HOW TO: DO A PALLOF PRESS
An excellent core based exercise is the Pallof press. It's one of my favourite exercises for working stability, and anti-rotation. We've got a couple of options here. We have a heavy band, which is our green band, followed by purple, followed by black, followed by red. It's important to choose the appropriate weight and the appropriate band here to allow you to keep that stability...quality over quantity.
So to set up for the Pallof press, what I want to do is set the band so that when I extend my arms, I want the band to be perpendicular at 90 degrees.
Okay. I don't want that band at an angle. So what I'm going to do: Right hand underneath, right shoulder in, elbows nice and tight.
Opposite hand links in over the top. I want my thumbs in line with my sternum. From here, I'm going to step out, create that tension.
The further I step away from the band, the harder it is. I want to fire my glutes, my hips and my abs to stabilise the pelvis and the spine to create stability. From here, I'm going to punch the arms out, create that midline stability whilst the band is trying to break my position.
I'm creating tension through the entire chain to maintain my position.
Make sure you finish that rep. Then complete on the other side, looking at creating as much tension through the entire chain, right from the ankles, right through the chain, into the wrists.
Another option for the Pallof press if you don't have access to a band, and you're working in a conventional style gym; You can set yourself up on a cable machine, essentially just adjust your weight.
Find a challenging weight to be able to make you work for about 20 to 30 seconds, really hard whilst maintaining that stability without losing your position. The same principles apply.
You just grab hold of the handle with the inside arm, take a step out so the cable is perpendicular.
Boom.
Extend, brace, hold.
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