3Fit

Core keeps you stable
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Often times people confuse ab work for core work.
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Your abs connect your ribs to your pelvis. Their primary job is to flex (meant as spinal flexion or bending your spine like you’re reaching for your toes) your spine by pulling the two ends together. They are also involved in isometric stabilization of your spine. But a lot of other muscles also play a role in stabilizing your spine (obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, etc.).
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So, when you do exercises that require your spine to be stable, you’re doing core work.
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If you want to specifically train your core, then you need to do movements that exert a leverage force on your spine.
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The first exercise I’m doing is meant to train my triceps and my core. As I descend, I’m changing the leverage force on my spine and as I ascend I have to use my triceps to push me back up.
In the second exercise, I’m targeting my shoulders and my abs by pulling my legs towards my body (contracting the lower portion of my abs) and then doing the shoulder press. There is some core involved because I am keeping my spine stable once I bend my hips but it’s not my main focus.
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Let your intention drive your exercise choices and make sure your choices reflect your intention. If those don’t align, you’re probably need to make a different choice, or switch your intention. Both are acceptable.

Check in time
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Front splits progress and pigeon lunge maintenance.
Getting there for those front splits. By the end of 2022 I’ll be resting on the floor. Why? Just because it feels nice to be stretchy and strong (middle splits is still a long way off).
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For the pigeon lunges, I don’t do them often, but it’s nice to get my nose to my toes… as in, the work we do at 3Fit totally maintains and or improves flexibility and strength without even training specific positions. That’s pretty powerful stuff.
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Check out our “Weird Strong” classes to find out how we blend FRC principles with “traditional” strength training to supercharge your results in ALL ASPECTS of your fitness.