the front hip and core by actively rotating, pulling the weight past and BEHIND the forward hip. You should feel this intensely in your lower lat and QL area (muscles in your lower back area) on that side. 

3) Use this tension to recoil and step through as shown. It should feel as if the tension is now being transferred to the opposite shoulder as you actively pull your elbow diagonally across your body towards your ear.  

4) Throughout the exercise, you should actively be pulling & pushing the weight towards either side using both arms. In other words, both arms help to drive the weight into each position. 

Modifications: unweighted, dumbbells, plates

Lunge Step Through - 3x8

The POS High Row is a combination of a single leg deadlift and a high row. This helps to develop the connection between the working lat and opposite side glute. This connection is called the Posterior Oblique Sling (POS).

The POS is an important source of stability and power transfer throughout the body. Basically, the opposing glute and lat work together to stabilize the spine, store and release energy during movement. 

Think arm and opposite leg swing when sprinting or during gainer switches.
We want to train these muscles together in order to improve strength, power and neural drive.

You should feel tension building in your hamstrings, glutes and opposite posterior shoulder/lat at the bottom position. Think of storing this energy during the descent and releasing it like a rubber band to come back to standing. 

Modifications: banded, dumbbells, unweighted
3 Rounds, 8-10 per side

POS High Row - 3x8

Long Lever Pushups are a great core finisher 🔥

If done correctly, it should feel similar to performing an ab roller or ab slider exercise... but harder.

To do it right: 

1) Set up for a pushup. Find a challenging hand placement above your shoulders/head where you can still perform at least 8 pushups. 

2) Engage core before pushing up. This will help to prevent overarching in the lower back. Be sure to stay out of pain and lower your hand placement as needed. 

3) Once you have found a good hand placement that is challenging, use arms to push up to a long lever plank position. Rise and lower with control.

Modifications: no pause, on knees, feet elevated, hands elevated

Cross Body Core

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