“She’s really fatiguing her muscles in different ways and changing the training stimulus,” Pierson says. And that variety is something to emulate. That’s because “if you’re doing just one type of movement, your body is going to adapt,” Pierson explains. And when it adapts, it won’t continue to get stronger, since it’s no longer challenged. That’s why training your core in a bunch of different ways, as Megan does, is beneficial if you want long-term results.
This type of comprehensive core training is also key for helping that muscle group work together as one unit, Pierson adds. Your core isn’t just your abs, or your rectus rectus abdominis, the muscles that run horizontally across your abdomen—it incorporates your lower back muscles, too. And to have the sturdiest, most functional core possible, you need both front and back to be strong. (If there’s an imbalance between the two, you run the risk of pain, injury, and decreased performance, Pierson says.) So rather than only doing moves that primarily home in on the abs (like sit-ups or crunches), it’s important to incorporate exercises that train your entire core.
2. Adjusting exercises to your level is key.
There are a few instances in the video where Megan tweaks exercises so that they are doable for her: Modifications are huge, since they allow you to keep your form on point, which is key to getting the benefits of the exercise. As Pierson explains it, you want to “make sure that your form is on point so you don’t injure yourself and you’re getting the most out of your workout.”
Take the ab wheel rollouts: That exercise is “an advanced move,” Pierson says. When doing them, it’s important to keep your spine in neutral alignment rather than letting it arch; otherwise you could strain your lower back, she explains. Maintaining that alignment requires a lot of core strength, and it becomes harder to do the farther you roll out the wheel. So if you’re new to the exercise, take a cue from Megan: She reduces her range of motion, stopping part-way before reversing the movement. This is a key mod, since it allows her to do the move without letting her hips sag or lower back arch.
Then there’s a pull-up, another super advanced exercise that, yep, smokes your back and biceps, but also really fires up your core, too. Megan uses a band (and her boyfriend as a spotter) to complete it.
With the pull-ups, “I love that she’s using the band for those,” Pierson says. (The band makes the exercise easier by reducing some of your bodyweight, so there’s less heft for you to pull up.) This assistance “removes the barrier of entry” for pull-ups, Pierson says, and makes this challenging, oftentimes intimidating exercise more accessible.
3. The cooldown is a can’t-skip step to any kind of strength workout.
The video ends with Megan and Klay cooling down: Megan helps Klay perform a hamstring stretch and a variation of the happy baby stretch. The cooldown, Pierson says, is a part of the workout that “a lot of people miss.” It can seem like a skippable component, especially for exercisers who are short on time or those who think movement needs to leave them sweaty and aching to be worthwhile. But taking a few minutes for gentle movement and stretching post exercise is important on several fronts.
