Pike for a Perfect Core!
Pike is a wonderful move to gain core strength, sculpt your arms and upper back and prep the body for poses like Handstand and Crow.
This is not a move for the beginner but a great challenge for those looking to take their practice to the next level.
To Begin:
- Find Plank with the foam roller just below the knee on the shins.
- Place the hands under the shoulders with the fingers wide and the eyes of the elbows facing forward.
- Keep the ankles aligned for the entire movement, and firm the thighs into each other.
- INHALE, contracting the deep inner core muscles of the torso, press into the hands and work the hips upward towards the ceiling.
- Pause with the roller near or on the ankles or tops of the feet.
- EXHALE, with control and a firm core, slowly release the body back into a plank like position being careful not to drop with gravity too quickly.
- Repeat this Pike 3 to 5 times, only repeating as many as you can execute with form and control.
Variations:
Pad the palms to help with any wrist strain.
Try this facing a wall, to pike the hips up and the back into the wall to help with alignment.
Benefits:
Pike is a challenging movement, one that takes a great deal of core strength and upper body stability. It effectively works the shoulders, deltoids, and deep inner core muscles. The entire back is worked especially as you release back into Plank, working to keep alignment and not fall to quickly. If the core is not strong enough, one may easily use the hip flexors to perform this movement.