The Best Power Core Training Exercises

If there are two things we seem to discuss a lot in our DVRT blog posts it is probably power and core training. That is largely because these are such poorly misunderstood topics in mainstream fitness. There are so many layers to both that we could literally discuss JUST these two topics for a long time independently. However, talking about how power and core training go together is a whole different level!

Why, why do we discuss core training SOOOOO much?! Isn’t it just a bunch of b.s. and a fancy word for abs? Hopefully if you have been following our blogs on core training for any period of time, you already know the answer is NO!!! The core is made up of over 35 muscles so we can’t just say the abs because it is NOT just the abs that we are speaking about.

Instead, we are referring to how all these muscles work synergistically to develop true core training. If you think that the whole idea of core training is all unnecessarily mumbo jumbo, then check out this slide that I stole from Jessica from one of her presentations!

The point of Jessica’s slide is that when we are talking about core training we aren’t just referring to strengthening the abs, but looking to improve the motor control of the entire core. What does that mean? Don’t worry we will explain. What you should notice though that it is the synergy of these muscles working together that gives us the potential to make core training really make an impact upon our health and performance.

Motor control for our sake is really about focusing on movement patterns instead of muscles or exercises. When we place emphasis on movement patterns and see the quality of our movement improve, we know that our muscles are working efficiently together. A great example is how core training is so essential to build good movements like our hip hinge where so many power exercises are derived.

Power training only hurts someone when they rush into it. When they don’t build a good foundation of understanding how to use the core training they have built to transfer to more dynamic exercises like we see in the world of power training. An example is how Jessica demonstrates how we connect the body to make sure that our entire body is working together to give us a proper platform to produce power in the hip hinge with this deadlift series.

If we lose the principles of our feet, our grip, our lats, that means our core training isn’t going to help us to be better when we perform our power training. That is because power training is really about how we can keep our plank and direct force into the ground. People watch the weight move and fail to realize what the body is doing.

A great example is kettlebell cleans where people SMACK their wrists time and time again. The simple reason is they become focused on lifting the kettlebell with their arms and not with their feet and using their core to keep them strong so they don’t lose their plank. You see the wiggles, the leaning back, everything but that nice and efficient movement that we want to see in power training.

If we look at proper progression we see that if we can teach how to drive from the ground, keep our plank, and use the arms as just an extension of the movement from the ground up, we have a much smoother and better feeling exercise.

What makes a lot of what we do in DVRT is that we don’t look at power training in just one way. Meaning most people stop once we get to performing drills like cleans, snatches, and kettlebell swings with both feet firmly planted on the ground. However, our power and core training really shine if we can develop that power while moving different directions.

When we lose our core our power goes down. So, while it is good that we to establish that foundation when we are in that stable bilateral stance, we eventually want to use more sophisticated progressions to demonstrate we have true core stability while performing our power movements. That is why we can break down any of these more complex DVRT drills into smarter progressions like I demonstrate below.

Every time we move into a different direction we have to go through the process of reinforcing how we use our core correctly to maintain a safe and efficient base to produce that power. We see the failure of using that core training to its full potential as we get to the really cool aspects of DVRT like rotational training.

One of our favorite movements is our DVRT Shoveling. However, few really understand the goal or how we go about breaking it down so it can be attainable for so many more people. Fortunately, we have great coaches like DVRT Master, Sean Lettero who is great at making the complex more accessible. Check it out below and see how proper core training and integration is essential to be successful at the highest levels of functional and power training.

Want to find out more about how we coach DVRT to make the impact that really makes a difference? Check out our upcoming DVRT certifications HERE and this VERY special one time workshop HERE that will forever how you see training and resiliency!

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