Expanding Lateral Anti-Flexion Training: 4 More Exercises

Incorporating lateral anti-flexion training into your routine is a great way to enhance core strength and stability. The best part is that you can easily integrate these exercises by adjusting how you hold your resistance weight. 

Rather than using two weights, such as dumbbells, try using a single weight during certain exercises. This adjustment will require you to fight against leaning (lateral flexion) to one side.

Let’s explore some additional exercises that target lateral anti-flexion:

1. Suitcase Carry

To perform the suitcase carry, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell and stand tall. 

• Hold the weight in one hand, allowing it to hang passively by your side. Then, move the weight a few inches away from your hip out to the side. 
• You’ll start feeling your core on the opposite side engaging to counterbalance the weight. 
• Maintain an upright position and walk forward, keeping the weight slightly away from your body. 
• The walking pace should be slow, allowing you to feel your core working with each step. 

Aim to walk approximately 30 yards and then switch sides. Remember, if you find it difficult to maintain proper posture while walking, reduce the weight to a more manageable level.

2. Off Bench Oblique Hold

When you are ready to progress to a challenging exercise, look no further.  This exercise can be made easier or harder based on the position of your hips on the bench.  The further up towards the edge of the bench your hips are the harder this exercise will be and vice versa.

• Start off laying on your side with your hip on a bench.  Bottom leg will go out in front of you, so you can hook your heel under the bench.  Top leg will extend behind you and hook the toes under the bench.  Both legs will have slight bends in the knee to help accomplish this set up position.
• (while getting in the set up, please feel free to use your hands on the ground to help hold yourself up to get your hips and feet into position.)
• Once the lower body is in position, reach your arms out in front of you, so only your legs and hips have contact with the bench.
• Next lift your body up towards the ceiling, feeling the oblique in the top side working and breathe 5-8 big breaths then switch sides.

4. Waiter’s Carry

I’ve come across a few coaches that do slightly different things for their version of a waiter’s carry and I tend to like them all. I will sometimes call my version the fine dining waiter’s carry because I like my waiter’s carry to have the arm straight at the elbow holding the weight overhead.

• Standing with only one weight in one hand, bring the weight overhead while keeping your arm straight.
• Like with a suitcase carry we are going to walk over a distance and the goal is to not lean to the side or extend through your back.

I start with about 30 yards on a side then switch sides.  Using a kettlebell tends to be harder than using a dumb bell and if you want to make it really challenging hold the kettle bell bottom side up.

*the bottoms up creates more instability that will call on your shoulder stabilizer muscles to engage more.  Fun fact doing bottom up Kb shoulder press will mimic a much heavier weight because of the decreased stability.

Review of Anti-Lateral Flexion Training

Anti lateral flexion exercises target the obliques and transverse abdominis to prevent a side ways bend in the torso. The holding position is not the same in the off bench oblique hold and the carry variations.  The carry’s you want to be standing straight up while the off bench hold requires a little lateral flexion up.  Both aim to prevent movement once you start.

If you are looking for more anti-lateral flexion exercises check out my other post. “Supercharge your side planks with these 3 variations”