Core exercises for women toting big tatas

When I was 12 years old, my dad put his arm around me as we walked down the frozen food aisle in the local grocery store.

“Kid,” he said, throwing a bag of frozen peas in the cart. “Your mother and I think it’s time you start wearing a slingshot.”

In retrospect, I imagine there was a game of rock, paper, scissors between my parents, the loser of whom had to deliver this earth shattering news to their baseball-loving, little league-playing, Major League Baseball-dreaming daughter.

My dad obviously lost, and felt that the blow would be softened if he referred to the bra as a device that might double as a weapon. It did little to ease my pain though, as I complained that so far as I could tell, none of the boys on my Little League team had to wear a bra. They did have cups though...

Honestly, I don’t think I needed a bra for quite some time, but my parents apparently deemed it irresponsible to not make me wear something before I left junior high. Fortunately, I was spared the burden of large breasts, but the more I coach and train women, the more I see folks who are constantly uncomfortable and often struggle with low back pain.

Last week, a friend of mine asked if I knew of any exercises that might help in this department, and after writing a mini-program for her, I thought it would be beneficial to share it with anyone else who’s interested.

At the heart of this list is exercises for core stability. This list is by no means exhaustive or extensive, but rather a starting point for women who are looking for a few movements that can be done at home, in the midst of a very busy schedule. 

Read to the end of the article for links that suggest sports bras that are geared towards women who can't shop at TJ Maxx for bras. 

Core exercises

A1. Deadbugs 3x5/side
A2. Planks 3x5 breaths
A3. Side planks 3x5 seconds
A4. Birddogs 3x5/side

Perform the first set of A1, and then move on to A2, and A3, etc. until you've performed three sets of each exercise. 

Jen Sinkler, an excellent writer and diesel power lifter, wrote a two part post on not only finding the right sports bra and where to look, but full reviews of four different sports bras for women who are a size DD or bigger. 

Check out her reviews and suggestions here. 

I've also heard good things about the company Anita, but I have to admit that I get by with the clearance Nike Pro bras....

If you have any recommendations for sports bras that you've found work for you, please don't be shy about mentioning those in the comments section below.

Dead bugs aren't just what the dog eats anymore. These are also more challenging than they look, especially if you include a full exhale at full extension on each movement.

One of the three "Holy Grail" core exercises as listed by Dr. Stuart McGill, Professor of Spine Biomechanics. Scroll down for the modified version of this exercise. 

This is a second "Holy Grail" core exercise from Dr. Stuart McGill, and deceptive in its challenge.