Building a strong trunk is a crucial aspect of enhancing athletic performance. Regardless of whether an athlete is focused on conventional or strength sports, training the muscles that comprise the trunk must be prioritized every week. A strong trunk enables athletes to stabilize their spine, hips, and pelvis properly, resulting in lower injury rates and enhanced athletic performance. 

At Westside, we have consistently included trunk exercises in our training for years. Anyone who knew Lou knew his emphasis on developing a strong stomach. If Lou was in the gym, even if it wasn't a scheduled training session, you could almost bet he would do a trunk exercise or two before leaving the gym. 

Over the years, Westside Barbell members have lifted weights that most would define as extreme. However, our injury rates have consistently remained low, which is a testament to the amount of trunk (and back) training we execute week after week. 

One fortunate thing about trunk training is that it can be accomplished both directly and indirectly. For instance, an exercise such as a sit-up is a direct trunk exercise, while a barbell squat or deadlift is an indirect way to improve trunk strength. Considering this, simple exercises such as sit-ups or Russian twists are an excellent way for beginners to improve their trunk strength.

However, as athletes become stronger and accommodation sets in, we must adjust the training to introduce new stimuli and further enhance adaptation. Fortunately, this is easily done considering the limitless exercise selection options when using the Conjugate Method.

Here are a few advanced trunk exercises that will help athletes continue to improve their trunk strength and stability.

GHD Sit-Up w/ Med Ball Catch

The GHD sit-up performed with a medicine ball is not a new or revolutionary exercise, but it is incredibly useful when performed with correct intent and execution. When we perform this movement, we want to ensure the GHD footplate is set correctly to allow the stress to be placed on the lower abdominals and hip flexors. 

Often, when this exercise is performed, athletes set the footplate in a position that takes considerable stress off the lower abdominals and hip flexors, making the workout essentially a basic weighted sit-up. With the GHD, we aim to utilize the full range of motion the machine allows us to achieve when performing a sit-up.

Once we have the footplate set in the correct position, we will then begin the exercise. The athlete will begin the sit-up while a partner throws the medicine ball to them. The goal of the athlete is to catch the medicine ball while lowering their torso, slightly surpassing the 180-degree mark, and rapidly reverse direction to throw the medicine ball back to their training partner. 

As athletes first begin using this exercise, we recommend catching the medicine ball in a similar to a chest pass. Once athletes become stronger and more competent with exercise execution, we can then escalate the difficulty of the exercise by having athletes catch the med ball with their arms extended overhead. This results in greater strain being placed on the trunk and hip flexors and will bring about further improvement in trained athletes.

It is essential to note that the medicine ball weight should be challenging yet manageable. We want enough weight to provide meaningful resistance but not so much that athletes struggle to complete ten reps.

When performing the GHD sit-ups with the chest pass catch, we will use a slightly heavier medicine ball. However, with the overhead catch with extended arms, we will opt for a lighter medicine ball. The goal is to increase the difficulty of the sit-up to bring about further adaptation; we are not worried about finding the heaviest medicine ball an athlete can use for a GHD sit-up. 

We recommend athletes perform this exercise for 4-5 sets of 12-15 or 15-20 reps. 

Bamboo Bar Walking Zercher Lunge w/ Trunk Twist 

If the goal is to improve the strength and stability of the trunk muscles, few exercises can match the effectiveness of the bamboo bar walking Zercher lunge with a trunk twist. The most challenging aspect of this exercise is saying the name three times fast; the second most challenging aspect is performing the exercise. This movement targets the hip flexors, abdominals, and obliques while also developing the anterior and posterior leg muscles. 

For those unfamiliar with what a bamboo bar is, it is a specialty barbell that oscillates, forcing an athlete to stabilize the barbell via bracing and tempo control. When we carry this barbell Zercher-style while moving, the oscillation increases. Add a lunge and a twist into the mix, and you have an exercise that trains multiple muscle groups and planes of movement efficiently. 

The first step to executing this exercise is to select an appropriate amount of weight to apply to the barbell. This will all depend on the athlete's strength and their experience using bamboo bars. For most, we recommend starting light and adding weight as exercise competency improves. 

Once the bamboo bar is loaded, we will pick it up in the Zercher carry position and begin the first rep. We will step into the lunge, seeking to bring the lead leg knee to 90 degrees and the shin on the follow leg parallel to the ground. Once this position is achieved, we will twist to one side, bring the barbell back to the center point, and then step out of the lunge. 

The next rep will then be performed using the opposite leg, rotating the trunk to the opposite side before repeating the process until all prescribed reps have been completed. 

This exercise can be challenging for even intermediate-level athletes; hence, it is often reserved for advanced-level athletes. When performing this exercise, we recommend using 4-6 sets of 8-10 or 10-12 repetitions. 

Leg Lifts with Ankle Weights

The various ways of performing leg lifts are great ways to improve the strength of the hip flexors and abdominals. These exercises include hanging leg lifts, lying leg lifts, and flutter kicks. Add ankle weights into the mix, and the training effect of these movements is enhanced further. 

While some may not think of ankle weights when they think of training tools used at Westside Barbell, I can personally attest to their effectiveness. Not only are ankle weights a great way to enhance abdominal training, but they also serve as a means of tractioning the hips and training the hip flexors during sled pulls and belt squat walks. 

When I first got to Westside, Lou was talking to me about ankle weights. I never considered them a viable training tool and wrote them off as a tool used by those concerned with calisthenics and basic exercises. Lou then told me to put on the heavy ankle weights and do 400 lying hamstring curls in a row.

At that point, I became a believer in the usefulness of ankle weights to help increase the difficulty of simple lower-body exercises. 

When performing hanging leg lifts, we execute them in two ways, depending on the athlete. Less experienced athletes can lift their knees to their upper stomach or chest, while stronger athletes should strive for strict reps with the legs brought up to form an "L" shape with their torso. 

Lying leg lifts can be performed on the floor or a flat bench. When using the bench, the overall range of motion is extended, which will further target the lower abdominals and hip flexors. Regardless of the style of leg lift we choose to perform, we want to ensure that we are executing strict reps.

When performing these exercises, we will typically go with 4-6 sets of 10-12, 12-15, 15-20, or 20-25 reps. 

A Trunk of Iron

Ensuring the spine, hips, and pelvis are properly stabilized is a critical aspect of sports performance. Not only will a strong trunk help increase overall durability, but it also helps athletes produce more force. Without optimal spine support, nerve conduction is negatively affected, leading to athletes becoming less capable of producing force and more susceptible to damage or injury. 
 
All athletes should prioritize trunk training. Whether someone is a professional athlete or a hobbyist, strengthening the trunk muscles benefits both sports performance and overall quality of life. 

Many athletes establish a routine with their trunk training and opt to perform the same movements repeatedly, expecting to continue improving. However, considering what we know about exercise accommodation, these movements become less and less effective as athletes become stronger and more efficient at performing routine exercises. 

The movements discussed above are a great way to kick-start new trunk strength gains for those who have gotten the most out of the basic trunk exercises. As Lou said, once your body has the answers, you need to change the questions.

For more information regarding the Conjugate Method, check out the WSBB Blog.