Commit Your Workout To Core Strength Training

Believe it or not, core strength training is one of the most ignored aspects of a workout for most people. Your "core" muscles are the most important group of muscles in your entire body, yet people tend to strengthen these muscles the least. Core strength training has a number of significant benefits including improving overall strength and balance as well as minimizing the risk for injury.

What are the Core Muscles?

Like I said earlier, the majority of people out there tend to underestimate the importance of working out their core muscles. People will typically save the last 5 minutes of their workout for doing sit-ups and think that is enough time to properly workout the core (I'm guilty of this too). Unfortunately, you need to put in just as much time and effort in to core strength training as you do your other muscles.

Why Strengthen Your Core?

Whether your carrying boxes to the basement or simply bending down to give your kids a hug, you use your core muscles. Maintaining a strong core can prevent you from developing lower back pain simply from doing these daily activities.

Your core affects to your balance and posture

The 4 main core muscle groups that I talked about earlier work together to maintain balance and posture. Weak core muscles can certainly lead to bad posture and poor balance.

Your other muscle groups will benefit from a strong core

When you are working out your arms, chest or shoulders, you are indirectly using your core muscles to help stabilize your body in order to complete the exercise. Maintaining a strong core will allow you to target these other specific muscle groups more effectively.

Strong core muscles can lead to better athletic performance

A majority of sports require a certain level of muscle strength to be achieved at a high level. Your core muscles play a huge role in sports and athletic performance. Take golf for example, your core is used to transfer your weight during your swing, resulting in further distance.

Core Strength Training Exercises are easy to do

Most exercises that work your core don't even require you to be at a gym, they can simply be done at home. Unlike most other muscle groups, core workouts don't need fancy gym equipment. This gives you no excuse!

How Can You Strengthen Your Core?

Here's a look at some of the basic core strength training exercises that you can do at home: Ab Crunches

Probably the most common type of ab workout, the crunch can be performed by laying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Simply raise your upper body up by using your abdominal muscles. Once you reach the top of the crunch, slowly lower your body down until you reach your initial position.

You will want to perform crunches in different sets. For beginners, try doing crunches for a minute, rest for a minute, then continue this process for 2 more sets.

Exercise Ball

One of the most effective ways of strengthening all areas of your core is to use an exercise ball. There are hundreds of exercises available using one simple ball that target your abdominals, obliques and lower back.

One of the main advantages to using an exercise ball is the free range of motion that you get during every exercise. The ball forces you to use your stabilizing muscles to hold your body up, thus leading to an increase in strength.

For more information on strength ball training, click here!

Dumbbell Bends

This exercise will strengthen your oblique muscles with your abdominals help to stabilize your body during the workout.

To complete this exercise properly, hold dumbbells in both hands with your feet shoulder length apart. Bend your upper body at your waist as one arm lowers to knee-level. Use your oblique muscles to return your body to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Try doing 10 bends on each side (20 total) and repeat until you have done 3 sets.

Plank

This simple exercise will work your abdominal muscles as they hold your body in the plank position.

Lay on your stomach with your forearms touching the ground, lifting your body up. Support your lower half by keeping your feet on the ground, but the rest of your body being supported by your core muscles. It is important to keep your legs and feet together as well as keeping your back straight.

Hold this position for as long as you can (a minute is a good goal to shoot for). Continue until you have completed at least 3 sets.

Russian Twist

This exercise can be done either standing up or sitting down and will target your obliques and lower back muscles.

Find a medicine ball, dumbbell or any other weighted object you can find at home. Hold the object out in front of you with your arms fully extended. Rotate your torso to the side as far as you can go (usually about 90 degrees from your starting point).

Use your oblique and lower back muscles to support the weight and you twist your waist. Rotate back to the original position and repeat on the other side. Try doing 10 reps on each side and repeating until you have completed 3 sets.

It's not a good idea but it can be fixed!

New! Comments