Fight Extension: 3 More Exercises to Train Your Core (Part 2)

Hopefully you’ve seen some of my other blog posts about core stability, how core strength can improve your low back health or the first part of this blog post with 3 other anti-extension exercises.

Exercise 1: Dead Bug with Stability Ball

A more advanced progression from the Dead Bugs with an Overhead Pull from part 1 of this blog. This Dead Bug will have you squeezing a stability ball with your knees and forearms. Try not to use your hands to hold the ball or let the stability ball rest on your chest and stomach. That would be cheating the exercise.

• Start on the ground, on your back.  Bring your knees and feet up to make two 90 degree angles.  
• While reaching up for the ceiling, place a stability ball between your forearms and your knees.
• Squeeze the ball by pressing the knees up towards your chest; and pushing down with your forearms. 
• Reach one arm overhead towards the ground and extend the opposite leg towards the floor. Then return to the start position. Don’t drop the ball.

Start with 3 sets of 8 on each side.

Level 1: Keep extending the same arm and opposite leg to get used to how to hold the ball while doing the movement.

Level 2: Alternate sides and focus on not dropping the ball or cheating with your hands or stomach.

*The harder you squeeze the ball the more your core has to fight being extended (anti-extension)

Exercise 2: Stability Ball Body saw

Think of this as a glorified plank. The big thing to watch out for is arching in the low back as you push your arms out. The width you have your feet can make this move easier or more challenging. The wider you have your feet the easier it will be to balance on the ball. 

• Start in a tall Kneeling position on a yoga mat with a stability ball a few inches in front of you.
• Lean forward and place your forearms on the stability ball and come to a plank position. Start with your feet wider than the yoga mat or wider than shoulder width.
• Slowly punch your hands out to move the ball forward and then pull with the elbows to bring the ball back in.
• Repeat for a set of 10-15 reps

Focus on keeping a good plank form while doing the body saw movement. Don’t sag into your shoulders or let your hips fall towards the ground. The anti-extension here is the exercise.

Easier: Keep the hips higher so your back stays parallel to the ground the whole time. 

Troubleshooting 1: If you feel your low back as you punch out, you might have gone too far. See if decreasing the length you reach out helps.

Troubleshooting 2: If balance is an issue, widen your feet. Also the less air the stability ball has, the harder it will be to balance.

Exercise 3: Body saw with Sliders

This version of the body saw you can do at home in your socks on a smooth surfaced floor. No sliders are technically necessary, you can always use a towel as well under your feet as well. (I’m all for not buying extra stuff.)

I like to set up with my forearms on a yoga mat for comfort but it could also be a rug.

• Start in a Plank position with your feet on the sliders.
• Focus on a the plank and drive your forearms into the ground and push your body to slide back.
• Pull through the elbows and forearm to slide yourself back up to the starting plank position.
• Repeat 8-15 reps

Troubleshooting 1: If you feel your low back as you punch out, you might have gone too far. See if decreasing the length you reach out helps.

Troubleshooting 2: If balance is an issue widen your feet. Also the less air the stability ball has, the harder it will be to balance.

Keep the same anti-extension focus as in the above stability ball body saw.