Humans are creative animals.
We invented:
- Air conditioning
- Crystal Pepsi
- Whiskey
- Ocarina of Time
- Pancakes
- Rocket ships
- Music, which led to Prince gave us Purple Rain. (But, then again, Prince was no mere human)
Inventors have been solving problems for millennia.
Except for the ones that created man’s greatest inventions completely by accident.
- The slinky
- Microwaves
- Post-It Notes
- Penicillin
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
All of those above, completely created by accident.
I had a client recently who had to get a little inventive with the equipment he had access to in his gym. To finish his workout, I had programmed in one of my favorite core exercises. Except, there was one small problem. His gym didn’t have a cable machine which meant that Pallof Presses were pretty much a no go.
Oh, but that wasn’t going to stop my client J from feeling the burn in his core.
J’s one hell of a smart dude, so he got little creative. And I’ll be damned if he didn’t come up with a new core exercise. A core exercise that, like the Pallof Press, acts as an anti-flexion and anti-extension movement.
He shared his invention with me through this drawing.
Of course, I had to give it a try the next day at the gym and let me tell you, this will light your core up.
So in his honor, I decided to call this exercise: The Philosopher’s Press.
Why is this a great exercise?
Number one, we all spend too much time in a flexed (hunched) position. We sit at desks at work, drive long distances in our cars, gaming for hours on end, and this shortens and weakens our anterior core muscles.
At the same time, sitting weakens our glutes, and lower back muscles.
That’s exactly why I love this exercise.
Keeping a straight posture in the back extension machine, you have to squeeze your glutes. (Booty gains.)
As you press the weight towards the ground, you fight your bodies desire to follow gravity and go into flexion. Then, as you bring the weight back to your chest, you have to squeeze your butt even harder to prevent yourself from pulling the weight up and (over)extending your body like a fishing rod after you’ve hooked a catch.
Within a couple of reps, you’ll feel your core ignite like never before.
Gain a Stoic Core
If you’re tired of the same ole plank variations week after week. Or, you’re looking for a new core exercise to end your workout with, give the Philosopher’s Press a shot.
