Name: Modified Mountain Climbers for Core Reactive Stabilization
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:00:51.000Z
Duration: 6 min 23 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/MCvRF4Y7qBvGeEjQ1JZT01wNQ6vKIaFtjv7lgwbPQHMw.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform modified mountain climbers for core reactive stabilization in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on trunk alignment, reactive core sequencing, and coordinated limb movement (including progressions and regressions) to safely develop core strength, stability, and neuromuscular control. Enhance movement efficiency, reactivity, and athletic performance with professional guidance suitable for all fitness levels. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to improve core stabilization, optimize trunk control, and master this foundational reactive-stability training drill.

Introduction to Progressing the Plank with Mountain Climbers

Establishing Stability and Triple Flexion/Extension Mechanics

Enhancing Difficulty with Unstable Surfaces

Advanced Reactive Stabilization with Stability Balls

Summary of Progressions and Repetition Recommendations

Modified Mountain Climbers for Core Reactive Stabilization

This is Brent, coming at you with more core exercise. In this video we're going to progress the plank. I'm going to take a very standard exercise, the mountain climber, show you how to reinforce triple flexion, and triple extension mechanics, making a mountain climber, a reactive stabilization exercise. This increases the transference for all of my running athletes. All of my running athletes out there, you guys know how important that drive, and how important that turnaround is. I'm going to show you  how to keep this stable, so that you don't lose any of that lower body power. I'm going to have my friend, Leann, come out and help me demonstrate this exercise. Now, let's talk about set up really quickly. You are going to have to get your upper body elevated a little bit. You can see in here, we're just using a standard bench, usually that works. If you have a taller athlete, you might even have to get a little further elevated. A prerequisite exercise, something you're going to have to be thinking about as you progress in your programming, to do this exercise you have to be able to do a single leg plank, and do a single leg plank really well. I want to be able to get Leann into a single leg plank here, with this knee up, and that she's driving through this leg, glutes tight, quads tight. She's got her toes up, but the ball of her foot down, driving through plantar flexion. So all of this is really steady. This is the triple extension mechanic that we are going to keep reinforcing through this exercise. Then, of course, here, in her other leg - you can actually switch legs for me Leann -  good, in this leg, we want triple flexion. So I want to see hip flexion, knee flexion, and then I actually want ankle dorsiflexion and inversion. Okay, so turn in just a little bit, like this. Now, the tricky part of this is not what Leann just did, the tricky part is, I'm going to try to get her to switch, quickly, without moving any of this. She's got to keep her torso and pelvis totally still, like she's got a martini glass on her back, we all know how stupid martini glasses are, they spill everything everywhere. From a stabilization standpoint, if you use that little analogy to think about how easy it is to spill, I don't want any movement here. She's going to go ahead and switch really quickly for me. Switch. Boom!  You can see Leann went straight into that triple extension. She's got the ball of her foot centered in the floor, quad tight, glute tight, and she's in triple flexion on the other leg. Once she feels like she's stable, she can go ahead and switch again. Switch. Good. We saw just a little bit of bounce, it took her a second to stop bouncing and stabilizing, and she can switch again. Now, I know most people do mountain climbers as fast as they can back and forth, but if we're doing it for the purposes I mentioned before, we're trying to reinforce triple extension, trying to reinforce triple flexion, and trying to improve stabilization through the lumbo-pelvic hip complex, we want to make sure we're stable between each shift. So, go ahead and switch again, and you can see my hand's coming up just a little bit. Switch again. Good. Switch. Switch. You can speed this up, as long as they can maintain stability. There are progressions to this exercise, just like there'd be progressions to any of our exercises. Since we are in our core realm, within the core portion of our program, I'm probably still going to increase in stability, even though this is a reactive exercise. One thing we can do, is we can take something that's a little unstable, this is actually just a Dynamax soft medicine ball, or you could also use a BOSU ball on top of this, providing that you can make sure it's safe, and won't slide out. I'm going to have her get into that same position. Good. Glutes tight, quads tight, calves tight, balls of feet on the floor. She's going to go into that flexion position, and now she's going to have to work really, really hard to maintain stability here. It's probably going to slow us down a little bit in our switches, so go ahead and switch. She's got to feel totally stable again, and she's rocking towards me a little bit. She's going to center, make sure her glutes are tight, now switch. Good. Takes her a couple seconds to stabilize, but when she's stable, she can switch again. You can see here how she can't switch quite as fast, that'll be part of her development, her progression over the next couple of weeks. Once she is able to switch at a, we'll call it, a rhythmic tempo, then I would look to increase stability even further. This is where a really huge challenge comes in. We can do stability ball, reactive stabilization for the core, or mountain climbers on a stability ball, as they might be called. So once again, she's going to hold this position, kinetic chain checkpoints and alignment: glutes tight, quads tight, calves pushing. Once she's stable, she gets to switch. See, she was a little slower on that switch, she had a little harder time getting centered again. Good. Switch. Good. Make sure your glutes are tight, quads are tight, and calves. Alright,  switch. And once again, we try to work this back up to a rhythmic tempo. So there you go. We've got a very very challenging exercise that you can add to your plank progression. This is a reactive stabilization training exercise, so you would definitely be looking to put this somewhere in your power training phase. We talked about increasing in stability from bench, to bench with something unstable under the arms, to the stability ball, and of course you have to stabilize between each step, which means it's going to take work before planting the foot equals stability, rather than planting in, stable hold, and then switch. Once you guys get up to a rhythmic tempo, then you can switch to a more unstable activity. You're probably looking for 12 to 20 reps of this exercise, of course you could do it by the clock as well. I hope you enjoy this exercise and I hope you enjoy the progressions. Have fun with it!

Home

Videos

Integrated functional anatomy of the external obliques. Attachments, nerves, palpation, joint actions, arthrokinematics, fascia, triggerpoints, and behavior in postural dysfunction. Common exercises and stretches for the core and oblique muscles.

External Obliques

Integrated functional anatomy of the rectus abdominis and pyramidalis. Attachments, nerves, palpation, joint actions, arthrokinematics, fascia, triggerpoints, and behavior in postural dysfunction. Examples of common core exercises, mobility, stretches, and strengthening exercises for the abs/core muscles.

Rectus Abdominis and Pyramidalis

Plank and side plank strength training exercises - best progressions for planks and side planks. Core movements for endurance, stability, hypertrophy, and strength, and a sample core/abdominal routine. 

Plank Exercise and Side Plank Exercise Progressions

Note, instructions are the same as the "Plank" described above, with minor modifications to accommodate the desired progression.

Start by having your patient/client assume a prone position with their elbows under their shoulders and forearms parallel.

Note: This exercise can be performed in push-up position with hands under shoulders and elbows extended.

Ensure safe and optimal placement of any additional piece of equipment.

Address any deviations in cervical or thoracic alignment ("head back with chin tucked" and "reaching with the top of the head as if trying to get taller" are often helpful cues).

 are in alignment and ask them to maximally dorsiflex in an attempt to get as much of the ball of their foot on the floor as possible.

Have your patient/client perform the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM).

Ask your patient to elevate their torso off the floor/mat by squeezing their glutes, locking their knees, and pressing into the balls of their feet.

Ask the client to bring one knee forward as they increase focus on the support leg with additional 

 engagement and force through the ball of the foot.

Once the client is stable on the support leg, you may correct the contra-lateral leg, cueing triple flexion (hip flexion, knee flexion, and dorsiflexion). The goal is to prepare this leg for a clean and efficient strike during the transition.

Have the client explosively transition from one leg to the other with the intent of using triple extension to "plant" the ball of the foot with optimal torso, hip, knee, and ankle alignment.

Note, "triple extension" is hip extension (

 engaged), knee extension (quadriceps engaged), and ankle plantar flexion (calf engaged)

Perform for the desired number of reps, or until any compensation is noted.

 Ideal form would result in "landing" in a stable position with triple extension of the support leg, triple flexion of the non-support leg, minimal motion of the torso, and optimal alignment of the torso and lower extremity with each rep.

Torso elevation using benches or squat racks may be used to adjust load.

The number of transitions in a row can be progressed to increase difficulty (e.g., 2 strikes and hold, 3 strikes and hold, etc.)

Modified Mountain Climbers for Core Reactive Stabilization

Single Leg Jump Rope in a Box

Kill The Trainer Game: Single Leg Balance Reactive Drill

Lateral Hop To Single Leg Box Jump

Single Leg Box Jump

Lateral Hop To Vertical To Balance

Hop Down to Single Leg Touchdown to Balance

Hop Down to Stabilization

Core (Transverse Abdominis) Reactive Integration - Crunch & Catch

Comments

Guest