When somebody says they want a stronger core, most people immediately think about sit-ups, crunches and getting a six-pack.

But a lot of the work your core does happens when you’re trying to keep your body from moving.

Pick up something heavy and hold it in front of you. You’ll find that out pretty quick.

In this Technique Tuesday, Cloud and I demonstrate two core exercises we use at BayWay CrossFit: the sandbag bear hug hold and the dumbbell front rack hold. Neither looks complicated. But if you choose an appropriate weight and hold a good position, you’ll understand why we use them.

Watch the demonstration here:

Watch Technique Tuesday: Core Holds at BayWay CrossFit

One of the things I want people to understand about core training is that movement isn’t always the goal.

Sometimes the goal is holding your position while a weight is trying to pull you out of it.

Think about carrying groceries, picking up your kid, or holding something awkward while somebody else gets the door. You have to control the load and keep yourself steady.

That’s the idea behind these holds.

For the sandbag bear hug hold, you wrap your arms around the bag, bring it close to your body and stand tall.

Sounds easy enough.

But as you hold it, you’ll notice how tempting it is to lean backward, let your shoulders round or start shifting around to find somewhere easier to put the weight.

We’re looking for a position you can control. Keep the bag close, stay upright and keep breathing. If you have to lean way back just to keep the bag up, we need to adjust the weight.

This is one of those movements where adding more weight isn’t automatically an improvement. The position matters.

The second exercise is the dumbbell front rack hold.

Bring the dumbbells into the front rack position near your shoulders, then stand tall and hold. In the video, we show the weights positioned out in front rather than simply letting them hang at your sides.

Again, you’re working to keep your position while you hold the load.

As you get tired, pay attention to what changes. Are you leaning backward? Are the weights drifting? Are you losing the position you started with?

That’s useful information. Put the weights down, reset and choose a load or hold time you can manage.

You don’t get extra credit for spending the last half of the hold in a position you can’t control.

In the video, I mention building toward a three-minute hold. That’s something to work toward with an appropriate weight. It doesn’t mean you need to grab the heaviest sandbag in the gym and hang on for three minutes on your first attempt.

Start with a shorter hold you can do well. Give yourself time to get comfortable with the movement, then build from there.

And keep breathing. If your entire strategy is taking one huge breath and hoping the timer ends before you need another one, we need to make an adjustment.

This is part of what coaching is for.

When you come to our CrossFit classes in Baytown, you don’t have to guess which weight to use or whether your position looks right. Ask your coach. Let us watch you and help you find a useful starting point.

That applies whether you’ve been training for years or you’re just getting started.

I also like that these exercises give us another way to train the core without making every session another round of sit-ups.

Sit-ups have their place. So do hanging movements, carries and other exercises we use throughout our programming. These holds give us a different task: control the weight and maintain your position.

If you’re looking for core training in Baytown, think beyond how many reps you can finish or how much your stomach burns. Pay attention to what you’re practicing and whether you can do it with control.

You don’t have to make an exercise complicated for it to challenge you.

Watch Cloud