Sports

An expert trainer says this three

Published

11 months ago

January 5, 2025

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Read more: Hyrox vs CrossFit: Which one should you choose?“Even in running there’s a lot of side bending as your head shifts over either foot, so you’re strengthening your ability to control that and retaining your ability to perform that motion,” Grossmann says.Read more: Swap the gym for this 30-minute rucking workout to strengthen your legs and coreYour support makes all the difference.

“Whenever you lose movement options, the options you’re left with get overused,” says Grossmann. “Say you don’t move your spine in all three planes of motion, that means your hip or your knee might have to pick up the slack, and that leads to a lot of overuse issues like tendonitis.He likens the move to wringing out a towel, stretching your core muscles such as the obliques and deep-lying transverse abdominis by twisting your hips and shoulders in different directions.“By maintaining 3D movement, we can stay more supple, activate our muscles better and distribute workload more appropriately throughout the body. This means we’re going to perform better, because there are more muscles doing each movement. However, the benefits of triplanar training are arguably outweighed by the drawbacks of neglecting it. This is because the body operates on an informal “use it or lose it” principle, and if we don’t train in all three planes of motion we can lose access to certain movements and positions.

How to do the best abs workout at home

Extension bias lying leg raise: 2-4 sets of 6-15 repetitions
Overhead side bend: 2-4 sets of 6-15 repetitions
Staggered stance Russian twist: 2-4 sets of 6-15 repetitions

You might be familiar with the standard Russian twist, where you sit down and shift a weight from one side of your body to the other, but Grossmann says the standing version offers some bonus benefits.How to do itStrong and solid midsections are widely sought after, with exercisers regularly subjecting themselves to endless sit-ups, planks and crunches in pursuit of one. But according to experts, there are more focused and effective ways to train your abs.

Extension bias lying leg raise

Example of how to do an extension bias lying leg raise

“Most exercises are very sagittal dominant, making you move forwards, backwards, up and down. That leaves a lot on the table in terms of movement variety, which gives you the freedom to move in various different ways through life. It also leaves a lot on the table from a muscle activation point of view. We can activate our muscles more fully by taking them through a wider range of motion – more stretch and more shortening.”“Most exercises are very sagittal dominant, making you move forwards, backwards, up and down. That leaves a lot on the table in terms of movement variety, which gives you the freedom to move in various different ways through life. It also leaves a lot on the table from a muscle activation point of view. We can activate our muscles more fully by taking them through a wider range of motion – more stretch and more shortening.”“Most exercises are very sagittal dominant, making you move forwards, backwards, up and down. That leaves a lot on the table in terms of movement variety, which gives you the freedom to move in various different ways through life. It also leaves a lot on the table from a muscle activation point of view. We can activate our muscles more fully by taking them through a wider range of motion – more stretch and more shortening.”“Once you’ve done the exercises a couple of times, you can start to push the threshold,” says Grossmann. “Like any exercise, the goal is to edge out of your comfort zone, but you don’t want to take a huge leap of faith beyond what you know you can do.”

Start in a staggered stance with your right foot forward and your left foot extended behind you. Your right foot should be planted on the floor, while only the toes of your left foot should be touching the ground.
Hold a dumbbell, foam roller, water bottle or even a towel with both hands in front of you, roughly level with your belly button. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your legs and hips steady and your eyes facing forwards, twist your trunk approximately 90° to your right, then return to the starting position.
Complete the target number of repetitions, then repeat on the other side.

This workout is a prime example of triplanar, or multiplanar, training. It works your body across all three planes of motion (sagittal, frontal and transverse), with the trio of exercises emphasising each one in turn. “The other thing this really helps with is overhead pressing. When people can’t get into a good overhead position [where your arms are extended upwards], it’s often due to restrictions in their lateral chain – their obliques and their lats. By training them in a more lengthened position, the overhead side bend works as a mobility exercise as well as a core-strengthening exercise.”With a regular sit-up, your hip flexor muscles kick in to lend your abs a hand as you curl your torso upwards. This exercise isolates the rectus abdominis (the muscles responsible for the six-pack shape) more effectively.“Whenever somebody asks for the best workout, I always ask, ‘for what?’ Are you training to look good and have a nice six-pack, to be strong for heavy squats and deadlifts, or to hit the ball further in golf? What I’ve tried to do is tick as many boxes as possible with these three exercises.” he says.“The other benefit [of training the abs in this way] is the integration with neighbouring muscles – the lats, the glutes, the upper back and the hip flexors. That means the body is going to work together as a network of joints and muscles rather than just one muscle at a time. So, in terms of bang for your buck, we’re killing many birds with three stones.”“This means we activate the rectus abdominis, the obliques and the transverse abdominis, which are the key core muscles, more than we would with traditional exercises,” he says.

What is triplanar training and why should you be doing it?

“We’re also going to lower our injury risk, because each body part or tissue has to do slightly less work when all of its teammates are pulling in the same direction. Whereas, with an isolated approach, it can create weak links in the chain, and weak links can lead to overuse injuries.”At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.“Two to four sets of six to 15 reps is quite a big range to aim for, I’m aware, but for some people two sets of six reps might be tough, and for others four sets of 15 will be doable,” Grossmann explains. Try each exercise before you dive into the full workout, then decide on a target number of sets and reps that will challenge you without being unachievable. “These classic moves work the rectus abdominis from a neutral position to a shortened position, whereas the extension bias lying leg raise works the muscles from a lengthened position to a shortened one.”Benefits“What we’re doing here is creating a lot of length up the entire side of your body, which we call your lateral chain, then doing a standing sideways crunch to come back to neutral,” Grossmann says. “It’s hitting the obliques [sometimes colloquially called the side abs], but you’ll also use a little bit of your lats [the broad muscles in your back] and muscles in your lateral hip like the glute medius.”BenefitsThanks to the addition of the cushion, it also allows you to work through a wider range of motion by starting with your spine in an extended position, resulting in improved strength and muscle gains.The three moves cover the three planes of motion the body moves in: sagittal (up, down, forwards and backwards), frontal (side to side) and transverse (twisting). By doing this combination, the three moves not only promise to build mid-body strength and muscle, but can also improve your mobility and reduce your injury risk too.Grossmann adds that this workout also moves the spine through all six of its possible positions; flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation.“Another benefit of this exercise is, because you’re standing, you develop the ability to transfer force from the floor to the hands. The classic Russian twist trains your abs, but because your feet are hovering you don’t get used to putting force into the floor and transferring that into hitting a ball or throwing a punch. That’s why just doing lying abs exercises leaves a lot on the table.”Sets: 2-4 Reps: 6-15 Rest: 60-90 seconds

Sports

Track and Field Wraps Season Opener

Published

9 minutes ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NORMAN — The Oklahoma men’s and women’s track and field team closed out the OU Winter Field Fest on Friday night at the Mosier Indoor Facility, highlighted by 12 individual event wins.

Floyd Whitaker kicked off the meet with a personal-best jump of 16.40m (53’9.75″) to win the event title and mark No. 6 in the OU history books.

In the men’s weight throw, Brendon See tossed a personal-best 21.05m (69’0.75″), claiming the event title and moving his name up to No. 2 in OU history.

During her debut with the Sooners, Jacelyn Neighbors secured the women’s pole vault title, clearing 19.15m (62’10”).

In her first collegiate track meet, former OU volleyball player Hannah Pfiffner put up a stellar performance, clearing 1.79m (5’6.5″) in the women’s high jump, good for a personal best and tied for No. 7 in OU history.

Kennedy Clarke found success in the women’s weight throw with her mark of 19.15m (62’10”).

Breaking into OU’s top-ten performance list at No. 5, newcomer Kennedy Stringfellow marked 7.77m (25’6″) for the men’s long jump title.

OU’s Tucker Smith claimed the men’s shot put title with his toss of 18.65m (61’2.25″).

Sophomore Samuel Toili finished first in the men’s 60m dash with his personal-best time of 6.81. Newcomer Morgan Little stood out in her first performance for the Sooners, claiming the women’s 60m dash title and staking her name at No. 4 in the OU history books.

In her collegiate debut, freshman Kassidi Watkins claimed the women’s long jump title, marking 6.18m (20’3.5″).

Redshirt-freshman Tyley Dotson nailed a 15.20m (49’10.5″) in the women’s shot put, earning the event title.

Closing out the night, Trey Bartholomew cleared 6.18m (20’3.5″) in men’s high jump, earning himself the event title and moving his name up to No. 3 in the OU record book. Junior Tyson Ritz also etched himself into the history book at No. 9 with his clearance of 2.18m (7’1.75″).

The Sooners collected 26 more personal bests for a total of 34 on the day.

Following the completion of the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener on Dec. 6, Oklahoma returns to action on January 16 at home, hosting the Owen Hewett Invitational.

For more information on Oklahoma Track & Field, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Track) and like Oklahoma Sooners Track & Field and Cross Country on Facebook.

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Sports

Pitt Sweeps UMBC to Advance to 10th Straight NCAA Round of 32 Match

Published

10 minutes ago

December 6, 2025

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PITTSBURGH – The Pitt volleyball team (27-4, 18-2 ACC) swept UMBC (13-12, 7-3 Big East) 25-10, 25-17, 25-13 on Friday night at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers set a program NCAA Tournament record with a .518 hitting percentage, and Olivia Babcock broke the single-season program kills record with her 546th of the year, surpassing Wendy Hatlestad’s mark from 2003. With the sweep, Pitt advanced to its 10th straight NCAA Tournament Round of 32.

Pitt opened the first set by building a 15-8 lead heading into the media timeout. UMBC used both timeouts during the next four-point run, sparked by kills from Abbey Emch, Marina Pezelj and Blaire Bayless. Babcock then delivered a 4-0 service run to secure the 25-10 win.

The second set followed a similar script, as the Panthers once again held a 15-8 advantage at the media timeout. UMBC called a timeout at 18-9 after kills from Bre Kelley and Bayless, but Pitt maintained control and closed out the frame, 25-17, on a Retriever hitting error.

The third set was tied 5-5 before Pitt surged ahead with a 7-2 run behind Brooke Mosher’s efficient, balanced distribution. UMBC called timeout at 17-9 in an effort to slow the momentum, but the Panthers continued to roll, taking the set 25-13 and completing the sweep.

Pitt returns tomorrow to face Michigan (22-10, 11-9 Big Ten) in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 at 7 p.m. The match will stream on ESPN+.

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Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Open Season at GVSU Holiday Open

Published

2 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College men’s and women’s track and field teams opened indoor season Friday at the GVSU Holiday Open. The competition marked the Hornets’ first track and field meet of any kind since 1980 for men’s, 1981 for women’s, and the first indoor competition since 1939 (men only).

Drew Abbott was the first competitor for Kalamazoo, finishing No. 10 overall and as the top Division III runner in the men’s one-mile run open field at 4:26.08.

In the men’s 400-meter dash, Bram Derksen posted a 53.87-second time, and Elliott Anderson ran his 400m in 55.33.

Allison Mayer became the Hornets’ first official women’s indoor track competitor by running a 10:54.84 3000m. Maya Alkema ran the 5000m in 18:37.56.

On the men’s side in the 5000m, Jack Schneider ran at a time of 15:56.47 and John Lonsway finished at 16:49.87.

Kalamazoo men’s and women’s indoor track and field will travel to Trine for the Sean Brady Invitational after the holiday break on Jan. 17, 2026.

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Nebraska volleyball begins national title chase with win over LIU

Published

2 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Related coverage in the video aboveNebraska volleyball hosted LIU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Bergen Reilly to Andi Jackson and Nebraska was up 6-2.Jackson would later bump Nebraska’s lead to 15-9.A kill from Taylor Landfair ended set 1, giving Nebraska the 25-11 set victory.Rebekah Allick on the block, and it’s 3-0 Huskers in set 2.Allick and Jackson were leading the Huskers by the end of set 2. Nebraska defeated LIU 25-15 in the second set.A 4-0 run for the Huskers kicked things off in set 3.Nebraska was dominating LIU in set 3.Allick claimed match point for Nebraska.The Huskers got the 25-17 set win and the sweep over LIU.The Huskers will face Kansas State in the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

LINCOLN, Neb. —

Related coverage in the video above

Nebraska volleyball hosted LIU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.