Exercises specifically for stability

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jjpptt2
jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
edited February 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking for some suggestions on exercises, or a routine of exercises, specifically geared to overall/general stability.

I'm not looking to "train my abs"
I'm not looking to do big compound lifts that "train my core enough"

This is something I've been thinking about for a while (basically, since I started feeling old and crooked most days), but is also kind of a spinoff from comments made by @Wheelhouse15 and @rybo in other threads.

Lastly, I'm starting off with a general post for a reason... but I can get into some of my issues/problems once I see where people go with their more general recommendations.

TIA.
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Replies

  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Overhead squat, Overhead press, push press, lunges, overhead lunches, farmers walks, and yoked carries would be a good start on my list. With farmers walks and OHP (standing) being the first things to work on.

    ETA: and one handed farmers walks really push you to compensate for the weight.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Thanks. A couple of those I was already thinking about... some others would have never crossed my mind.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Thanks. A couple of those I was already thinking about... some others would have never crossed my mind.

    Some of them are pretty specific but if you have time to throw them in can be beneficial. I think farmers walk and OHP would be the two that would provide the biggest bang, but yoked carries, if you have the equipment, can really work the entire body when loaded to your limits.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    A quick note here, those exercises are generally in the sagittal plane. You'll need to add exercises that work in the other planes as well and hopefully one of the qualified trainers here can provide suggestions for those.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I'm looking for some suggestions on exercises, or a routine of exercises, specifically geared to overall/general stability.

    Sorry, need more info to give an answer that's relevant to you. Why do you want stability exercises, and what is your overall goal? Also what is the rest of your exercise routine, so we can fill in the gaps without creating conflicts. :+1:
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    Overhead squat, Overhead press, push press, lunges, overhead lunches, farmers walks, and yoked carries would be a good start on my list. With farmers walks and OHP (standing) being the first things to work on.

    ETA: and one handed farmers walks really push you to compensate for the weight.

    Definitely a good start. I like to load only one side, and do lunges, squats and carries. Whether you use a single DB, kb or sandbag doesn't matter.
    Dead bugs, while slowly moving your arms/legs are a very underrated movement. Any single leg movements, whether weighted or not are good.
    Other things like lateral lunges and lateral deadlifts can be very beneficial to moving while maintaining core stability.
    If you have access to a set of rings, just holding a plank on them can be challenging, if you want to step it up, make small circles, with one arm at a time.
    Another plank variation involving movement is a lateral drag. Can use a plate, kb or a sandbag to slowly drag across underneath your chest while fighting rotation in your hips/torso.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    Overhead squat, Overhead press, push press, lunges, overhead lunches, farmers walks, and yoked carries would be a good start on my list. With farmers walks and OHP (standing) being the first things to work on.

    ETA: and one handed farmers walks really push you to compensate for the weight.

    Definitely a good start. I like to load only one side, and do lunges, squats and carries. Whether you use a single DB, kb or sandbag doesn't matter.
    Dead bugs, while slowly moving your arms/legs are a very underrated movement. Any single leg movements, whether weighted or not are good.
    Other things like lateral lunges and lateral deadlifts can be very beneficial to moving while maintaining core stability.
    If you have access to a set of rings, just holding a plank on them can be challenging, if you want to step it up, make small circles, with one arm at a time.
    Another plank variation involving movement is a lateral drag. Can use a plate, kb or a sandbag to slowly drag across underneath your chest while fighting rotation in your hips/torso.

    I like those exercise ideas. So when you mention the one side loads, would you put in a briefcase deadlift here?
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Saw this in another thread...

    Core Strength for Athletes: A Workout to Improve Performance and Prevent Injury
    https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/core-strength-for-athletes-a-workout-to-improve-performance-and-prevent-injury/



    Also, mostly just for my own reference -
    https://www.t-nation.com/training/total-core-training-for-lifters
  • JAYxMSxPES
    JAYxMSxPES Posts: 193 Member
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    If your goal is just to improve your overall stability in strength, I think that's a fine goal. This really isn't a sales pitch, but my suggestion would be to find a NASM CES or PES and tell them that's your goal. One of NASM's training models is specific to your goal. With the trainer, they can do a proper evaluation to make sure they're prescribing the correct exercises for you.

    If that's not in the cards for you, honestly something like Pilates or even Yoga would be good.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I'm looking for some suggestions on exercises, or a routine of exercises, specifically geared to overall/general stability.

    Sorry, need more info to give an answer that's relevant to you. Why do you want stability exercises, and what is your overall goal? Also what is the rest of your exercise routine, so we can fill in the gaps without creating conflicts. :+1:

    Mostly for resiliency/injury prevention.

    I don't have a regular routine at the moment simply because I can't do everything I want to do AND what I need to do - my body just doesn't recover fast enough for 5-6 workouts per week.

    When I'm feeling good and my schedule allows, I -
    - lift 2x week (trap bar deads, bench, front squat, pull-ups)
    - play pick-up basketball 2x week
    - something bike related 2x week (spinning during the winter, riding during the summer)

    But like I said, I can't typically maintain that type of schedule, and lifting is usually the first thing to get cut because I have exactly zero inherent love of lifting.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
    If your goal is just to improve your overall stability in strength, I think that's a fine goal. This really isn't a sales pitch, but my suggestion would be to find a NASM CES or PES and tell them that's your goal. One of NASM's training models is specific to your goal. With the trainer, they can do a proper evaluation to make sure they're prescribing the correct exercises for you.

    If that's not in the cards for you, honestly something like Pilates or even Yoga would be good.

    Yoga has been on my list of things I should do more often for about 3 years.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    Overhead squat, Overhead press, push press, lunges, overhead lunches, farmers walks, and yoked carries would be a good start on my list. With farmers walks and OHP (standing) being the first things to work on.

    ETA: and one handed farmers walks really push you to compensate for the weight.

    Definitely a good start. I like to load only one side, and do lunges, squats and carries. Whether you use a single DB, kb or sandbag doesn't matter.
    Dead bugs, while slowly moving your arms/legs are a very underrated movement. Any single leg movements, whether weighted or not are good.
    Other things like lateral lunges and lateral deadlifts can be very beneficial to moving while maintaining core stability.
    If you have access to a set of rings, just holding a plank on them can be challenging, if you want to step it up, make small circles, with one arm at a time.
    Another plank variation involving movement is a lateral drag. Can use a plate, kb or a sandbag to slowly drag across underneath your chest while fighting rotation in your hips/torso.

    I like those exercise ideas. So when you mention the one side loads, would you put in a briefcase deadlift here?

    Yea that definitely fits the bill.

    Going a little more specific, depending on the type of stability needed, it's not always about core strength/stability. Many people lack shoulder stability. TGU, band pull apart, bottoms up kb presses, Y pulls, W pulls, face pulls can all help with that.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    I don't have the equipment/setup for them... at least not for variations that I could actually do right now.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    the TRX is great for stability exercises, from a very beginner level all the way up to very hard advanced stuff.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I don't have the equipment/setup for them... at least not for variations that I could actually do right now.

    i'm seeing a sports doc right now for unilateral glute med/hamstring tendinopathy. glute med in particular being a biiiiiig stabilizer and mine has suffered badly from this issue :) so if it's worth anything to you, here's what he has me doing to try and boost the healing and strengthen the affected muscles:

    front and side planks
    side-lying hip abduction. this one is tricky because if you let it other muscles will take over for the glute med.
    bridges progressing to 1-leg form once the affected muscles are strong enough. i'm not there yet so i'm doing modification that involves hooking my heels on a raised surface and using the hamstrings to lift up to a straight line.

    prescription for my situation is minimum three sets of each daily, with 20-rep sets for the abduction and 30-sec hold for the static things. your volume would probably vary if you're already healthy. i 've also added dead bug holds with the alternate-arm-and-leg thing to the planking, as a pre-hab to my rehab because otherwise i develop compensations and the deadbug is a great way to check whether i've got that bad hip properly stabilized. if i don't, it gives me a hellish 'snap' on the arm-leg part.

    dean somerset (i think) had a great micro-stabilizer thing that involved switching a kettlebell from one hand to the other while maintaining balance on only one leg. way harder than you'd initially think and i found it useful when i was trying to retrain my left foot to take more of an interest in its relationship with the ground.

  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
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    Any exercise you do standing...presses, curls, squats, deadlifts, rows, or variations of same.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Thanks everyone for all the suggestions... some really really good stuff here. I especially like that most of it I can do with my home gym equipment and don't need to go to the gym.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    Some of the exercises I do incorporate a stability ball. (Lateral rows seated on the ball; biceps curls with one foot on the ball, dumbbell chest press in bridge position on the ball). It's hard to know how much the ball helps and how much is just, "I do a full-body workout three days a week with multiple exercises that engage my core." It all adds up to better posture, better balance, and a nurse complimenting me on my trunk muscles when I was able to sit up unassisted in the recovery room after surgery.
  • Hottlieb
    Hottlieb Posts: 8 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Planks, planks, and planks

    Sorry this answer is general and I just saw your post on your weekly workout routine.

    I’d still recommend forearm plank,
    straight-arm plank and spiderman plank since you said you already know that Compound exercises work...

    Sumo Deadlifts are great too...
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Mostly for resiliency/injury prevention.

    I'm guessing basketball is your most likely way to get injured, so i'd practice your weak moves.. at least on weeks that you don't play twice a week. Agility drills & jumping drills (youtube) can help for lower body injury prevention in basketball.
    Not sure that generalized stability training is the answer in your case.

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