Whats the latest on core training?

[yayeti]

Crunches and situps flex the spine which puts stress on your lower back so its agreed that they are no good so what do you guys do for abdominal training? planks?

[Cards]

everything puts stress on your lower back, situps and crunches are fine.

[tom183]

I'm with Cards. Since when is it unanimous that crunches and sit ups are bad?

[Allen Cress]

They are only bad if you use bad form like pulling your head to get up in a situp. Its important to train the core in different planes of motion: rotational, diaganol, sagittal plane, etc... Standard situps are fine but remember to really strengthen your core you need to do what the spine is made to do like rotate, extend, flex. One of the reasons people have low back issues is not doing diagonal or rotational movements and only doing sagittal plane (crunches, leg raises) which causes imbalance. Your core consistes of more than just your rectus abdominal (6 pack). You have your obliques, serratus, glutes, low back, transverse abdominal. ITs the center foundation of the body.

Some exercises:
- High to Low cable or tubing chops
- SB step offs
- Planks
- MB twist
- Contralateral Hand to Toe touch
- 2/3 pike holds on Bosu ball

[NITF]

I find chin ups, front squats and deadlifts work my "core" on all planes pretty hard... obviously its not direct work, but I don't think its quite like the often touted squats for biceps thing - supposedly EMG studies have shown maximum engagement of the core during these lifts, beyond that of more "traditional" moves.

[yayeti]

They are only bad if you use bad form like pulling your head to get up in a situp. Its important to train the core in different planes of motion: rotational, diaganol, sagittal plane, etc... Standard situps are fine but remember to really strengthen your core you need to do what the spine is made to do like rotate, extend, flex. One of the reasons people have low back issues is not doing diagonal or rotational movements and only doing sagittal plane (crunches, leg raises) which causes imbalance. Your core consistes of more than just your rectus abdominal (6 pack). You have your obliques, serratus, glutes, low back, transverse abdominal. ITs the center foundation of the body.

Some exercises:
- High to Low cable or tubing chops
- SB step offs
- Planks
- MB twist
- Contralateral Hand to Toe touch
- 2/3 pike holds on Bosu ball

Cool thanks Allen. How often would you do these and would you do them as a superset?

[Allen Cress]

How often depends on the volume you do in a day. 2 days a week id usually plenty doing 3-4 exercises. I have programs where core is done everyday but each day is a different plane of motion and the volume is less.

You can absolutely superset them. Even put as many as 8 back to back to create a metabolic conditioning circuit.

[r2473]

gymnasts have the best core strength

so if you want a very strong and useful core, do what they do

the other benefit to training the core like a gymnast is that you wont be asking "what is the latest......" these are "basic", "fundamental" movements that have been around forever.

good luck

[greemah]

They are only bad if you use bad form like pulling your head to get up in a situp. Its important to train the core in different planes of motion: rotational, diaganol, sagittal plane, etc... Standard situps are fine but remember to really strengthen your core you need to do what the spine is made to do like rotate, extend, flex. One of the reasons people have low back issues is not doing diagonal or rotational movements and only doing sagittal plane (crunches, leg raises) which causes imbalance. Your core consistes of more than just your rectus abdominal (6 pack). You have your obliques, serratus, glutes, low back, transverse abdominal. ITs the center foundation of the body.

Some exercises:
- High to Low cable or tubing chops
- SB step offs
- Planks
- MB twist
- Contralateral Hand to Toe touch
- 2/3 pike holds on Bosu ball

Intriguing. I have always just done situps & barbell rollouts and have recently got a lower back injury. Do you think adding in say dumbell side bends to hit another plane of motion would fix my problem?

[Allen Cress]

Intriguing. I have always just done situps & barbell rollouts and have recently got a lower back injury. Do you think adding in say dumbell side bends to hit another plane of motion would fix my problem?

DB side bends isn't a different plane in the since that you are still moving in a straight line. I would add in High to Low or Low to High cable chops and Rainbows to start. Remember your spine is made to rotate and bend.

[yayeti]

what are rainbows?

[Allen Cress]

what are rainbows?

Laying on your back with your legs in the air and arms out to your side (like a T shape). The straighter your legs the eharder it is. Keep legs together and lower them to the side with control, touch the ground, lift and repeat on other side. These should not be done fast as momentum will take over and make them easier.

[greemah]

Thanks for that Allen I will give the rainbows a try. Can't do cable chops though as I workout at home.

Do you know of any other similar exercises that can be done with free weights? Just because I prefer weighted exercises as it is easier to gauge progression