Brick House CORE with only 2 exercises: Functional abs with kettlebells

[Music] A weak core is a quick path towards back pain  poor athletic performance and a general lack of strength in real world situations. A common  cause of weak core musculature in otherwise fit individuals is the overreliance on single  plane motions largely focusing on only the highly visible rectus abdominis muscles. This translates  poorly to truly functional strength because in real world situations the core muscles must  operate through multiple planes of motion while coordinating a multitude of muscles to accomplish  many simultaneous tasks.

Because of this you could have the strongest ABS in the world and still  have a weak and dysfunctional core. For the core to be truly strong and functional in real world  scenarios it must meet certain requirements. First and foremost it must protect the spinal  column from injury and the deteriorating effects of chronically poor spinal posture.

This  requires stabilization strength, without which the chances of injuries such as disc herniations, muscle  strains and vertebrae stress fractures greatly increases. Secondly the core must have good  mobility in order to produce a wide range of potential movements in the trunk and spine. This  means the muscles of the trunk must be supple enough to allow the breath to fill the lungs  without resistance and allow the spine to bend and move in all directions while still being  stable enough to protect the spine in the process.

And finally the core must be able to not  only produce its own movement and stability but it must also be able to integrate with the strength  of the entire body. A functionally strong core has well-developed musculature and connective tissue  Pathways that are used as strength bridges, which connect and transmit forces generated by  the lower body into the upper body and vice versa. In the world of core training there are  hundreds of excellent potential exercises and what's best for each individual will be based  on their own peculiar condition, posture, and fitness goals.

In this way exercise selection and  programming can truly become a biomechanical art form unique to each individual. However, in  this video I'm limiting myself to just two kettlebell core exercises that adhere to the  principles mentioned before and which I've personally seen have significant benefits for  nearly everyone who has performed them properly. Loaded carries of all kinds are amazing exercises  for real world strength adaptations.

After all the most common strength-based task needed in real  world scenarios is the ability to carry something. In the context of core training carries create  excellent adaptations towards spinal stability often called anti-rotational or anti- movement  strength. The simplest of these carries is the common farmers walk where a weighted load  is placed in either hand and held at the side while walking.

The variation chosen for  this video however, is the single arm Farmers carry. Often called the suitcase carry. In this  case the weight is imbalance from one side to the other.

This will cause you to want to lean to  the other side and distort the spine in order to use your body weight as a counterbalance. However, that would be letting the weight win and dictate the nature of the carry. Instead, the goal of this  exercise is to use muscular effort to resist the distortion of the spine and to hold yourself  in a neutral and balanced posture.

To do this you need to make sure you're stacking  the pelvis and the ribs in a horizontal orientation. No rib flare, no pelvic tilt, and  no rounding of the back. While also maintaining horizontal hips and shoulders when viewed from  the front.

Walking towards a mirror can be very helpful in the beginning as it allows you  to accurately gauge the neutrality of your posture. Done properly this greatly strengthens  and stabilizes the core muscles especially on the opposite side of the kettle bell, as they  work to resist the lateral pull of the offset load. The next kettle bell exercise we're going  to go over is the kettle bell windmill.

This exercise bumps up the complexity quite a bit. Not only will the cord need to stabilize the spine and simultaneously produce movement it  will also have to coordinate its movement with that of the hips and the stabilization of the  shoulders. The windmill not only increases the strength and functionality of the core, it is also  a great mobility builder for the hips, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and thoracic spine.

In fact, it's  a remarkable rehabilitative exercise for thoracic extension and rotation, which is a common mobility  weakness in those with upper cross syndrome. Often leading to upper back pain and shoulder pain  when lifting overhead. his is another exercise I recommend people start slowly with especially  in the beginning.

For the hips and low back this is a form of loaded mobility training, which is  by far one of the best ways to truly rehabilitate mobility ranges. But unfortunately, also  leaves the body vulnerable to strains in the very beginning, especially if you try to  push through it before the body is truly ready. This is particularly true of the QL muscle in the  lower back.

For many people this muscle is weak, tight and barely used and it will take time for  it to come back online and to become mobile once again. Because of this, I recommend people to start  with this as a body weight mobility drill for at least a week or two before adding a lightweight  kettle bell. To perform this exercise, stand with the feet a little wider than shoulder width apart.

With a kettle bell held overhead in one arm. Turn the feet away from the kettle bell by anywhere  from 15 to 45° depending on what's comfortable to your unique body. You will keep the leg that is  directly underneath the kettle bell straight, while allowing a slight bend in the other knee.

Your arm  will stay straight throughout the entire movement. You will start the movement by hinging at the hips  and pushing back into the hip that's underneath the kettle bell as you bend down. While hinging  you will also begin to rotate the spine so that the bottom hand reaches between the legs.

Keep  the spine straight throughout the movement and follow that that same path back up until you're  standing tall with arms still fully outstretched over the head. Remember this is a whole body  exercise where the core is training to work together with other muscles to create stability, mobility, and strength. You should be driving the weight up with not just the core but also with  the hip extensors, especially the glutes and hamstrings.

If this is difficult due to mobility  issues in the hips, you can add a little extra bend in the knees until you gain more mobility.  If you have trouble with shoulder mobility, try the low windmill version first, with the kettle  bell in the bottom hand, before eventually moving on to the standard high windmill. And if this  all becomes easy for you to perform with skill throughout at least 12 reps, you can always  progress into the double windmill, holding a kettle bell in each hand.

If you use kettle bells  at home or interested in starting a kettle bell routine, check out my new Illustrated home gym  poster by clicking the link in the description box below. It has multiple exercises tips, a  kettle bell grip guide, and a kettlebell weight chart for those new to this training modality. Well  that's it for the video.

Thanks for watching and be sure to leave a comment if you have ever utilized  these exercises in the past or if you're doing so now and have any tips or tricks that you would  like to share with others. Also if you enjoyed the content be sure to like and subscribe  and until next time, keep moving my friends.