HOW TO GET A STRONGER CORE
Everybody wants abs, but fewer people talk about having a strong core. What’s the point of “having abs” if your core isn’t strong? I’d rather have a strong core than abs and I think most people would have a greater quality of life with a strong core over a weak core with visible abs. Abs are made with the diet and a strong core is made with exercise. In the end, and fortunately for you, you can get visible abs AND a strong core at the same time! In this article though…let’s talk about one thing and one thing only…core strength!
Here are my top 4 movements for increasing core strength:
SIT UP/INCLINE SIT UP
Outside of crunches, these are probably the two most popular core movements and for good reason! They are very effective movements. The number one thing that you want to be aware of is how much hip activation you’re getting while doing these movements. You want to minimize the hip flexor engagement as much as possible and keep the tension on the core. If I’m speaking gibberish to you just go do some sit ups until you can’t anymore and then focus on the muscles that hurt. Do your hips hurt as much or more than your abs? That’s what I’m talking about…you want the pain/soreness to be coming mostly from your core and less from any part of your hips. The good news is that if you push yourself hard enough, then you’ll surely work the core too…but if you can’t handle the pain cave then you might not be working the core as much as you think. I suggest starting out with a flat sit up and perfecting your form. As the flat sit up becomes easier, then you can start adding an incline and increasing the incline as your strength improves. Lastly, you can also add isometric holds (pauses), and even weight to an incline sit up. It should be no surprise to you that adding weight to a movement is a good way to build more strength.
HANGING LEG RAISE
This is an excellent movement because you can indirectly improve grip strength and work your lats/back in the process too. This is a also great movement that shows you how strong or weak your core currently is. Remember isometric holds from the sit up section…Can you perform an L-sit for a significant amount of time? Can you control your legs throughout the whole movement? Can you do this movement in a slow and controlled manner without swinging your legs and torso? These are the goals that you should work towards when doing the hanging leg raise. This movement is not only great at developing the abs and building core strength but it’s also one that will teach you about core control and feeling the muscle work. This “mind muscle” connection is crucial for focusing on using the correct muscle(s) that you are trying to train. You can’t control this movement without strength and pursuing control throughout the movement is one of the best ways to build core strength. If you can’t do a hanging leg raise yet then start with just a leg raise on the equipment that allows you to support your back and arms during the movement and work your way up from there.
AB WHEEL
The ab wheel can be straight torture but that’s because it targets the core so well. You get to indirectly work most of the muscles in the upper body as you perform this combined crunch/sit up/plank movement. You can start from your knees and work your way to performing these from a standing position. You can do the reps quickly or slow and controlled. You can even add a pause/plank at full extension to work the core in a different manner as well. Honestly, if I had to pick the single-handed best core movement there is then I’d probably pick the ab wheel, and when you become great at this movement you can show off to your friends with all sorts of fancy techniques and assert your core dominance over them…who doesn’t love that right? Ok, well maybe calm down a little. You can use the ab wheel to build a strong core and then teach others to do the same.
PLANK
The plank doesn’t get the love that it deserves. Well, a while back it was trending on social media but since then it’s gone back to being part of at home workouts or group classes. The truth is the plank builds a very strong core and you can do it from various positions as well. You can also do it anywhere and anytime so there is no excuse for not having a strong core. This is a constant tension movement and anytime your upright…the core is engaged…so adding a constant tension core movement to your routine is probably a good idea. I suggest keeping this movement to the end of your workout and end it on a high note or knock out a few sets of planks every night before bed. This movement is very versatile and easy to fit into your lifestyle.
One of the biggest reasons to increase core strength is that it helps protect the lumbar (lower back). We focused purely on the abdominal/core area in this article, but the other body parts to improve core strength are the glutes and erectors. Those will have to be covered in a future article. For now, just know that these movements can help develop the muscles in your abs to help with your goal of getting a chiseled mid-section…while also helping to ensure a strong core to protect your lower back and improve your athleticism all at the same time. Training the core sure is fun right!?
