My Core Sequence, Part 4: Upper Body Linear Movements

If you haven't already, please read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.

All of the upper body movements will be started from good posture.  You may find that widening your stance just a little will help you with stability.  The goal with upper body movements is to keep everything from your hips down as still as possible.  For the sake of balance, it will not be possible to keep completely still, but try.  You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements.  If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.

As always, if you're just starting off, it is wise to do just ten movements on each side, or twenty total, until you are comfortable with the new movements.  Those of you who are new to core work may find yourself unusually sore if you do too much, too fast.  Don't overdo it.  You can add more repetitions next week if you find it is too easy.  The most important thing is proper form so you're not training the wrong movement and not inadvertently causing strain or injury.

VIDEO LINK!!

Back and Forth Shoulder Slide

Start from good posture.  Keeping your hips still, slide your upper body to one side, keeping your shoulders parallel to the ground, as far as you can.  Repeat in the other direction.  Try to keep from arching or hunching your back.

Back and Forth Rib Slide

The key to this is keeping your head and hips still.  Push your ribcage out to one side as far as you can without moving your head or hips.  Repeat in the other direction.  Your shoulders will naturally make a pendulum motion if you do it correctly.  Resist the urge to stick your hips out in the opposite direction while you do this.  There should be a constant mild tension in your legs throughout the upper body sequence that helps keep this kind of thing from happening.  You will notice your legs by the time you are finished.

Back and Forth Rib Tilt

Now you will go the other way.  This will resemble an upside down pendulum swinging from the diaphragm area.  I have a crease there in my skin, so it is easy for me to judge where that is.  Starting from good posture, let your ribcage tilt to one side as far as it can hang without moving what is located below the diaphragm area.  Your head will obviously move, but do not let your back sag.  This is only a lateral movement.  Now lift back to zero position and repeat on the other side.  Do not let your hips or abdomen compensate for the movement.  It should look like their is a joint located at the said articulation point and everything below that should not move.

Front to Back Chest

Starting from good posture, push your chest forward as far as you can without falling over.  Do not look down.  Keep your chest and head facing forward the entire time.  Maintaining that same position, push your upper back as far backward as possible without falling.  Let your upper back round in order to keep your chest and head facing forward only.  Do not let your lower back get lazy and arch or you may put unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine, possibly causing pain.  Try to keep your hips as still as possible, even though they will have to move forward a certain amount to keep you from tipping over.

Up and Down Chest

Keep your head still for this one.  Start from that good posture.  Push your chest (not your stomach) forward while pulling your shoulders back so that they stay in one place.  This will effectively lift your chest at a wide range of motion.  Now pull your chest in so that your upper back (not lower back) rounds.  Your shoulders should still be in the same place, as should your head.  Keep your hips tucked the whole time, do not let them go anywhere.

Front to Back Rib Tilt

Find that same articulation point at the diaphragm area that you were using for the previous rib tilt that was side to side.  Viewing from the side, this movement should resemble the same upside down pendulum that the other one did.  Start from good posture.  Tilt your ribcage forward.  Return to zero position.  Tilt your ribcage backward.  Repeat.  Do not move anything below your articulation point.  It is very important that two things happen during any of these movements that includes a back bend.  The first is that your lower back stay in posture.  Do not let your lower back sag.  Doing this puts a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine.  The second is that you lift your chest toward the ceiling.  This will help keep you from letting your mid to upper back sag while tilting or leaning backward.

Twisting Torso

I'm including this one in this section because you will need it for the figure eights.  Start from posture.  Do not move from your center line.  Rotate your upper body so that one shoulder comes forward and the other backward as far as your flexibility allows you to go.  Your head should not move.  Go to your fullest range of motion without allowing your hips to follow.  Repeat in the other direction.

Awesome Tip of the Day: There is a tendency to start to arch or hunch your back or stick out your bum if you're not paying attention to it. Keep this in mind throughout your movements. Try not to distort yourself in the wrong direction while you are practicing. Keeping good posture will help you use the correct muscles, reduce the risk of injury, and make you appear more graceful and coordinated.

NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 5:  Upper Body Figure Eights

What to do with Long Hair for Martial Arts?

I've seen this question several times now, so I thought I would address it.  After many years of martial arts, both on the ground and standing up, I have found but one hairstyle that actually works for everything.  It is very simple.

1. Make a nice, tight braid from the nape of your neck.  A French braid is fine but not necessary.
2. Tuck it through your sports bra strap in that little groove above your collar bone.
3. Turn your head as far as you can to make sure there is enough slack to not restrict your motion.
4. Tuck the braid tail under your gi collar and go about your business.

"So what if I'm doing a no gi session?"  You should be using a rash guard of some type.  Tuck it through your bra strap and into your rash guard, around the side of your breast.  There are a lot of reasons why a rash guard would help you even if you are wearing a gi and you don't have long hair.

"What keeps my braid from coming out of my gi?"  Your bra strap is the first thing.  It naturally directs your hair around the outside of your breast into a convenient area.

"What if I'm a guy with long hair, so I don't wear a sports bra?"  The same thing should apply.  Tuck it down through a shirt or a rash guard over your shoulder of choice.  The stiffer the gi, the better.  My 14 oz. gis have a nice stiff collar that holds braids in place really well.  I normally don't even notice my hair, which is the whole point.  A medium weight gi doesn't hold as well, so tuck it into something.

"Can I just tuck my braid down my back?"  Be my guest, but you're not going to like rolling over it or laying on it.

"My braids start to fray really fast."  Braid it wet.  It's good for your hair anyway.  If it becomes a problem, you might try placing elastic hair ties in various places down your braid, starting at the base of the braid and having one every couple of inches until you reach the end.

"So what's wrong with buns and ponytails?"  Buns are great if you're just standing up and not doing any contact or anything that would require head protection.  Ponytails tend to get in your face any time you spin or turn your head fast.  They are murder for grappling because laying on your ponytail is painful and prevents you from moving.  You will not be able to do any escapes that require you to scoot up.  This has gotten me stuck in high mount many times.  Don't do this to yourself.

"I have bangs/fringe and layers."  I'm sorry.  I made this mistake, too.  The layers are not so bad if they are long enough to stay in your braid.  The bangs must be either kept short or grown out for maximum efficiency.  I made the mistake of cutting side swept bangs.  Yeah, they look nice if my hair is down.  What is not nice is this bob length hair that doesn't stay in my braid and having it stepped on and ripped out while grappling.  It's not too fun to have it sweat-plastered to my face during forms and drills either.  Ideally, hair that is all one length is the most efficient way.  If you must have a prettier hairstyle, try to keep layering at a functional length.

That brings me to another point.  The bob is a terrible idea for physical activity.  I know the military hasn't figured this out yet, but it just gets in the way.  You can't tie it back, but it's long enough to be in your eyes and your mouth.  The way I see it, there are three functional lengths of hair.  1. The buzz cut/pixie cut.  It stays out of the way for everything.  2. Pony-nub length.  This is when it is just long enough to stay in a ponytail but not long enough to bounce around or get in the way.  3. Bun length.  This is usually mid-back and beyond.  Shorter than this and it does not stay well in a bun without "billions" of hair pins and probably lot of product.  Hopefully, one day they will get over their "above the collar" regulation and allow the tucked braid...but I won't hold my breath.

Awesome Tip of the Day: I do not recommend using any clips or pins for any sport in which there is contact, especially if you will be rolling around on the ground. Your scalp is not terribly thick or very tough, but being that it is located on your head, it bleeds a lot. Want to find out? Try it.

Feel free to use the comments section if you need any further clarification.  Happy training!

My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement

There is a common misconception related to any kind of abdominal articulations (hula, bellydance, etc.).  People think that you work your abdominals because you're using them to initiate movement.  This is false.  If you see someone trying to move their hips, for example dancing salsa, and it looks awkward and wrong, this is probably why.  The lower body (hip/abdominal) movements always start with the legs.  The core muscles are used to isolate the movement.  That's worth repeating because it is the core concept (you like that little pun?).  Your legs will initiate all lower body movements.  You will use the muscles in your core to counter those movements.  If you use your legs only, your whole body will move.  Add the muscles of the torso to keep everything else still and only the hips will move.

Awesome Tip of the Day:  You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements. If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.
Don't be afraid to bend your knees and get low in your center of gravity.  Take off your shoes and feel the floor if you have to.  These should all be very solid, grounded, strong movements.  Try not to get too high up on your toes or on straight legs.  There should be no jerking or straining.  Everything should be very fluid and controlled.

You will need:
1 mirror, that's it.

It is really important that you can see what you're doing.  When you first start, it feels completely unnatural, so you will have to train the motions by the way it looks and as your body gets used to it, you will get a feel for when you're doing it correctly.  I have been doing these kinds of movements for near twenty years and I still prefer to practice in front of a mirror.  That's another thing worth mentioning.  I have been doing this for a really long time.  For me, most of it is pretty easy.  If this is new to you, you must have patience.  It will probably take you quite awhile to get it right.  For some of you, it will take a long while.  I will do my best to explain and demonstrate, but it's really a matter of you practicing a little each day.  Do the movements every time you pass a certain mirror in your house or every time you've been sitting at the computer too long and the practice will add up without having to sit down for long sessions that can become frustrating.

I will be writing and later demonstrating related movements grouped together.  These movements will be thoroughly explained, so I will have to do a series of posts, one group per post.  Within each group, certain moves will be more basic and probably easier for you.  Start with those and they will hopefully help you build up to the more difficult ones.  Also, some movements may require more strength than you yet have.  Work into these slowly so as to avoid injury.  Learn one entire group, then another.  It doesn't really matter which group you do first, so just choose one you think will be easiest for you and have at it.

Posture, posture, posture!  Before you start.  Take a look at yourself in the mirror.  All movements start from one specific posture.  That posture is called "good" posture.  Check out the Good Posture Checklist on this page in blue.  If you do not work from good posture, you are training yourself to have bad posture.  If you already have poor posture, training from that position will not help you fix it.  It will also have you engaging the wrong muscles and possibly hurting yourself.

As with any kind of exercise program, use good judgement.  If something makes you sore, no big deal.  If something causes you pain, check your technique.  If that doesn't help, stop.  Be mindful of any pre-existing injuries that you may have.  Take your time.  New movements may be using underdeveloped muscles or use muscles in new ways.  Give your body a chance to adapt and develop.

NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles

Core Strength and Me

I'll just say it outright, I have a pretty strong core.  I tend to do pretty well on sit-up tests and planks and bridges and other core related things, especially for one who rarely practices these things.  Somewhere down the line of being a teenager, I decided that these things were boring (which I still maintain), and I didn't plan to do them unless I was told to or if I had little else to do in the way of exercise.  So why am I good at them, you ask?  I grew up dancing.  Not ballet.  Not jazz.  Not modern.  I grew up with homegrown salsa dancing from the womb.  My mom is awesome.  By the age of eight I started bellydancing, thanks to the talented mother of my childhood friend.  In retrospect, this was such a wonderful start to my life for so many reasons.

Awesome Tip of the Day:  Not so much a problem for my female readers, but many of the men will get scared when they read "dance" or "hips".  Bare with me.  I also mention "striking" and "grappling" if it makes you feel better.  No one ever has to see you do my core sequence if you don't want them to.  I typically do it in front of the mirror before I get in the shower either in my room or in the bathroom.  Few people have ever seen it.  Just keep it discreet and only impress the people you want to impress, like your wife or girlfriend.  You will thank me later when you discover new things you are capable of...

Over time, I developed a changeable sequence of core articulations to make it easy for me to practice.  It's a nice way to get warm in the morning or get a little physical activity in before a shower.  It keeps me strong in some really important places, which does wonders for my back and posture, while making me feel like I'm actually digesting my food.  I have a balanced muscle tone in the torso, which creates a natural-looking waist line.  I feel that doing a lot of (boring) exercises tends to give people a square look or just a funny, overdeveloped "six pack" area and a really weak back with big "love handles".

I realize that there are special workouts like pilates and certain yoga sequences that are meant to deal with this, but I think mine is better.  The reason I think this is that, in addition to making the muscles strong and evenly developed, my sequence also encourages flexibility, full range of motion, and the kind of coordination that helps you on the dance floor and in the bedroom (be you a man or woman).  Also, instead of holding poses or doing small articulations, you are really moving the torso in all different directions, which according to me just feels really good.  Plus, this kind of functional core strength helped me a lot in martial arts, both striking and grappling.  I'm not a big girl and my arms and legs are not super strong, but I can pull my own weight because of my core strength and flexibility.  I may gain or lose fat, but the muscle and strength are always there.  By the way, if you have a weak core, increasing strength in that area will likely cause you to gain weight (muscle weight) with little to no change in size, so don't be alarmed if you put on a couple pounds and don't know where they are.

So what is this, "Core Sequence"?  Essentially, I took all the basic bellydance/latin hip and torso movements and strung them together in a way that incorporates various articulation points, ranges of motion, and types of motion including some movements that are not as practical for this type of dancing but very practical for training for this type of dancing.  That said, you can do them to music if you want, but I tend to just pop out the sequence in sets.  I like to do the whole thing together in sets of 30 reps per movement.  If I haven't done them for awhile, I will do 20.  If I am doing them frequently and have the time, I will do 40 of each.  I would recommend 10 for anyone just starting.  It is important to keep the same number all the way through so that the body stays balanced.  No fair doing more of the ones that are easier or the ones that you think will tone one specific area the prettiest.  That would be ridiculous.  This takes me anywhere between 30-45 minutes, depending on how quickly I do it, so it's a pretty good core workout.

I will be posting videos to demonstrate the movements via my YouTube channel.  These will accompany written explanations (see below) and be grouped by movement area and type.  Eventually, I may put together some more dance related combinations to practice (once you adventurous types master the movements) so you can dance like Shakira and impress your friends.

Disclaimer:  I am in the process of getting back into shape myself, which is very difficult during the good food season, so just ignore the little belly you will most likely see in my videos.  I have recently dropped 25lbs of fat, so please don't think that that little belly means my methods don't work.  They do.  It's really just a matter of time before I have my old body back.  And before you all ask, no, I wasn't pregnant.  I put on weight largely due to stress and a couple of other factors that made me unresponsive to things like good food and exercise for quite awhile.  I've sorted that out.

FOLLOW THIS SERIES!
My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements