Favorite Core Exercises? (Page 2)

My personal favorite thing to do is a hanging leg raise - make sure you do it hanging down from a pull-up bar, because it's a world of difference from the straps or that captain's chair thing.   This is a pretty badass move, and has the bonus of working your grip, which comes in handy for deadlifts.

Once you get good at it, you can add in the "windshield wiper", which is a leg raise followed by rotation of your legs to the left and right.  I'm still working on this one!

Any exercise that requires you to stand on your own two feet and support a load works your core. Any deadlift variation is good for the "anterior core," i.e., abs, and of course is excellent for the "posterior core," i.e., the lower back.

+1.

"Core" work doesn't have to be a lot of crazy moves and stuff. If you concentrate on the basic olympic lifts you will really see improvements. Use the crunches and leglifts as additional work, not the main work you do.

Push ups with each hand on a 8lb medicine ball (one for each hand) , and toes of One foot on a large swiss ball. really need to engage your core or you fall right away..

I have more of a lifting  background so I like deadlifts for the lower back portion of the core.  You also get some benefit to your abs just because you need to tighten them.  The deadlift is the king of exercises many would agree and this is perfect for core strength.  Just be careful with it.

The stability ball is great. I like doing dumbbell chest press and shoulder press on there as well. To make it more challenging, do alternating when doing the shoulder press.

Also the (side to side/front to back) balance board is great for core exercises. Front and lateral dumbbell raises (alternating) can be really challenging. I stick to lighter weight on anything I do on the ball or the balance board. Stick to strict form.

This is my favorite and you will turn heads when you do it but it is pretty hard.

I do plank with my toes on a physio ball then my body is straight and I place my hands on another physio ball of the same size.
(you are balnaced on 2 physio balls)

I either hold it in place or I do push-ups in this position.

I suggest tp try at homebefore you make yourself look like a fool in the gym

My second favorite
Walk overs
Place a bosu ball upside down so the flat side is up.
Go into a push up position
your toes will never move.
Start with 2 hands on the floor on the right side of the bosu
Lift left hand onto bosu the right, take left hand off the bosu onto the left side of the bosu ball then you right hand follows
Then reverse the process and move right hand on topof bosu then left hand, then lower right hand to the right side of the bosu and left follows.

This is a very chalenging activity as well.



Edited by Focker 2009-11-13 1:46 PM