Top 5 Standing Exercises That Target Your Core

There are plenty of fantastic exercises you can do for your core while standing up

. Some of them work the core muscles inadvertently and some of them focus specifically on the core. Now, you might be asking why you would want to work your core by standing up rather than doing crunches or sit ups. Well, while there is nothing wrong with lying down to work your core the problem with crunches and sit ups is that they really do not work all that well. They target your abs but ignore the rest of your core such as the back and hip flexors.

The benefit of doing core exercises while standing up is that it involves the entire body which is the way your core muscles were meant to be worked. That is because your core muscles (back, hips and abdominals) were meant to act as stabilizers when the body is in motion.

Two of the best exercises that work the core inadvertently are exercises such as the squat, dead lift. You may think that these are primarily leg exercises however that is not quite true, they actually work muscles all over your body even your arms, shoulders and, yes, core. You will really feel it in your abs after straining with a heavy weight.

While the dead lift and squat are traditionally done with barbells I actually prefer to do the squat with kettlebells. If you are unfamiliar with a kettle bell it is a piece of equipment that looks like a cannon ball with a handle. Because of this design it is significantly more versatile than bar bells and dumb bells. Doing squats with kettlebells allows you to come down much lower than you can with a barbell and you will feel it in your abs much more, especially if you increase the weight you are lifting with a backpack filled with sand.

One of the great things about the kettlebell is that, while they work your entire body as a whole, many of the exercises focus on the core the way that barbells or dumbbells cannot. To complement the squat and the dead lift I suggest the next three exercises for a fully fashioned workout that works your core both directly and indirectly.

Figure 8: Standing up simply pass the KB from one hand to another between your legs lifting it up to your chest after you do. This will really work the obliques.

Swing: This is the granddaddy of all KB exercises. Simply swing the KB in one hand or two between your legs thrusting out with your hips. This targets your back, hips and abs like no other exercise can.

Renegade Rows: Assume the push up position while gripping two kettlebells. Now, lift one KB up in a rowing motion. Return to the ground and repeat with the other arm. This may appear to be a shoulder or back exercise. However, you will feel it in your abs most.

by: John Kidder

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