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A “young” core is more than just about aesthetics. While sculpted abs may look great, maintaining a strong and youthful body goes beyond having a flat tummy. It means that your body can effectively organize itself, as explained by Melody Morton-Buckleair, also known as The Pilates Cowgirl and the founder and president of Elmwood Place Pilates. This involves having solid stamina, postural control, and breath support without the feeling of imminent collapse. To assess your core strength, Melody has devised a challenging core strength combo.
According to Melody, the core doesn’t function in isolation in real-life situations. It stabilizes as you move, twist, breathe, and shift your weight. Combo moves provide a comprehensive challenge, unlike sit-ups that only focus on flexion, which is not representative of natural movement or healthy aging. “The core never works alone in real life,” Melody explains. “It stabilizes while you move through space, twist, breathe, shift your weight. Combo moves challenge all of that at once. Sit-ups don’t. They just train flexion—which isn’t how we move, and definitely not how we age well.”
Now, let’s dive into one of Melody’s go-to core tests that she says “looks easy on paper, but humbles most people.”
If You Can Do This Combo Without Rest, Your Core Is Decades Younger
- Begin in a forearm plank with your forearms on the ground and body in a straight line.
- Lift into a pike, breathing out as you pull your belly up and in.
- Use control to lower without drooping.
- Perform cross-body mountain climbers, driving your left knee toward your right elbow and then right knee toward your left elbow, one at a time.
- Continue to alternate.
- Repeat for 60 to 90 seconds without resting.
Melody highlights that the core strength combo she designed engages the entire core cylinder, targeting the diaphragm, transverse abs, pelvic floor, obliques, deep spinal stabilizers, and shoulder support. This regimen also focuses on training timing, breath coordination, and spinal alignment, aspects often overlooked in traditional abdominal workouts.
If you lose form or breath while completing this combo, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re weak.
“It just means the deep system isn’t firing together,” Melody explains. “That’s useful information. It shows exactly where to rebuild.”
Alexa Mellardo
