Yes I put the dude with his shirt off and a 6 pack as the thumbnail. But I had to get your attention. Now that I have it let me help you get your athletes torso stronger. In this blog I will break down the extra areas you need to use in the weight room.

*Disclaimer - this is adopted from what I first learned at Harvard and Iowa; and then implemented at Towson. The example exercises are there for you to progress and regress as YOU and YOUR athletes need. This is not an exhaustive list of movements to do. It will give you ideas on how to categorize your ab work tho*

Flexion

This is simple. This is forward moving your chest to your hips or your hips to your chest. This is typically what athletes want to do when they think "ab work"

Example exercise: sit up

Lateral Flexion

This is also simple. This is the same as above, except it is moving sideways.

Example exercise: db side bend

Inner Unit

This would be movements that help you stabilize your spine and train the muscles closes to your spine.

Example: dead bug

Hip ABD+ADDuction

Some of you will say this doesn't belong here. I disagree. It does. The torso runs from the nipple line down to the knees. So these movements are in that area, attach to the pelvis, and help in torso strength.

Example ABD: mini band walk

Example ADD: copenhagen plank

Rotation

This can be fast or slow, your choice. Some coaches will say athletes should not do some exercises where you lie on your back and rotate your legs side to side. I disagree, that motion may happen in a game.

Example: med ball side toss

Extension 

This might be the one category that shouldn't be in here. It was what we learned at Harvard and Iowa. I didn't really "use" it at Towson, but think it does warrant talk here. This area will be trained in normal training.

Example: hip bridge

Anti-Rotation

Credit to Coach Mike Boyle on this and the following categories. He is the one that helped me realize that the torso is just as responsible for resisting movement as it is for producing it.

Example: pallof press

Anti-Flexion

This is resisting flexion. To me this is hard to progress and regress outside of going from kneeling, 1/2 kneel, stand, lunge, single leg. Or going from double to single leg. If you know more let us know!

Example: anti-flexion press

Anti-Extension

This is simply resisting going into extension.

Example: front plank

Anti-Lateral Flexion

This is resisting bending side to side.

Example: overhead pallof press

Putting it All Together

Why does this matter? When you know your categories you can progress and regress EASY. I was able to do this for a football player who wanted to do torso work to recover from an ACL injury and how he was walking all jacked up due to being locked in extension. He also had UCL surgurey. So I had a SL and SA athlete. BUT I was able to train his torso cuz I knew my categories and could progress/regress as needed. My hope is to do the same for you here.

For more help with this and for how SCN can help you can earn CEUs to the NSCA and CSCCa while learning click here