When most people hear “core training” the first thing they think about are your abs. While the abdominals are definitely a part of your core muscles, there’s much more to it than that. The list of muscles that actually make up your “core” is open to interpretation, but generally they’re the muscles that run the length of your spine/torso. I don’t really consider chest and upper back core muscles, but that’s just me. These muscles are responsible for stabilizing everything from your hips to your spine to your shoulders and they give you a strong base so you can better control your body. Read the rest of this entry »

Heres a great back exercise, if you’re looking to mix up your workout. I like to do it in place of the lateral pull downs now again. Read after the video for details on how to perform this exercise.

V-BAR Pull down demonstration from Nash on Vimeo.

The key points for this exercise are:

1. Start with a low weight until you have mastered the proper form!
2. Attach the “V-Bar” to the pull down machine
3. Grabbing the V-bar with both hands, pull it to your upper chest, don’t be afraid to lean back during the motion, but not too much as it will work your lower back.
4. Let the V-Bar raise back up slowly.