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This week we’re going to challenge your stabilizer muscles with a quick workout. Your stabilizers support your joints so your big muscles can do their job properly. If your stabilizers are weak, you won’t make the strength gains you want and you’ll be at a greater risk for injury.
Add this workout in as part of your warm up, or do it as a standalone workout at least once a week. Not only will you get results faster from your other workouts, but you’ll feel better and move better throughout the day!
I’ve included tutorial videos as well as written descriptions for each exercise.
What You’ll Need
Chair, Bench, or Step
Resistance Bands – Beginner Set – Advanced Set
Dumbbells (optional) – Light Set – Heavy Set
How to Use the Stabilizer Challenge Workout
Do 1 round of this as a warm up before your normal workout, or do up to 3 rounds for a standalone workout on a recovery day.
- 1 – 3 sets
- 10 – 15 reps
- All you need are your body, a resistance band, and dumbbells (or forget the dumbbells and do bodyweight squats)
- Use a band resistance or dumbbell weight that allows you to perform all reps with good form.
- Perform each rep slowly, with control – try to count to 4 as you contract, then to 4 again as you release.
- Don’t forget to breathe!
Be sure to comment below and let me know how it goes for you!
The Stabilizer Challenge Workout
Band Marches
- Start standing on a level surface with your feet together.
- Focus your gaze on a point in front of you to help with balance.
- Shift your weight slightly onto your right foot, pressing your big toe, little toe and heel into the ground.
- Raise your left knee as high as you can, keeping your spine straight and long, without leaning forward or tucking your butt.
- Smoothly lower your left foot back to the ground and shift your weight onto your left foot without letting your upper body sway.
- Repeat on left leg.
- Option: Do this without the band if you’re struggling with your balance and keeping your hips steady!
Elevated Bridge
- Start lying on the mat with your heels resting on the chair, knees bent, hips aligned directly below your knees.
- Engage your core by drawing up through your pelvic floor, and pulling your belly button to your spine.
- Exhale and drive your heels down into the chair, lifting your hips smoothly off the mat.
- You will feel your hamstrings and glutes activate.
- Inhale and slowly return to start.
Heel Slides
- Start lying on the mat with your knees bent.
- Engage your core by drawing up through your pelvic floor, pulling your belly button toward your spine, and pulling your ribs down and in.
- Slowly, without allowing your core or hips to move, raise your right foot an inch off the mat and extend your leg as though you were sliding your heel along the mat.
- Return to start, keeping your core and hips completely still.
- Repeat on the left leg.
Upper Back Extensions
- Kneel on the mat facing a chair.
- Clasp your hands and rest your elbows shoulder-width apart on the chair.
- Sit your hips back and lower your upper body so your head is level with (or below) the chair and you feel a stretch in your upper arms through the backs of your shoulders and upper back.
- Drive down through your elbows and engage your shoulders and core to press back up to start.
Dumbbell Squats
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, toes pointing slightly out or straight forward.
- Holding one dumbbell in each hand, cross your arms and rest the dumbbells on your shoulders.
- Engage your core by drawing up through your pelvic floor, and pulling your belly button to your spine while pulling your ribs down toward your hips.
- Inhale and sit your hips back as though a chair were behind you.
- Keep your weight over your heels and mid-foot, lifting up through your arches.
- Make sure your knees track over your feet but do not let your knees extend past your toes.
- Keep your core engaged and your spine long and straight, chest up, gaze looking forward.
- Sit back as far as you can control.
- Exhale and drive through your heels to return to stand.
Face Pulls
- Wrap a band around a post at eye-level or above, crossing the band in front of you.
- Hold one end of the band in each hand and step back so the band is taught and your arms are fully extended.
- Lower into an athletic stance with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core engaged.
- Exhale and draw your elbows out to the side as you pull the band toward your face, squeezing your shoulder blades together and down.
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears.
- Keep your chin tucked so your head does not jut forward.
- Keep your core engaged and pull your ribs actively down toward your hips so you don’t allow your low back to arch excessively.
- Inhale and slowly control the band back to start.
Band Curls + Extensions
- Start by placing the middle of your band under your feet.
- Your feet should be hip-width apart with your knees slightly bent, and hinging at the hips
- Draw your ribs down toward your hips and your belly button toward your spine and imagine lengthening your spine up from the crown of your head and down through your tailbone.
- Keeping your core engaged to keep your spine steady, hold one end of the band in each hand and keep your elbows locked at your sides with your shoulder blades pulling gently together.
- Exhale and curl the band up, drawing your fists to the front of your shoulders without your elbows moving from your sides.
- Inhale as you return to start. Make sure you control the band and it doesn’t jerk your arms straight.
- Exhale and extend your arms behind you, straightening at the elbows and squeezing your hands toward each other behind your back.
- Inhale and return to start. Repeat for desired number of reps.
Want More?
Hips, Butt and Core Workout – This workout will target where all your movement comes from to continue challenging your stabilizer muscles.
25 Minute Squat Balance Workout – Challenge the stabilizer muscles in your legs with this quick workout.
Why Rest is More Important Than Your Workout – Improve your training results by improving your recovery from your workouts.