Episode 3

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Published on:

15th Apr 2025

Friends Don’t Let Friends Ab Crunch: The Truth About Real Core Training with Cory Cripe

Friends Don’t Let Friends Ab Crunch: The Truth About Real Core Training with Cory Cripe

Episode Summary:

In this eye-opening conversation, Lina Midla chats with her mentor and DVRT expert, Cory Cripe, about the myths of core training. They unpack why six-pack-focused workouts miss the mark, how traditional ab exercises like crunches can actually cause more harm than good, and what it really means to train your core.

Cory shares his journey from “chubby kid” to fitness leader, how he discovered Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT), and the game-changing role of hands and feet in stabilizing the body. Lina and Cory also break down functional strength, motor control, and how core stability affects real-life movement—especially for clients struggling with back pain, postpartum recovery, or poor posture.

You’ll Learn:

  • Why your core isn’t just your abs—it’s a network of 35 muscles working together
  • The difference between stability and balance (and why it matters)
  • How every movement can be a core exercise when done right
  • Why “strong hands and strong feet” is one of the best cues for core activation
  • Why it’s time to let go of old-school ab workouts and embrace functional movement

👨‍🏫 About Cory Cripe:

Cory Cripe is the owner of Fitness Lying Down in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and a passionate advocate for sustainable strength training through the DVRT system. With a BS in Exercise & Sport Science from UW-La Crosse and over 20 years of experience across nearly every facet of the fitness industry, Cory blends science, faith, and fun to help people move better and live stronger.

Since founding FLD in 2014, he’s helped countless individuals grow stronger, move better, and feel more confident through a thoughtful, playful, and deeply intentional training approach.

Beyond the gym, Cory is a proud husband and father of three, a practicing Catholic, a guitarist-in-training, and someone who finds joy in both movement and stillness—whether in nature, at church, or connecting with his community.


📲 Connect with Cory + Fitness Lying Down:


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About the Podcast

LIMITLESS with Lina
Embodied Wisdom For The Woman Building A LIMITLESS Life
You've done the work. You've read the books, followed the protocols, and checked all the boxes. Yet something still feels like it's missing.

Not because you need another answer, but because the deepest transformation isn't found by doing more. It's found by coming home to yourself.

Each week, Lina Midla - functional strength coach, breathwork facilitator, entrepreneur, and 15-year wellness industry veteran - shares honest solo reflections and meaningful conversations with experts, thought leaders, and practitioners who are redefining what it means to live a strong, embodied, and LIMITLESS life.

Together, we explore the intersection of strength, nervous system regulation, breath, leadership, spirituality, personal growth, and the wisdom that only comes from living the work.

This isn't about fixing yourself. It isn't about chasing perfection or becoming someone you're not. It's about building the capacity to meet life with strength, presence, resilience, and trust.

Whether you're listening on a walk, after a workout, in the quiet moments before your family wakes up, or while navigating a season of change, my hope is that you'll leave each episode with practical tools, fresh perspective, and a deeper trust in the wisdom that's been within you all along.

No fear-based wellness.
No performative self-improvement.
No pretending to have it all figured out.

Just real conversations, embodied practices, and the courage to build a LIMITLESS life - from the inside out.

Come rooted. Leave resourced. Rise LIMITLESS.

About your host

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Lina Midla

Lina Midla is a powerhouse in women's wellness, blending science, soul, and sweat to help women unlock their limitless potential. As a mother of two, a highly certified Women’s Fitness & Wellness Coach, breathwork facilitator, and SHERPA Breath & Cold Master Trainer, Lina has spent over a decade helping women reclaim their strength, resilience, and confidence. She has played a key role in growing a fitness brand and has consulted for multiple wellness tech companies, bringing her expertise in functional fitness, biohacking, and nervous system mastery to a broader audience. Whether through breathwork, cold plunging, strength training, or mindset shifts, Lina’s work is rooted in the belief that everything we need is already within us—sometimes, we just need the right tools to access it. And, of course, she believes all great things start with a strong cup of coffee.

On Coffee Talk with Lina Midla: Wellness, Wisdom, and Woo, Lina brings her signature blend of high-energy coaching and grounding wisdom to the mic, sharing actionable insights, expert interviews, and game-changing wellness tools. Her podcast is a space where science meets spirituality, where women can explore new perspectives on health, healing, and personal growth. With humor, heart, and a no-BS approach, Lina curates conversations that inspire resilience, curiosity, and joy—helping women move beyond limitations and into their most vibrant, limitless selves.