Core work question?

Keith Wick

After completely ignoring my core for the last several years, I've committed to actually paying attention to it.  Given the first 3 days, it's going to be a long journey.  I'm looking through Leigh's videos to try and firm up a solid routine for me, but my past neglect has made even the beginner things quite hard (yes, I know this is really pathetic). 

So, my question is this:  Should you work your core every day or is it better to treat it like our normal routine where you are building in a rest day(s) between workouts?

What I was thinking of doing was incorporating core work into my weightlifiting by using a stability ball instead of a bench.  So the routine would be 2 days upper body, 2 days lower body, 1 day specific core focused work.  Any thoughts? 

jburbatt

I treat it like a normal routine with rest days in between. But I'd probably just add it onto one of the other lifting days for admin and ease reasons.

kurshing

It probably isn't good to do anything every day, so, I would say take rest. I only do three non-OS exercises - sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups. I rotate them (one per day) and sometimes skip a day.

I do the 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and 50 pull-ups challenges. However, my ONLY goal for training purposes is getting faster, which is why I don't lift any weights.

Al Truscott

I used to do sit-ups, then moved on the the "captain's chair", but now my core routine is flip turns in the pool. Really; concentrating on a smooth entry, snapping my legs high out of the water, and rotating during the flip while coming straight off the wall seems to be enough to me. I see the other codgers in the pool doing these wimpy little "roll up in a ball like a hedgehog" flips, and it makes me work all the harder at each end of the pool. That's about 100-150 turns three days a week?

kjanracing

But Al, I don't remember swimmng during the Aspen camp!

Unknown

Keith - with regards to a core strengthening routine. First its important to not only understand what the 'core' is, but to activate the correct muscles which are the 'core'. Core muscles refer to the muscles which attach to your spine these include rectus abdominus (upper abs / 6 pack), transverse abdominus (lower abs / V shape), multifdus (small muscles which attach to the back of your spine), internal and external obliques (side of your trunk muscles), erector spinae muscles (lower to mid back muscles) amongst others - (Sorry for the technical stuff!).

To activate these muscles the best cue tips I give to my clients (as an exercise physiologist) is draw your belly button into your spine, pretend you were urinating and for whatever reason you had to stop yourself from peeing (this then activates the pelvic floor muscles) and gently bracing the abdominals (important DONT over embrace) and maintain normal breathing - don't hold your breath (your diaphragm is also part of the core)!

Working on cables - exercises like standing single arm row with rotation, standing chest press, stability ball rows etc. all challenge the core muscles in different ways and are very effective.

I tend to do my core workout in isolation, away from my gym workouts though.

I like to do the following exercises: crunches (head and shoulders off the ground only), sit ups are a waste of time in terms of core strengthening - you do not have to move any further than 30 degrees to maximise the upper abs involvement, single leg extensions (dont let the low back arch), reverse curls gripping onto a stability ball, stability ball hamstring curls with hips off the ground, back bridges on the stability ball, Russian twists with a medicine ball, side planks, prone hold (any static holds should be held for a 15 sec max and then increase the reps involved - don't do a 2 minute prone hold - increases lumbar loading), lumbar extensions, supermans and thoracic extensions on the stability ball.

I think if you google most these exercises you should be able to gather some insight into the movements.

I hope this helps.

Scott

cgres123

(What I was thinking of doing was incorporating core work into my weightlifiting by using a stability ball instead of a bench. So the routine would be 2 days upper body, 2 days lower body, 1 day specific core focused work. Any thoughts? )

Scotts is right on !

My answer would be , yes stability ball will work a better core because of the .... stability issue. The routine split should be 1 day upper body, 1 day lower and your 1 day specific core focused work then repeat.

D