As you probably already know if you follow my blog, the Pallof Press is one of my favorite exercises for improving core stability. It’s basically an anti-rotation exercise can be modified to suit any ability from frail elder to elite athlete. Since the spine remains stationary throughout the exercise, I’ve used it successfully with elders who have spinal stenosis and as a muscle activation technique for some who have weak obliques. It’s also suitable for athletes who play contact sports and must be able to stabilize their bodies as they’re getting shoved around during competition. Variations of the Pallof Press are as many as you can imagine! You can alter the exercise by changing foot placement, how you move your hands, standing on a single leg, the angle of resistance, how long you hold the long arm lever, or even lying supine in some remedial cases.
Variations of the Pallof Press
Standing on two feet is much more stable than standing on one. But you can still stand on both feet and make the exercise significantly more challenging by adopting a narrow stance, or even harder still, a tandem stance. Try switching which foot is in front and you’ll notice a difference there, too!
You can also press your hands above your head to challenge side bending rather than rotation.
Dr. Erson Religioso, DPT has an excellent video that shows 5 different variations of the Pallof Press:
If you’d like to learn more about which variations of the Pallof Press are best for you or you’d like advice on how to progress, feel free to contact me and we’ll get you started!