Nice Little Finishing Hybrid Movement – Ashley Jones

Author Ashley Jones

As most of you know by now I am a firm believer that you get a stronger core by lifting as heavy as you can with good form on basic movements, throw in some strongman exercises and that just about does the trick.

Also delving back into the past you can come up with some core specific movements which are part of full body movements as well, these are great finishing exercises for your overall workout. They also provide strength challenges of their own to progressively work against.

Exercises like Samson’s side bend and the Jeffries side bend and pick up (see www.strongerman.com) and Turkish Get Up are just a few of these, also by combining movements you increase the complexity of the movement and get more muscle involvement as well.

I would like to detail two such hybrids that are now mainstays of our finishing movements.

Turkish Get Up + Jeffries Side Bend and pick up: Start by laying flat on your back with a DB or KB extended at arms length perpendicular to your body, also have a heavier DB or KB positioned to your side. From the start position you rise to standing whilst keeping the arm holding the KB/DB pointing skywards at all time, now you are standing flex the body laterally to the none weighted side keeping the KB/DB arm pointing straight up and pick up the heavier KB/DB sitting on the floor and flex back to the standing position, now you are half way through, return the heavier KB/DB to the floor and then come back to a lying position, then repeat for the other side, just 1 rep each side for 5 progressively heavier singles does the trick.

Suitcase Deadlift + Zercher Lift and Squat: Load an Olympic bar evenly both ends, stand alongside the middle of the bar and partially squat down until you can grip the bar, now keeping your hips square at all times stand up right, pause then return the bar slowly under control to the floor, then immediately squat down and hook both your elbows under the bar, back will be rounded then forcefully extend through the trunk lifting the bar and stand erect with the bar crooked in the elbows, pause and reverse the movement returning the bar to the floor then complete a suitcase deadlift with the other side, again just 1 rep of each of the movements for 5 progressively heavier sets and your finished.

Give them a try and see how you go and if you have any other ideas let me know.

Ashley Jones