1. Reverse crunches
A reverse crunch aims at bringing the pelvis closer to the rib cage. When performing this exercise imagine you are a rolling your body up like a piece of paper. Don’t kick your legs up in the air or shoot them straight up in the air either. Instead bend your knees, tuck your legs and “roll back.”
When these get easy you can add resistance by doing them on an incline bench. For the very strong try hanging leg raises but the emphasis is the same. Roll up at the lower back, don’t just bend at the hips.
2. Cable twists
This exercise is working the obliques through a full range of motion.
Take a wide stance and plant your feet. Rotate AT YOUR LUMBER TRUNK. Not at the hips. While keeping the arms straight rotate and squeeze the core. Start light because this movement often times needs to be learned before resistance can be added
3. Planks
Stabilization is an important function of the core. It’s the ability of the core to “hold everything together” while the legs and arms work.
Planks are a great exercise for stabilization of the core, they can also be a great exercise for developing the abs. Everyone does them, but not everyone also does them right.
If you are doing planks to work the abs and the core and NOT the hip flexors you need to ROUND the low back and tuck your tail bone.
Squeeze the abs and hold the position for 30-60 seconds.
Do these 3 core movements between 2-4 times a week and work in the 10-15 rep range for muscle development. Use PERFECT form. Its easy to involve the hip flexors in core exercises. If you don’t use good form you won’t work the core nearly as effectively as if you used excellent form.
Move Train Feel Strong x.
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