Winter Warmers with the Abdominal Snowman

Whether you’re heading down to the slopes for some of the white stuff, bailing to Bali for some of the wet stuff, or just hanging in Sydney this winter, this list of exercises is bound to warm you up. In this article we take a look at some of my favorite core exercises. By their nature, good core exercises should use a lot of different muscles, so they are great for getting your body temperature up. Apart from that, having a good, responsive core will mean better performance, fewer injuries, and more fun! Read on for my TOP 5 winter warmers

Number 1 – The Half Kneeling Cable Wood Chop

This is an absolute cracker. The idea of this one is to pass a load across and down the body which induces torque through the trunk across multiple planes. What stops you for twisting, turning or falling flat on your face is your core. This exercise can be done with resistance bands or on a cable machine at the gym. Have a look at the PDF for more details HERE.

Number 2 – Ab roll-out – Swiss Ball/Ab roller

I like this exercise because it is challenging on so many levels. It requires strength, mobility and balance so you get gains in… you guessed it – strength, mobility and balance. The big effort in this exercise is in a flexion plane (like crunches), but due to the unstable nature of the Swiss Ball or Ab Roller, rotation and to a lesser extent lateral flexion get a big look in.

Number 3 – Renegade Row

I’m calling it, this is the king of Abcercises right here. The renegade row is incredibly difficult so many people get it wrong. The key to doing this exercise correctly is keeping your body neutral, only moving your arm as you lift the weight, no twisting, turning or arching. Guaranteed to warm you up – a couple of sets of these will get you sweating. Check out the PDF HERE.

Number 4 – TRX side plank

The TRX is a great utility. Power rings work well too. This exercise loads up lateral flexion nicely while still requiring good activation in flexion and roation. Lateral felxion is often left out of ab work outs. Spice things up and get things really hot with knee tucks or twists as shown.

Number 5 – The Landmine or Torsonator

This piece of equipment is usually hiding in most gyms. It is a great piece of equipment that allows movement in multiple planes, asymmetrical loading and uses your whole body.