SPORTS!!  Tell me one sport that rotational force does not play a role in.  All sports have this element of movement, but if you are not training these movements you might be missing out. Sure crunches and sit-ups will always strengthen the abdominals, but when was the last time you saw a lacrosse player performing a sit-up during a game.

I train many athletes and teams each year. It does not matter if it is a cheerleader or football player they will all have weighted rotational movements in their training programs. These can be non-specific or sport specific movement patterns, but they will always change so the body will continually adapt to various degrees of angles.

Give the following exercises a try and see if your torso is not screaming the next day.  You will need to be determined and stay focused so you are isolating your “core” muscles and not getting an arm workout in just trying to complete the exercises. I typically prescribe 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps.



First, stand on two Bosu Trainers in the power position (knees slightly bent).  If you do not have Bosu Trainers you can use any unstable object to stand on or nothing at all.  Take a #1, #2, or #3 Iron Woody Fitness band and attach it to something stable.  Grasp the band with both hands and stabilize yourself while balancing on the Bosu Trainers.  Focus the rotation coming from the abdominal and low back muscles.  Twist away from the band through a full range of motion.  Finish with a tight contraction and return to the starting position.



Take a #3 or #4 Iron Woody Fitness Band and loop it to something that is very stable located a few feet above your head (top of a power rack works well).  Loop the band around one end of an olympic bar. Place the other end of the bar against a solid object. I use the corner of a wall.  Caution, the bar may dig into certain walls or flooring material. Please do not ask how I know this, but I am not going to sacrifice this exercise for the benefits because of a little scuffing of a wall.

Now grasp the bar and stand in a power position so the bar is at a 60 degree angle.  Contract your abdominal and low back muscles and rotate the bar down to the side. Allow your feet and torso to rotate naturally as you contract the muscles tightly.  Return to the starting position and repeat or superset to the other side.




Grab a stability ball and medicine ball. Sit and roll out on the stability ball until your shoulder blades are located on the ball.  Raise your hips and tighten your “core” muscles.  Hold a medicine ball above your chest with arms extended.  Rotate to the right so your right posterior shoulder is the only part of you upper torso on the stability ball.  Decelerate into that position (Finish Position) and then accelerate quickly to the “start position”.  Make sure all movement comes from the mid-section and not the shoulders. Repeat or superset to the left for the desired number of reps or go for the BURN!



If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to contact me at: varietytrainer@yahoo.com.

Train Hard,

Jerry Shreck
Head Strength Coach
Bucknell University