Physical Therapy Exercises for Core Strengthening

Welcome to Build a Stronger Core — my free online course on Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening. This course is designed for both Physical Therapists and individuals who want to understand of how to build a stronger core.

This free online course covers core anatomy and physiology as they relate to plank and side planks, and the proper mechanics for planks and side planks.

I designed this course for Physical Therapists but realized that there are individuals who would also benefit from a deeper understanding of Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening.

Whether you are a Physical Therapist or an individual interested in improving your posture, enhancing performance or strengthening your body from head to toe, welcome to the course! Please share it with your friends and colleagues.

Introduction to Build a Stronger Core — Physical Therapy Exercises for Core Strengthening

My book, Strengthen Your Core, is a great complement to this online course.

Strengthen Your Core provides detailed descriptions of the recommended planks and side plank exercise for the four exercise levels: beginner, active, athletic and elite.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Core strength goes beyond abdominals.

Core strength incorporates the diaphragm, pelvic floor, spinal, hips and shoulder musculature. The Plank and Side Plank poses are the perfect prescription to build core strength.

The Plank and Side Plank poses are beneficial for all types of individuals — from patients in rehabilitation to elite athletes in training. Both of these poses improve posture and strengthen the muscles of the core and of the upper and lower body.

When the correct pose is chosen and well executed, the benefits are numerous.

The challenge for a Physical Therapist is prescribing Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening (such as the Plank or Side Plank core exercise) for your client or patient that is appropriate for their skill and strength level. The challenge for the individual is choosing a Plank or Side Plank that is effective and executing the exercise with good form.

In Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Dr. Stuart McGill, the Side Plank exercise is referred to as the side bridge. Here is what Dr. McGill has to say about the Side Plank:

“The (Side Plank) side bridge is a wonderfully designed exercise. … Stabilizing patterns are ensured as long as the bridge posture is maintained … All three layers of the abdominal wall are activated, together with rectus, to optimize performance. Important stabilizers such as the quadratus lumborum are also trained. The abdominal spring is tuned with the torso in a neutral position.”

In his book Low Back Disorders, Dr. McGill states:

“[The] optimum technique to maximize activation but minimize the load on the spine appears to be the (Side Plank) side bridge. Abdominal bracing is emphasized in all forms of this exercise. Maintaining the bridge ensures constant muscle activation. It is almost impossible for the spine to become unstable while performing a side bridge (Side Plank) with a neutral spine.”

He goes on to say:

“Many special patient cases deserve consideration, but are out of the scope of this book.”

The special patient cases Dr. McGill refers to are the focus of this book.

Although I provide multiple progressions of the Plank and Side Plank poses, they do not replace the fine tuning and prescription that might otherwise be given by you, a trained professional — but it comes pretty close.

This course on Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening will allow you to effectively use the Plank and Side Plank poses with your clients and incorporate them into their Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening.

The video content includes lectures that cover the important theory associated with these poses and video demonstrations of a wide variety of clients receiving instruction on the Plank and Side Plank poses.

Estimated times to review each video are given. The online course gives you the time you need to explore, learn and absorb the material at your pace. Happy learning!

How to Complete This Course

Please follow these instructions to complete the course:

1. Review the Course Objectives.
2. Review the Course Outline.
3. Follow the Course Outline:
   1. View the corresponding screencast lectures.
   2. View any accompanying videos.

Course Objectives — Physical Therapy Exercises for Core Strengthening

By the end of this course the student will be able to:

1. Understand the building blocks that are essential to developing Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening.
2. Understand the five variables that should be considered (the A, B, C, D and E’s) when issuing and progressing a Plank and/or Side Plank.
3. Prescribe the appropriate Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening (either Plank and Side Plank) for patients and clients.

Course Outline — Physical Therapy Exercises for Core Strengthening

Estimated time to complete this course is approximately four (4) hours.  The time to complete each of the video lectures (screencasts) and client application videos is listed below.

Part 1 — Anatomy and Movement

• Video 1: Lecture — Anatomy and Movement (19 minutes and 31 seconds)

Part 2 — Assess, Progress … Success!

• Video 2: Lecture — Assess to Ensure Success (19 minutes and 19 seconds)
• Video 3: Lecture — Progressing From A to E (12 minutes and 51 seconds)

Part 3 — Beginner Plank

• Video 4: Demonstration — Beginner Level Plank with Mary (6 minutes and 27 seconds)

Part 4 — Beginner Side Plank

• Video 5: Demonstration — Beginner Level Side Plank with Mary (3 minutes and 59 seconds)

Part 5 — Active Plank

• Video 6: Demonstration — Active Level Plank with Mimi (17 minutes and 44 seconds)

Part 6 — Active Side Plank

• Video 7: Demonstration — Active Level Side Plank with Mimi (12 minutes and 10 seconds)
• Video 8: Demonstration — Active Level Side Plank Table Top with Liz (3 minutes and 10 seconds)

Part 7 — Athletic Plank

• Video 9: Demonstration — Athletic Level Plank on Ball with Liz (17 minutes and 3 seconds)
• Video 10: Demonstration — Athletic Level Plank on Step with Liz (4 minutes and 31 seconds)
• Video 11: Demonstration — Athletic Level Plank on Chair with Liz (4 minutes and 27 seconds)
• Video 12: Demonstration — Athletic Level Plank on Floor and Ball with Rena (9 minutes and 39 seconds)

Part 8 — Athletic Side Plank

• Video 13: Demonstration — Athletic Level Side Plank on Floor with Liz (3 minutes and 34 seconds)
• Video 14: Demonstration — Athletic Level Side Plank on Chair with Liz (3 minutes and 12 seconds)
• Video 15: Demonstration — Athletic Level Side Plank with Rena (11 minutes and 22 seconds)

Part 9 — Elite Plank

• Video 16: Demonstration — Elite Level Plank with John (6 minutes and 34 seconds)

Part 10 — Elite Side Plank

• Video 17: Demonstration — Elite Level Side Plank with John (3 minutes and 36 seconds)

Terminology

As you will learn, these poses involve all the musculature of your body, from your nose to your toes and so, depending on your strengths and weaknesses, the intensity of the exercise will change. That is the beauty of these exercises.

The Plank is a widely used term in Yoga, Pilates and Fitness. The name Side Plank is not as widely known. In certain reference books, the Side Plank is also referred to as the Side Bridge, and so the term is interchangeable.

Within the Side Plank, there are two angles that are covered when possible:

1. The Side Plank — 45
2. The Side Plank — 90

The Side Plank — 45 has this name because you are turned 45 degrees away from the original Plank pose. The Side Plank — 90 has this name because you are turned 90 degrees away from the original Plank pose. The Side Planks require that you perform them on both the right and left side.

Part 1 — Anatomy and Movement

Part 2 — Assess, Progress … Success!

Part 3 — Beginner Plank

Part 4 — Beginner Side Plank

Part 5 — Active Plank

Part 6 — Active Side Plank

Part 7 — Athletic Plank

Part 8 — Athletic Side Plank

Part 9 — Elite Plank

Part 10 — Elite Side Plank

Core Exercises Guide

You can learn more about core exercises by visiting my Core Exercises Guide where you will find a comprehensive set of articles and additional online videos on how to build a stronger core and improve core strength.

Continuing Education Credits

There are no Continuing Education Credits or Continuing Education Units available for this course on Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening.

However, feel free to give yourself a pat-on-the-back when you complete the course! It took a lot of work and now you know you are in a better position to prescribe Physical Therapy exercises for core strengthening.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my clients who have inspired me to be creative in my goal to assist them to achieve their goals. For Kaitlin Cacciotti who stimulated the idea for this book. I mentored Kaitlin when she was a Kinesiology student. Thank you for listening to the initial ideas and your encouragement. I am grateful to the many researchers and clinicians  who spend countless hours studying and advancing core training. You provide the foundation that allows professionals, such as myself, the freedom to explore what works in the real world knowing there is research data behind it.