Romanian or stiff-leg deadlifts with a band are excellent for "grooving" the hip hinge pattern and waking up your glutes and hamstrings before deadlifting.
Use this exercise as part of a warm-up for 2-4 sets of 10-20 reps. Or use it as a high-rep finisher. Time how long it takes you to complete 100 reps and then try to beat your time in the next workout.
Those guys who think planks and Bosu Ball triceps kickbacks are giving their core a good workout are poor, pathetic slobs. If you really want to work the core, you've got to raise the weight over your head.