by Kerry Taylor
There are a million and one articles out there about your core and core training. I’m not going to sit here and try to promise you a visible 6 - pack or tout that here is the secret to a slim midsection if you do these 6 core exercises, as most people would like to hear. Most people want to believe that if I do a ton of core exercises a million times over, that my midsection will slim down. When, in reality, the only way to trim your midsection is find a healthy combination of overall exercise, movement and proper nutrition. What you eat will show up in your workouts, your daily life and how you look physically. Change your eating style and your results will soon be following behind.
Okay, enough of that. This is not a blog on how to eat for 6-pack abs at all, but it is about the core. Some of you may be aware, or may not fully know, but the core can be quantified as everything 3/4s of the way up your torso to everything going down to mid thigh, in between, and deep inside your body. Another aspect of training your core that can be overlooked is your breathing and the pace in which you move. A lot of times we just go through the motions of the drill to just complete the drill and required reps instead of slowing down, and adjusting the body to allow you to move properly through said movement. To get the most bang for your buck out of most core drills, you must move under control and breath properly to maintain a good brace through your mid section.
So with all that in mind, here are 6 core exercises you are not doing.
3 - Point Low/ High Plank Row
Attach a band to something that is anchored down in front of you. Position your body far enough away so the band is on tension before you start the movement. You don’t want it to have slack when your arm is extended. Place yourself in a low or high plank position with your feet spread slightly. Pull in your belly button towards your spine., squeeze your glutes, flex your quads, focus on your movement and perform a row under control, keeping your hips stable. Breathe out without releasing tension in your midsection as you complete the row. Breathe in as you reset.
Bird Dog Row
Place yourself on a box, bench or something that elevates you from the floor a little bit and, can handle your body weight, and is stable. Be positioned with hands and knees in good contact. From here, we want to get in a good Bird Dog position by extending one leg straight behind you, drive the heel straight back with the toe pointing down (the best you can). With the arm on the opposite side, grab a weight. Before movement, brace your midsection tight, then perform a row, moving under control. Squeeze under your arm pit as you row. If you find you struggle to keep balance, spread your hand and knee to have a wider base, as to make wider train tracks.
Band Resisted Dead Bugs
Again, have your band anchored down but behind you. Lay on your back with enough distance to keep band tension. If you want more tension, move further away from the anchor point. Remember to pull the belly button in and back towards your spine. Have your arms extended to the ceiling, locked out, with thumbs pointed towards the anchor point. Once you’re locked in, extend one leg at a time, driving the heel away from you. To progress this movement, hold the band in one hand and as you extend the leg, extend the opposite arm.
Rolling Plank
Find yourself a Foam Roller and get into a low plank position on top of the roller. Once locked into position, roll the roller up and down your forearms starting with small movements first and not allowing your hips to drop. If this is too challenging for you at the moment,, allow your knees to touch the ground.
Side Plank w/ Weighted Lateral Raise
Lay on your side, stacking your legs on top of each other and your shoulders on top of each other. Lift your body away from the floor while keeping your elbow underneath your shoulders. Once in position, squeeze your glutes and make sure you’re in straight alignment from your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders to your head. Grab your weight and perform a lateral raise, using lighter weights to start and increase the weight as you progress. If this position is too much at the moment, rest and bend at your knees. Your knees will take the place of your feet.
Side Plank Band Row
Repeat the set up as above. You will have a band anchored in front of you as well. Once in position, grab the band and perform a row, moving under control.
Banded 1 Arm Holds
In all of these setups, you want to loop a band around the handle of the equipment you are using. Stand on the opposite end of the band to create the tension when you stand. Stand closer to the equipment to increase the tension. Be aware that if using the barbell, there will be an even more added challenge to your grip.
Try adding some of these core exercises into your training to strengthen your core, which will help to strengthen everything else you do in the gym and life. Enjoy!! Until next time, continue to live life 1 degree above the rest.