Inner Core Training

Inner Core Training - Do you Want One?

Chances are you don't know what the inner core actually is!(Even though you'll train it pretty hard most training days)

Well, apparently it's the soft bit between the ribs and the pelvis(the pelvic floor, diaphragm etc)

Anyway I was talking to a friend of a friend (of a friend) who had completed some fitness instruction courses, who claimed they could show me loads of Inner Core Exercises, being the jolly chap that I am I just nodded and smiled and went along with it.

What I acually wanted to say was 'why the feck would I want to do 700 different 'inner bloody core' exercises when I can do a couple of lifts such as the deadlift and kettlebell swing which will immediately address any inner core weaknesses and and turn it to a fortress?'

Obviously, I'm a meathead and love lifting heavy things and no doubt some areas of my body are tight (especially my pocket being a Yorksireman) and could do with spending more time loosening up and working on such things, but as I don't have loads of time, I do what's neccessary to 'stay strong' most of the time.

Some of these exercises may be of some use to some people, but really much of it has been invented to take money out of your pocket and get you out of the house. This is why I'm a garage strongman.

Each to there own! Right! Where's that 80kg kettlebell I could do with some inner core training.

My Top Kettlebell Core Exercises

My Top Kettlebell Exercises For Core Strength

I can remember the first time I ever picked up a 56lb throwing weight and tried to swing it (the movement is very similar to the kettlebell swing) and remember the thought that this swinging motion was seriously gonna do some physical damage, rip something or maybe even dislodge a testicle string.

However, that was before I started swinging kettlebells which does seriously train your core.

Now I'm not really one for going of and doing some core training as it doesn't sound right. I can picture myself going and doing some squats on bosu or swiss fitness ball (these are fine pieces of equipment) but these won't help me throw a weight very far, so I'd rather pick up some heavy weights off the floor and call that core training instead.

Now, I don't honestly think anything really beats squats, deadlifts, snatches and clean and jerk with a barbell. After all this is what has built the greatest athletes in the world but kettlebells can also be used for core strength training.

So aside from the standard kettlebell swing and snatch. These are my favourite core exercises with kettlebells.

1. Double kettlebell swing - take two kettlebells in one hand (make sure it's heavier than a normal swing)aim to swing the 2 weights about eye height. Check out my double kettlebell swing

2. The kettlebell flip - kb flip adds an extra explosive dimension and shocks the core muscles. Again the heavier the better and higher the better. Here I do double kettlebell flips but gives you an idea

3. The kettlebell windmill - Steve Cotter explains this better than anyone



4. The BUP clean or and BUP press with kettlebell - the bottoms up clean and bottoms up press are magnificent kettlebell core exercises. Ensure you train both sides.



5. One handed kettlebell farmers walk - take one or two kettlebells in the same hand and set off walking for distance with them. Go as far as you can and then switch hands and try to make it back to the start. Repeat until your beaten.

6. Turkish Get UP (TGU) and TGU sit up - a great all round core exercise, not ballistic in nature but certainly excellent. TGU sit up is literally the bottom position to being sat up with the kettlbell above your shoulder



7. Kettlebell and towel hammer wind up great exercise for rotational core power wwhich mimics the hammer wind up.

Don't forget that kettlebell training can be greatly assisted by interval training and proper timing, check out my Gymboss Timer Review

Kettlebell Core Training

Kettlebell Core Training

After setting myself some kettlebell goals earlier on today, I managed to achieve one of them in my lunch time training session.

I cracked my goal of 10 continous snatch reps with the 60kg kettlebell. I realised how much I have advanced with the 60kg metalbell after this training. My core has been blasted recently with kettlebells and I've come through the other side a lot stronger in both my grip and my core as I now take the thick handle of the 60 with no problem so will push on through my goals.

As I got my target today I've decided to up the quota to 20 continous snatches (10L+10R) with the 60kg

As usual the core of my training has involved the kettlebell snatch and will continue for some time.

I feel generally that heavy kettlebell swings, snatches and cleans will hit the core like no other exercise. When I say heavy I mean as heavy as you can handle.




Kettlebell Core Training