Day 3 in Tulum: Core Work on the Earthquake Bar

Day three is built around the single strangest piece of equipment you'll find here: the earthquake bar. If you've never seen one, imagine a long, flexible bar with weights hanging from either end on loose straps or ropes, so that every movement you make sends an unpredictable wobble down the length of it. It's genuinely difficult to hold still, and that's exactly the point.

The Setup

The earthquake bar here is paired with the same rock weights from Day 1, hung on either end by rope so they swing independently as you move. On top of that, the sandy floor means your base isn't stable either, so you're fighting instability from your hands all the way down to your feet at the same time. It's about as close as you can get to training core stability under real, chaotic conditions.

How the Session Goes

Start with basic holds, just trying to keep the bar level in front of you without letting the rocks swing, and you'll find it's far harder than it sounds. From there, move into presses and rows with the bar, then anti-rotation work, slow controlled twists while resisting the bar's pull to one side. Finish with rock carries again, but this time focused purely on keeping your ribcage and pelvis stacked instead of letting the sand and the uneven load pull you out of position. Your abs and obliques will be shaking by the end in a way that a normal plank or crunch session rarely gets you to. I couldn't stop laughing the first few times I tried to hold the bar still. It's humbling in a way that's genuinely enjoyable once you stop fighting it.

What I Did

I spent the first ten minutes just on holds, three rounds of 30 seconds trying to keep the bar level and the rocks from swinging. From there, three sets of presses and three sets of rows with the bar, eight reps each, followed by three sets of slow anti-rotation twists, ten per side. I closed with two rounds of rock carries, focused entirely on keeping my ribcage and pelvis stacked rather than moving fast.

Why You Should Try This

Most core training happens in stable, controlled conditions: a mat, a bench, a cable machine. Real life doesn't work that way, and neither does your core when you actually need it, catching your balance, carrying something heavy and awkward, reacting to uneven ground. You can chase a version of this yourself with a resistance band looped around a light dumbbell or a filled water jug held at arm's length while you walk or hold a plank. Anything that adds a little wobble to an otherwise stable movement will teach your core to do its actual job: reacting, not just bracing. If you're ever in the area and curious what a real earthquake bar feels like, this gym is worth a visit.