Coach Noss’s Exercise Progression Series - Part 3

This month we're all about strengthening our cores! Building up all of your core muscles is essential for staying strong and flexible and improving performance in almost any sport and daily activities. To kick off the month, Coach Noss continues to share programs he’s put together for his college and pro athletes. He goes through a progression of corrective, functional and strength building moves that you can pick and choose from depending on where you are physically and what you’re trying to accomplish. This week we continue the "On Ground Function." The first sequence Coach Noss introduces in this video is the dead bug sequence. To start, lie on your back, bend your legs to form a 90-degree angle and place your arms at your sides. As you engage your pelvic floor muscles and breath through your diaphragm, touch one foot to the floor and raise the opposite arm over your head, then repeat with the opposite foot and arm. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds. As you progress, add resistance to the movement with an exercise ball. This helps engage the core even more as you put resistance on the ball while also extending. Make sure you keep your lower back firmly pressed into the mat. You can also add manual resistance. Start in the same position, but instead of the exercise ball, have someone press against your arms and legs to add resistance. This person can continue to increase pressure and also create diagonal pressure to engage your core in a slightly different way. Next, Coach Noss shares his bird-dog progression. Starting on your hands and knees, extend one arm and the opposite leg to form a straight line. Really reach all the way through your fingertips and toes. Repeat on the other side. To make the move more challenging, after you extend, touch your elbow to your knee. Continue to extend and crunch on one side for 30 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side. Next, try same-side bird dogs. Start in the same position. Extend your right arm and leg while balancing on your left side, then return to starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch sides. As you advance, you can touch your elbow to knee between each extension. To engage the scapula and triceps, add the use of a resistance band. Start in the bird-dog position, holding the cable in one hand. Bring the cable into the body, and then extend your arm all the way back. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch sides. Continue to keep your core engaged. For the next progression, lower into a plank position and repeat the same movement. For more advanced athletes, in the next progression, add a battle rope instead of a resistance band. Pull the battle rope all the way through while in the plank position. Keep working that core! Thanks, Coach Noss!