Grab a barbell, wedge it in a corner, and get creative.
Core training can get monotonous. You do the usual planks, crunches, other plank and sit up variations, and that’s pretty much it.
But training your core can get a lot more interesting and functional than that.
ENTER THE LANDMINE
There is actually a piece of equipment that is called a landmine where the barbell is placed into a tube and swivels on a base. But you can easily wedge it in the corner. Just make sure to place some padding between the barbell and the wall so you don’t scratch up the wall and barbell.
The Landmine Hip Toss can be learned through a series of progressions because there are a lot of moving components for the exercise. It’s best to start off with a light enough weight so that you can perform the exercise slowly.
HOW TO PERFORM THE LANDMINE HIP TOSS
SET-UP: With barbell in the landmine or in the corner, pick the end of the barbell up. Your feet are placed a little wider than shoulder width and you hold the end of the barbell with two hands that’s most comfortable. The end of barbell should be at eye level with your arms extended in front of you at least 90 degrees (the more you extend your arms, the longer the lever challenging your core even more).
EXECUTION: Rotate to your right by pivoting on your left foot. Keep your right elbow tucked to your side as you lower the barbell to your right hip. When you reach your hip, rotate at the hips as you return the barbell to the starting position. Pause at the top to show control before you continue to the left side.
As mentioned before, perform the movement slowly to get your body used to the movement and making sure all the pieces are working together.
When you become more comfortable with the movement and fluid. Perform the Hip Toss in an explosive manner while still stopping the barbell at the top position to show control and core stability/strength.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THE LANDMINE HIP TOSS
If you want to get specific. This exercise is a great addition to sports where rotational movements are used such as Judo, MMA, Baseball, Golf and even Surfing. You will be able to increase rotational power that’ll help MMA athletes to toss people around, baseball players and golfers to have a stronger swing, and surfers to catch some air or even have a smooth bottom turn.
Even the desk job warrior could benefit from this exercise. Not only does this exercise train your hips and core, but it will also help with your thoracic mobility. Our spines are meant to flex, extend, and rotate. When sitting for a long period of time, your body spine slowly falls into flexion as you start slouching forward which over time makes your spine immobile. This opens you up for a whole case of problem.
Before you start, watch the video of the Landmine Hip Toss above and take the movement slowly at first then find a rhythm as you make it a more explosive hip toss.
