H E A L T H
&
F I T N E S S
Working Out With BJ
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BJ is the lead trainer at Woodside Health & Tennis Club in Kansas City, Missouri. He received his B.S. in Health and Human Performance from Fort Hays State University, followed by a year long placement in the sports science lab at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
by BJ Ward, Contributor
elcome to the final part in our series on training your core to improve your performance in the saddle. The first two parts focused on training the front of the core, and
lower body together in a diagonal pattern from each shoulder to opposite-side glute. This allows you to sit tall and tight in the saddle. The final exercise
Neutral Bird Dog
on the floor! Assume a hands and knees position on the floor (Neutral Bird Dog.) We are looking for 90-degree angles here, so your chest and arms as well as your hips and legs should all form 90-degree angles with the floor. Your back should have a slight, natural curve. Begin the exercise by “bracing:” think of the action you make with your stomach when someone is going to sucker punch you in your core. Now, extend your right arm and your left leg at the
ercise on the other side, with 2-3 sets on each side. Thank you so much for following our core training series. I hope you have been able to use the techniques we’ve demonstrated to improve your performance in the saddle! Our thanks to Faith and Sammi for demonstrating the Quadruped Bird Dog. A big H&A thank you to BJ for sharing his time and expertise with our readers through his Four Part series. We’ll miss you BJ! n
Pointing Bird Dog
part three worked the connective tissue at the back of the core. This connective tissue, or fascia, is critical as it links the upper body and the
in our series will also strengthen this diagonal pattern in the core. You will work to link the opposite sides of your body together, and to re-
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Quadruped Bird Dog To perform this exercise you only need your body weight and some space
same time (Pointing Bird Dog,) ensuring that the arch in your back does not increase and your hips do not rotate to the right or left! Perform 10 reps, and repeat the ex-
sist movement through the core.
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Photos: Deanna O’Byrne
