Head. Heart. Legs.

Getting a True “Core” Workout.

You’re going for a workout, you get your gear on, walk/run/drive yourself on over there and at some point during your workout you decide that you want to do some core work.

So, what do you do? You find an empty space of floor, or a decline bench and start doing some sit-ups or crunches, maybe you even muster up the courage to do some hanging leg lifts or weighted back extensions. You do a 3-5 sets of a few of these exercises and then your good. Right?

Nope.

“But why? I did my sit-ups I even hit the rear part of my core with back extensions. I even did some Russian twists to get my obliques, what could I have possibly done differently?”

The answer to this question revolves around your goals when targeting your core, and not confusing them with something as aesthetic as getting a shredded 6 pack set of abs:

Your core is all the muscles from the ones pressed against your pelvic floor all the way up to the upper abdomen in the front, and even as high as the shoulder blades in the rear (depending on how specific you want to be). The core is/are all the muscles that are designed to support your body weight while protecting your spine from unnatural postures/movements.

When thinking about a workout that will target your core, not just your six pack or obliques, but the deep, weight bearing muscles that all of your bodily strength emanates from, think about movements that put load on the spine. Lifting movements that force your muscles to work in an attempt to support your spine and keep it in an ideal position.

Don’t get me wrong, crunches, leg lifts and Russian twists will go a long way to strengthen your abdominals, obliques, and some deeper core muscles. But, if you really want to take your core strength to the next level, you may want to consider giving more attention to these three basic movements:

The Squat
The Deadlift
The Standing Military Press

You may wonder why I’ve highlighted these three movements, and the answer is as simple as this: each of these movements force your muscles to work to support the spine. If you’ve ever tried to do squats after deadlifting, you’ll know the feeling of your back feeling like jelly and simply being unable to support the weight of a bar across your back for a proper squat. Similarly, if you’ve ever tried going from a seated military press to a standing press, you’ll be familiar with the feeling of your entire body beginning to shake and your shoulders dropping forward as you reach the higher rep counts, a phenomenon that is absent in seated presses.

Each of these movements has many variations: overhead squats and lunges, suitcase lifts, single-leg deadlifts, clean and presses etc. While, each of these movements will go a long way towards strengthening other parts of your body, don’t underestimate their ability to strengthen your deep core muscles. Don’t skip them, or at least their variations in your workouts.

Of course there are a million other exercises you can do for your core not limited to many of the traditional movements we’re all familiar with, but also including Pilates and (my new favorite) suspension trainers. The exercises above however are: great for full body fitness, easily done in all but the most inadequately equipped gyms, and are generally fun to do. Just remember to practice good form, always.

If none of this has been enough to convince you, here’s an aesthetic reason for incorporating these movements for deep core strength: the beefier the muscles that support your spine, the more pressure they’ll put on your admonals, giving you that little extra pop that you might desire to make your 6 pack that much more visible.

Cheers,

-Stephen