Core strength exercises
Discussion
Plank: hold a push up position making a straight line from your angles to your shoulders. Either on your hands or elbows.
Side plank: as above but on one elbow and the side of one foot.
Reverse crunch: lie flat on back, raise legs up then push them up, raising the hips off the ground
There are loads of good Swiss ball exercises if you have access to one:
Eg - push up position, feet on ball. Curl knees towards chest keeping a straight line from shoulders to hips.
Stir the pot: feet on floor, elbows on the ball. Keep a straight line from ankles to shoulders and do a big pot stirring action with your arms.
Side plank: as above but on one elbow and the side of one foot.
Reverse crunch: lie flat on back, raise legs up then push them up, raising the hips off the ground
There are loads of good Swiss ball exercises if you have access to one:
Eg - push up position, feet on ball. Curl knees towards chest keeping a straight line from shoulders to hips.
Stir the pot: feet on floor, elbows on the ball. Keep a straight line from ankles to shoulders and do a big pot stirring action with your arms.
Pah. I've got a great core and don't do any planks or crunches.
http://darrensurrey.hubpages.com/hub/My-favourite-...
The odd thing is, my six pack is depressingly s
te. It's not like there is lots of fat sitting over it. I know someone who has an awesome six pack from doing P90X (loads of crunches?) yet she cannot do a single leg raise - weak core. WTF?
Oh, just re-read the OP - get someone to punch you in the abs repeatedly. Gently at first. Your instinct will be to tense and you just have to keep tension which will build as you practice. Also, punch a bag lots.
http://darrensurrey.hubpages.com/hub/My-favourite-...
The odd thing is, my six pack is depressingly s
te. It's not like there is lots of fat sitting over it. I know someone who has an awesome six pack from doing P90X (loads of crunches?) yet she cannot do a single leg raise - weak core. WTF?Oh, just re-read the OP - get someone to punch you in the abs repeatedly. Gently at first. Your instinct will be to tense and you just have to keep tension which will build as you practice. Also, punch a bag lots.
a 6-pack is one of those things that unless you are genetically predisposed to it is very difficult to get.
combine abdomnal excercises with a low fat diet and it could well happen.
re core traning, don't forget your back / lumbar area. strengthening your abdominals will help to support your back.
avoid the roll cage machines for extensive sets as they can weaken your neck muscles over time. remember to stretch your abdoms too. lay flat on the floor on your back, extend your legs, point your toes and reach with your arms behind your head. this will help definition and of course help to reduce injury.
hth
combine abdomnal excercises with a low fat diet and it could well happen.
re core traning, don't forget your back / lumbar area. strengthening your abdominals will help to support your back.
avoid the roll cage machines for extensive sets as they can weaken your neck muscles over time. remember to stretch your abdoms too. lay flat on the floor on your back, extend your legs, point your toes and reach with your arms behind your head. this will help definition and of course help to reduce injury.
hth
I literally have loads of core exercises... Being a swimmer. I have a PDF with a good selection in somewhere, if I can find I can email it to you if you like?
Favourites include ( some not in the PDF but stolen from a book called complete conditioning for swimming and British swimming coach, Ben titley's swimming app)
Plank - can do straight forward plank, on elbows or do elbows on a small gym all (elbows closer to make it harder), feet on a gym ball, both feet and elbows on a gym ball, normal prone and alternately lift legs or shift leg positions (moving legs out the side and then back in a again really burns).
Side plank - again normal or grab a dumbbell and perform a rowing motion with the free hand. I alternate between that and bringing the dumbbell down to my side.
Back bridge/plank - on the floor, hips right up. Top of the shoulder should be all that's touching the floor as well as your feet. Can put feet on a ball to make it harder or alternately raise legs and hold them out for x seconds.
Posterior chain - lie on your front. Grab a light weight 2kg for example. Dish your back by lifting legs and shoulders off the floor. While in this position you pass the weight around in front of you with straight arms and then around your back (basically a circle) do 10 clockwise, 10 anti clock. This teaches you to keep your body tight and arrow straight while the weight is trying to twist and tug you out of position.
Superman - standard, on all fours and you push out opposit leg and arm. Ie right arm pushed out straight with left legs pushed out straight.
Dying bug - love this one. Take a light weights for your hands and a light set of ankle weights (can do it without if you aren't too strong). Lie on your back with legs bent at right angles in the air ( thighs point up, calfs parallel to ground). Bring your hands up to the same height as knees. Then, in a controlled manner lower opposing leg and arm (right arm, left leg) out straight. Feet should be pointed. While doing this, you must imagine there is a small air sack in the small of your back... The aim is to maintain the pressure on this air sack. That is to say you should not be pressing your back into the floor or arching it excessively at any point. Basically holding your mid section perfectly still while you raise and lower appendages!
Leg drops - small ankle weights. On your back with legs right up in the air, you then drop legs down to each side, moving through about 170 degrees going side to side. You can brace your upper body by having your arms out to brace on the floor. Legs should not touch the floor though, you must stop just above the floor, hold for a bit, then change direction and fling your legs over to the other side.
gym ball back extensions - stomach on a ball and just hyper extend your back, basically lifting your torso up and lowering it back down again as you bend over the ball. Can mix it up by extending to the left and right.
Russian twists - top of shoulders on a ball, body parallel to ground, legs bent 90 at the knee. Arms straight out in front of you and you rotate side to side without falling off the ball.
T exercise - same start as above but you have your arms out in a T shape and then you sort of slide side to side going to the extent of each shoulder. Without falling off the ball.
Alternate leg lifts - another favourite. On your back You alternately bring up each Leg as far as it will go and at the same time you crunch up to bring the opposite hand to meet your foot. This should be controlled but fast, ie as you bring the leg and arm back down you immediately bring up the other arm and leg pair. This way there isn't any time for a brief rest or relax. It's constant up down up down with a good rhythm.
Kneeling on a gym ball - nice one to do, just kneel on a ball and balance yourself. Once you master that you can do other things such as chest passes with a light med ball.
List goes on...
Favourites include ( some not in the PDF but stolen from a book called complete conditioning for swimming and British swimming coach, Ben titley's swimming app)
Plank - can do straight forward plank, on elbows or do elbows on a small gym all (elbows closer to make it harder), feet on a gym ball, both feet and elbows on a gym ball, normal prone and alternately lift legs or shift leg positions (moving legs out the side and then back in a again really burns).
Side plank - again normal or grab a dumbbell and perform a rowing motion with the free hand. I alternate between that and bringing the dumbbell down to my side.
Back bridge/plank - on the floor, hips right up. Top of the shoulder should be all that's touching the floor as well as your feet. Can put feet on a ball to make it harder or alternately raise legs and hold them out for x seconds.
Posterior chain - lie on your front. Grab a light weight 2kg for example. Dish your back by lifting legs and shoulders off the floor. While in this position you pass the weight around in front of you with straight arms and then around your back (basically a circle) do 10 clockwise, 10 anti clock. This teaches you to keep your body tight and arrow straight while the weight is trying to twist and tug you out of position.
Superman - standard, on all fours and you push out opposit leg and arm. Ie right arm pushed out straight with left legs pushed out straight.
Dying bug - love this one. Take a light weights for your hands and a light set of ankle weights (can do it without if you aren't too strong). Lie on your back with legs bent at right angles in the air ( thighs point up, calfs parallel to ground). Bring your hands up to the same height as knees. Then, in a controlled manner lower opposing leg and arm (right arm, left leg) out straight. Feet should be pointed. While doing this, you must imagine there is a small air sack in the small of your back... The aim is to maintain the pressure on this air sack. That is to say you should not be pressing your back into the floor or arching it excessively at any point. Basically holding your mid section perfectly still while you raise and lower appendages!
Leg drops - small ankle weights. On your back with legs right up in the air, you then drop legs down to each side, moving through about 170 degrees going side to side. You can brace your upper body by having your arms out to brace on the floor. Legs should not touch the floor though, you must stop just above the floor, hold for a bit, then change direction and fling your legs over to the other side.
gym ball back extensions - stomach on a ball and just hyper extend your back, basically lifting your torso up and lowering it back down again as you bend over the ball. Can mix it up by extending to the left and right.
Russian twists - top of shoulders on a ball, body parallel to ground, legs bent 90 at the knee. Arms straight out in front of you and you rotate side to side without falling off the ball.
T exercise - same start as above but you have your arms out in a T shape and then you sort of slide side to side going to the extent of each shoulder. Without falling off the ball.
Alternate leg lifts - another favourite. On your back You alternately bring up each Leg as far as it will go and at the same time you crunch up to bring the opposite hand to meet your foot. This should be controlled but fast, ie as you bring the leg and arm back down you immediately bring up the other arm and leg pair. This way there isn't any time for a brief rest or relax. It's constant up down up down with a good rhythm.
Kneeling on a gym ball - nice one to do, just kneel on a ball and balance yourself. Once you master that you can do other things such as chest passes with a light med ball.
List goes on...
Is there any benefit in say doing 1x10 reps of 100 different exercises vs 10x10 reps of 10 different exercises providing the 10 exercises are not just targeting, for instance, only the obliques?
The way I see it, it's like the karma sutra - there's only actually a handful of positions and everything is a variation or advanced variation thereof just in case your interest flags.
The way I see it, it's like the karma sutra - there's only actually a handful of positions and everything is a variation or advanced variation thereof just in case your interest flags.
Hoofy said:
Is there any benefit in say doing 1x10 reps of 100 different exercises vs 10x10 reps of 10 different exercises providing the 10 exercises are not just targeting, for instance, only the obliques?
The way I see it, it's like the karma sutra - there's only actually a handful of positions and everything is a variation or advanced variation thereof just in case your interest flags.
I dont do lots of different exercisesThe way I see it, it's like the karma sutra - there's only actually a handful of positions and everything is a variation or advanced variation thereof just in case your interest flags.
There are loads to choose from of course and lots are variations on a theme. I tend to go for the more advanced variations because I have the strength to do them for a start, but also because they tend to start working a lot of other parts of the body as well as. Also like Plyometric exercises. these are nice to slot in in-between the more static exercises like core. Also only choose 4-5 to do per session and do 3 x 10/15 or 2 x 25 or something like that.
this way you aren't just doing things in isolation, every exercise may have a focal point but depending on the variation you'll probably using a lot of muscles over and over that are common for each exercise.
Otispunkmeyer said:
I dont do lots of different exercises
There are loads to choose from of course and lots are variations on a theme. I tend to go for the more advanced variations because I have the strength to do them for a start, but also because they tend to start working a lot of other parts of the body as well as. Also like Plyometric exercises. these are nice to slot in in-between the more static exercises like core. Also only choose 4-5 to do per session and do 3 x 10/15 or 2 x 25 or something like that.
this way you aren't just doing things in isolation, every exercise may have a focal point but depending on the variation you'll probably using a lot of muscles over and over that are common for each exercise.
Sounds good; thought as much. There are loads to choose from of course and lots are variations on a theme. I tend to go for the more advanced variations because I have the strength to do them for a start, but also because they tend to start working a lot of other parts of the body as well as. Also like Plyometric exercises. these are nice to slot in in-between the more static exercises like core. Also only choose 4-5 to do per session and do 3 x 10/15 or 2 x 25 or something like that.
this way you aren't just doing things in isolation, every exercise may have a focal point but depending on the variation you'll probably using a lot of muscles over and over that are common for each exercise.
Ordinary_Chap said:
GranderTransit said:
To throw in a few others.
Overhead squat, front squat and deadlift.
Overhead squat, front squat and deadlift.
I suppose the trick with this stuff is that in order for it to really make a difference to your core strength, you have to get really strong, so doing focused core exercises is probably a shorter route. Once you're lifting heavy enough then it will count and mean you don't really need to do core work.
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