subject: The Truth About Core Conditioning - Three Exercises That Will Significantly Strengthen Your Abs [print this page] The Truth About Core Conditioning - Three Exercises That Will Significantly Strengthen Your Abs
We are here to give you the facts about CORE conditioning and why the traditional exercises do not get you the results you truly need. We will discuss here THREE basic exercises that will get you moving in the right direction and why they are important. First, let's get one thing straight, your core strength is much more than those 6 pack abs that everyone focuses on getting at the gym. Functionally, our bodies are much more dynamic than sitting on a floor and performing crunch after crunch after crunch. I am here to tell you and show you how you can maximize your time, get your core feeling and looking much stronger than ever before.
If you recall from the article, "The Truth about CORE Conditioning: What you need to know!", there are four levels of your abdominal wall. We have the upper abdominals (6 pack abs), lower abdominals (pelvic floor and stabilizing muscles), internal and external oblique (serve to help in rotation) and deep abdominal muscles (also called the transversus abdominus). I am going to break down three exercises from each group and show you how to use them to YOUR benefit.
The first is the Horse stance Vertical. This focuses on the deep abdominal wall and your stabilizing muscles. To properly activate these muscles, you need to take a deep breathe through your diaphragm, your belly will fill up with air, next breathe out, let you belly go in and pull your belly button towards your spine. You should be able to still breathe normally. You will perform each set with 5 times each side, raising the opposite arm and leg for a total of 10 seconds each time. Keep your hips from dropping from to one side, the dowel rod should be placed along your spine. After each rep, redo your draw-in and engage that TVA. Try and keep the stick on your spine, touching your head, upper back and tailbone. The space between the stick and your lower back should be the width of your knuckles.
The second exercise is the Reverse Crunch. This focuses on the lower abdominals as well as the upper abdominals. This is a great exercise, though it needs to be done right. Lie on the floor or use a bench, grab something behind your head. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees. The first motion is very important, you want to keep that same angle while raising your knees straight up, you will them proceed to bring your knees back towards your head while keeping the same angle from the beginning of the exercise. When lowering your legs back down, it is VERY important to keep your back flat (or natural curve) and touch the ground. You DO NOT want any spinal or back pain when lowering your legs. It is crucial that you control your movement as well as your spine when performing this exercise. This exercise will significantly improve your lower and upper abdominal strength. Complete 3 sets of 6-10 reps for this exercise.
The third is the Russian Twist. This exercise is a great way to strengthen your oblique muscles as well as your upper, lower and deep abdominal muscles. For the purpose of this article, I will show you the beginning way to do this exercise. The most basic one is on the floor. Bend your knees 90 degrees (if this is to easy, put a medicine ball between your knees or straighten your legs). You will rotate your legs from side to side staying at 90 degrees, you DO NOT want your opposite shoulder to come off the ground, if it does, it is to HARD! Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps for this exercise.
Use these THREE exercise to strengthen your CORE and you will be on the way towards reaching those health and fitness goals. Remember, it is extremely important to do these exercises properly and to progress the right way. To many people want to do the hardest thing first, those are the ones that complain about back pain and do not come back. Go for the long haul, not the short term. The next series will discuss the more dynamic CORE conditioning exercises for Sports performance.
For a more detailed description of this article with pictures for each exercise, please visit our website at http://www.gatorcrossfit.com, locate the exercise library on the right and find the given exercise. Thanks.
Aaron Palmer has been in the health and wellness fields since 1997. With a degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences from the University of Florida in 2001, a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Personal Trainer; Aaron has helped hundreds of people through the years attain and surpass their health and fitness goals. Becoming a business owner in 2006 and prospering through these economic times, he has gained a great understanding on how to build a successful business.
