How to Set up a Core Strength Program That You Will Actually Stick To

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Core strength is important: we use it when we carry a bag of groceries, get up from the floor , push on a door, or hit a punching bag. But all too often we think of a “core” workout as something done specifically with crunches or planks. And that’s a shame, because our cores do so much more.

If you’re doing nothing but crunches, thinking you’re going to build six pack abs, you’re just as shortsighted as someone who never does a core job because it’s boring or they “forget.” So if you want to firm up your belly, try thinking about it a little differently.

Treat your core like any other muscle

As we train our arms, we get stronger and move on to heavier dumbbells. When we train legs, over time we squat with more weight. So why should we train core differently? You wouldn’t do 100 curls with a 5kg weight when there’s a 25lb one around, so why would you do 100 crunches instead of finding a more difficult exercise? I mean, if you love doing hundreds of crunches, I won’t stop you. But you have much more options.

Another thing we can learn from other types of strength training is that your main job doesn’t have to be everyday. If you try a more difficult basic move and then feel pain, you might think, “ How can I do this every day? It’s too hard.” But there’s no reason to do it every day. You can do special core work two or three times a week, resting in between.

But the core is not just one muscle

Crunches engage the muscles in the front of the torso, mainly the rectus abdominis, better known as the six pack muscle. But our core includes much more, including the two layers of obliques (muscles with diagonal fibers that help us twist from side to side or resist twisting motion) and the back muscle group. The erector spinae group is one of them, and some trainers include the hips and glutes when they think of the core. The muscles of the upper back and chest, such as the latissimus dorsi or latissimus dorsi, may also be included.

To use all these muscles, we need to do different movements. It’s true that planks work almost every part of the body, so it’s a good place to be a star, but there are so many other options out there – not to mention that variety not only helps alleviate boredom, but empowers every muscle. opportunity to work hard. not limited by the strength of their neighbors.

Include these three types of core exercises

So what are these different muscles, and how do you make sure you’re hitting them all? I recommend dividing the major muscles into three groups and choosing one or two exercises for each of them.

Anti-extension, for the front of your kernel

The muscles of the anterior part of the body (sometimes called the “anterior chain”) make up the first category. Traditional crunches or squats engage these muscles, including the rectus abdominis at the front of the abdomen and the hip flexors that connect the torso to the hips.

To work these muscles, you can do flexion exercises where you move your body so that it twists. Or you can think of these exercises as “anti-stretch” meaning you are resisting a force that wants to pull your body in the opposite direction. In any case, the muscles of the anterior part of the core must work. Here are some examples:

  • dead bugs
  • Boards
  • Saws on the boards, stirring the pan, or other variations where you are trying to hold the board by moving your legs, arms, or both.
  • Ab deployments
  • Squats, crunches, and crunches (these are all subtle variations of the same movement)
  • Hanging leg raises or otherwise

As the easiest starting point, you can make dead bugs by sliding one foot on the floor instead of lifting the opposite arm and leg off the ground. And to make these exercises more difficult, try kneeling or standing ab exercises. Hanging leg raises are also tricky, especially with straight legs, and you can make them harder by weighting your ankles or by squeezing dumbbells between your feet.

Extension (or anti-bending) for the back

Now that we’ve worked out the major muscles in the front, let’s look at the opposite muscle group: the posterior chain, which includes the muscles in the back of the body. If you’re doing articulated exercises like deadlifts, kettlebell swings, or good mornings, you’re already working your hamstrings, glutes, and back. Here are a few examples that will build on this, with particular attention to the back muscles:

  • bird dogs
  • supermen
  • Reverse hyperextensions (when your torso is fixed and you move your legs)
  • Hyperextensions (when your legs are fixed and you move your torso)
  • Glute bridges

For the easiest variation, start with bird dogs as you move one arm or leg at a time, lifting it an inch off the floor. For more challenging options, try the reverse hyper machine, where you can load weights at ankle level, or do hyperextensions with the plate pressed against your chest.

Anti-rotation protection for obliques and more

Your core muscles don’t just bend your body back and forth; they also stabilize it (or move it) from side to side. Your oblique muscles are among the muscles involved here.

While there are exercises where you can rotate your torso (think a lumberjack made with a cable machine or a baseball player swinging a bat), most exercises in the gym that target these muscles are against rotation. In other words, you are trying to stay in place while gravity or the car is trying to pull you in. These exercises include:

The easiest entry point here is probably a pillow press done with very light resistance, and then you can work with heavier and heavier weights (thicker bands or more weight on a cable stack). With a carrying case, you can start with a light dumbbell and work your way up to heavier items. I’ve even seen it done as an isometric grip: you hold the barbell in a rack and just grab it with one hand, holding it for a while.

How to make a core workout

Choose one exercise from each category (two if you want) and do each exercise for 30 to 60 seconds if it’s an isometric exercise you hold for a while or a set of eight to twelve reps. The numbers don’t have to be exact, but aim for something in that range.

One way to structure your workout is to set a timer that will beep every minute for nine minutes. Do each exercise for one minute, resting for that minute if needed, and then move on to the next. This will give you three sets of each and take less than 10 minutes of your time.

Review your exercise choices every few weeks. If something becomes too simple, replace it with a more complex version. And if you get bored with one exercise, try another. Here are some examples.

Basic training program for beginners

First, a general beginner routine for those who don’t have much strength to start with and can be done at home:

  • Dead bugs when you slide one foot only as far as you can keep control (hands don’t move)
  • Bird dogs where you move one arm or leg at a time, again in a small motion.
  • Suitcase to carry or even keep in place with a light dumbbell or grocery bag

Advanced Core Workout Program

On the other end of the spectrum, here’s something for the beast with gym access:

  • Permanent press deployments
  • Inverse hypers, weighted of course
  • Pallof bench press with full stack of weights

Intermediate Core Workout Program

And one for those of us who are somewhere in between:

  • stir the pot
  • Unweighted hyperextensions
  • Suitcase with 35 lb kettlebells

If you want to do more, you can! And don’t discount the bulk of the work you can get from other exercises in your program, like transfers, squats, and deadlifts. This approach will make the core workout much less boring and more effective.

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