To start a more energetic and healthy life, inform yourself and nourish yourself with knowledge to confront any discipline with guarantees, this will prevent you from suffering injuries derived from poor execution of exercises that you are not used to doing.
If your goal is to work the strength of the core or core of the body, you should know the best exercises to strengthen this important part of our anatomy, especially if you have never done it before.
Discover what the anatomy of the core is like, and what are the bases and exercises with which you can start to strengthen it right away.
What is the Core?
The core is where all the force needed to carry out any movement is generated.
This term is used to describe almost any part of the body other than the arms or legs. This means that the core encompasses an important part of our body: buttocks, hips, rectus abdominis, internal abs, pelvic floor and scapulae.
A mistake of many people is to think that the core is only the abs, which is not true. This is why it is extremely important to have knowledge about how to strengthen the core effectively .
Another common misconception is that basic exercises like traditional crunches and lunges can strengthen the core of the body and define the abs.
By doing only tummy crunches, can I strengthen my core?
It’s not just the execution of endless crunches that can strengthen the core, in fact, performing too many crunches without some rest or proper technique can be dangerous to the spine .
Also, these exercises do not work the abdominal muscle in the way these muscles were designed. The main function of the abdominals is to give support and support to the spine.
In order to train the core effectively, all the muscles involved must be trained, as if they were a team.
5 core and abdominal exercises for beginners
Most people are familiar with basic exercises like planks and side planks. While those two basic exercises are great, there are other exercises that are just as good for developing core strength.
These exercises may seem extremely easy, but their completion is vital and should not be overlooked.
1. Abdominal vacuum
This is a simple but powerful exercise. It is essential for anyone, especially women who have had children, people who are not physically active, or those athletes who took a break from training for a long period of time.
This exercise helps recondition the transversus abdominis and align the spine . Basically, the transverse abdominis or TA is an internal “weight belt” that must participate in all the movements you do.
After a long pregnancy or physical inactivity, your AT may not be working properly or even at all.
The reestablishment of AT is a fundamental need for the body, if it is not exercised for long periods of time it is possible that the transversus remains completely inactive and your body forget how to engage it for any activity.
2. Clam Shells
The strongest muscles in the body are the glutes. When worked properly, they help stabilize almost any athletic movement . When they are not working well it can cause back pain and muscle imbalance.
This is where this particular exercise makes a difference, it is a fairly straightforward movement that can activate your gluteal muscles again.
3. Dead Bugs
This is another excellent exercise to stabilize the core of the body. Not only does it improve core fitness, it also helps build stability in the hips and trunk .
This exercise also helps in building the coordination necessary for any activity. You should definitely add it to your exercise routine.
4. Anti-rotation band exercises
The abdominal muscles have three functions : anti-rotation, anti-extension, and anti-lateral flexion. Most people include exercises that challenge anti-extension and anti-lateral flexion, such as planks and side planks. What many do not train is anti-rotation.
5. Bird Dog
This is an excellent exercise to improve core stability , since it works several functions at the same time. The Bird Dog works extension and anti-rotation, improves coordination, and also activates the glutes and shoulders.
Complete routine for the core
Now that you have these basic exercises, you can design a good core routine. You can do it after your regular training or at the beginning as part of your warm-up.
Perform each exercise in an orderly manner with the time and repetitions that we indicate:
- Bird Dog: 8 repetitions on each side, holding it for 10 seconds.
- Exercises with anti-rotation band: 8 repetitions on each side, holding it for 10 seconds.
- Dead Bugs: 8 repetitions per side, alternating sides with each repetition.
- Clam Shells: 10 reps on each side, holding it for 10 seconds.
- Abdominal Vacuum: 8 repetitions, holding it for 5 seconds.
You can rest for a minute after you’ve done a circuit and then repeat the exercises two more times for a total of three circuits.
If you perform this routine as a warm-up or at the end of your workout, there is no problem doing two or three circuits if you see it necessary.
Conclution
Core training does not have to be complicated, but it must be well executed to obtain positive results. Try adding these exercises or the previous routine to your daily workout and enjoy the results little by little.
Remember to take it easy and patiently achieve a solid core that will work for all the movements you perform on a daily basis.
Reference
- Timothy Bell. 5 Fundamental Core and Abdominal Exercises for Beginners. To: breakingmuscle [Revised December 2015]
