This week we have been focusing on increasing functional strength through the core lifts. What are the core lifts? Well, the squat, deadlift, and press variations form the backbone for all athletic improvement. Not only that, but they also are the most potent way to strengthen the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back. Together they are commonly referred to as the body's "core". Notice we are not doing crunches, wallowing around on Swiss balls, or hopping around on one leg. This is real, fundamental, core strength. The kind that supports a 1000lb back squat or the ability to remain functional well past your seventies. Pictured below are some of our members learning the Overhead Squat (aka the OHS), the king of core exercises.