You Need A Strong Core For Squats & Deadlifts. Here is how.

The Secret to a Stronger Core (Hint: It’s Not Sit-Ups)

When most people think of core training, they picture endless crunches and sit-ups.

But if you want a stronger, more powerful core, you need to train it the way it was meant to be used—under load, with full-body movements that demand stability and control.

That’s where barbell lifts come in.

Pause Squats and Paused Deadlifts are two of the best core-training tools you might not even realize you’re using.

Why Pause Squats & Paused Deadlifts?

By adding a pause to your lifts, you:

 ✅ Increase core engagement – Holding the pause forces your core to brace harder, reinforcing spinal stability.

 ✅ Improve control and positioning – Eliminating momentum exposes weak points, making you stronger in the long run.

 ✅ Build more strength from the bottom – Whether it’s the squat hole or just off the floor in a deadlift, pausing improves your ability to power through sticking points.

How to Perform These Core-Building Variations

These variations force your core to brace harder, stay engaged longer, and develop real-world strength that carries over into every lift.

Want to see some of my students in action doing Pause Squats & Pause Deadlifts?

Check out these videos below and watch some of the women I coach practicing some paused variations.

🔹 Pause Squats – Squat down, hold at the bottom for 1-5 seconds, then drive up explosively.

womenwholiftweights

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🔹 Paused Deadlifts – Pull the bar 1-2 inches off the floor, pause for 1-3 seconds, then complete the lift with control.

Train Smarter, Get Stronger

Instead of wasting time on endless crunches, incorporate pause squats and paused deadlifts into your training and watch your core strength, stability, and overall performance skyrocket.

And I have the perfect program just for this coming very soon.

Keep an eye out for my 30 Day “Hard Core” Challenge

This program is based around “The Iron”, Barbell, Kettlebell and Dumbbells with a focus on functional science based core strength training that will improve your core strength and your lifting strength.

Want more info?

Fill out this short form and I will e-mail you once the program is ready to go.

Trust me this will be like nothing else you have ever done before.

Stay strong,

Coach Rob
Women Who Lift Weights