Core work outs... a little help please?

Crunches are an ab exercise. Most trainers now like to call ab exercises "core exercises" because it sounds cooler, but there is a difference. True core strength helps to stabilize the body. Crunches are not a very good core exercise and can be skipped altogether, especially if they cause pain. Leg raises are better, but still sort of an "ab" exercise. Ab wheels are very good and are more of a core strength move. And if you're doing squats and deadlifts in your workouts, those exercises also help to develop core strength. Front squats really stress the core. You won't "feel" your abs being worked during squats or deadlifts, but they are working, in conjunction with your lower back, to stabilize your spine. Stabilization is what the core muscles were designed to do.

Awesome, I will give it a try, I am just not big on using equipment aside from a pull up bar :/ I am sure I can warm up to it though.

Thanks!

Edited by Chris_Debiak 2009-09-05 6:01 PM

Some gym equipment can be intimidating and some is just downright silly. But the ab wheel, well, it's a lawn mower wheel with a handle through it and you can pick one up for under $10. Not exactly hi-tech and takes up even less room than a pull up bar.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5148238

Thanks, I think I will give that a try, hopefully it works out well. I do work at Lifetime Fitness... I think I should look into some classes there too.

It sounds to me like you aren't doing crunchs but actual sit-ups since you are needing to hook your feet under something. Crunches are fine, but you leave your lower back on the ground and curl your abdomen so only your shoulders are raised. They are good to do with and alternating left/right bicycle legs movement. Or keep your legs up, but bent 90 degrees at the knee - this is often called "table top" position.

To get strong enough to do the regular sit up (the ones where you are bending at the hip and your entire back comes up) start with your legs out flat to start. Keep your arms crossed in front of your chest and see if you can do 10 slowly without having your feet lift off the ground. If that is easy, then try with your hands behind your head. If that is easy, put your arms straight up past your head alongside your ears. Once all of that becomes easy, then work on bending your legs. Start with them slightly bent but still mostly straight. The straighter the legs, the more leverage, and the easier to raise your entire body from the hips. Eventually you'll get strong enough to lifit your entire back with bent knees and feet staying on the floor.

Then start working on lifting your straight legs up at the same time as you lift your upper body up so you are sitting on your bum in a V position....

 

Perfect I will try that... Try and save myself 10 dollars lol.

Gracias

Go to youtube and search ab exercises and watch a bunch of different plank exercises, stability ball exercises, medicine ball exercises... you can do all of that at the gym. See if your gym will buy an ab wheel. My husband asked the Y he belongs to and they bought one. The other fun thing is hanging leg raises with the arm straps.

My preferred core exercises are planks, bridges, and bicycle kicks.

The basic plank looks like this: 



They're much more challenging then they look.  If you're just starting out, go for as long as you can.  The important points are these:

1)  You want to pretend like there's a rod running through your body.  You want to keep your body as straight as possible.  A lot of times when you start out it's really tempting to bring your butt up - that negates the purpose of the exercise because your back is doing more work then your core.

2)  If your waist starts to dip towards the floor, stop and rest.  Then go again.  As with any exercise, quality > all.

You should also do side planks:



I actually find these harder, but gotta do the hard stuff as much if not more, then the easy stuff!

Once you get use to these basic exercises you can make them more challenging by doing them one legged one each side.

I'm also a fan of bicycle kicks.

However, what I've found to the best core exercise has actually been the squat and the dead lift.  I usually like to do a little core after a run or a bike, though, and these are both extremely good core exercises.

Edit - other exercises people have mention are also good - medicine ball and kettle ball exercises are fantastic.  The really nice thing about core exercises is the sheer variety.  Mix it up and find what works best for you and gives you the best results.  For me, it's planks.  And squats and dead lifts

Edited by Johners 2009-09-08 11:28 PM

I also refuse to use weights and equipment besides a power tower. The ab wheel is still to this day the single best investment i've ever made in exercise equipment. I love the thing, you feel so much working when you use it, as to why its my favorite exercise to do. I got mine at a thrift store for $2.

edited to agree with the above post. planks are awesome! Medicine ball is really fun to use as well, slams are a  great way to release tension as well as get a killer work out.

If you'd like alternatives to premade equipment check out Never Gymless by Ross Enamait.

Edited by mkarr0110 2009-09-12 12:19 PM

Will do... I just joined my highschool XC team so they make me do some pretty tough core / ab workouts. I will see how far those get me and ill talk to the trainers at my gym. maybe they do actually have an abwheel

Man, lots of good pointers here! I'll have to try some of these!

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Edited by trotpntbll 2009-10-04 6:26 PM

Here's another vote for planks!  I also remember reading somewhere on here (I think it was on this site) that push-ups and pull-ups also help work core muscles.  I'll have to try those side planks!

For a little extra challenge, this is one of my faves! Plank on a stability ball then get a friend to hit or gently kick the ball while you maintain your plank, this really challenges your core and stability!






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These are some of the hardest core moves I have ever done, I can only do half of what this person does, when I started three weeks ago I could only do 1 or two. Dont laugh until you have tried them.

Core synergistics.

Wow, now that is some hard-core action for sure. I am going to try that.
As for the swiss ball plank up above, that is my fav - gets to the core quicker than the traditional plank. Throw your legs up onto a chiar so your torso is parallel with the ground for even more burn.

You dont realize how strong she is until you try this!

Crunches are tough.

I would also like to throw in a vote for the ab wheel.  It looks like gimmick but it's cheap and very effective.  Don't forget to throw in lower back training as well to keep true core strength