Selecting Core Exercises

Truths Revealed and the Myths Dispelled

strengthening her midsection through core exercises

Here we look at the best core exercises for strengthening your midsection. By improving the functional strength of your midsection will improve how you look and how you feel.

Additionally, if you condition your midsection properly you will also decrease your risk of suffering from lower back pain. Lower back pain is the number one patient complaint in America.

We reveal the truths and dispel the myths about midsection exercises.

In this section of our free website we include our pages on:

Core Exercise
Selecting Core Exercises [this page]
Best Ab Exercises for Beginners

We list elsewhere the many myths about midsection exercise as well as the key difference between core exercise and exercise for other body parts.

If you want to review that web page, click on the blue link below:

to CORE STRENGTH EXERCISES

The best way to increase the functional strength of your midsection is to work the muscles of your midsection together rather than trying to isolate them to work them separately.

Midsection exercises should primarily target the rectus abdominis or upper abs, the transverse abdominis or lower abs, and the internal and external obliques.

Since it's impossible to perform all movements simultaneously, what is the best order for training them?

We agree with David Grisaffi and other experts who think that they should be trained in the following sequence:

First, the transverse abdominis or lower abs,

Second, the obliques, and then

Third, the rectus abdominis or upper abs.

On the core exercise page in this section of our website, we show you how to warm up for doing core exercises and how to train your midsection safely.

If you want to read that page, click on the blue link below.

to CORE EXERCISE

What are the best exercises for each of the three core muscle groups? It depends upon two factors.

(i) It depends upon your training level. Since the various core exercises have different degrees of difficulty, it's important to begin with easier core exercises and then work your way to the more difficult ones.

(ii) It also depends upon which exercises you've been doing recently. You may be ripe for a change.

Although we provide you below with the names of appropriate exercises (using Grisaffi's terminology) in each of the three categories of core exercises, we neither rank them in terms of difficulty nor do we describe the exercises.

For each exercise, we suggest using the intensity, tempo, number of reps, and duration recommended by Grisaffi.

Providing all that additional information is far beyond the scope of this website. However, here's an easy way obtain it: read Grisaffi's book. We have a copy of his book in our own library; we never recommend anything that we do not use.

To read more about this book, click on the blue link directly below.

to FIRM & FLATTEN YOUR ABS

Except for a Swiss (exercise, stability) ball, you don't need any special equipment to train your core. Instead of buying an expensive, ineffective abdominal machine, we suggest that you buy Grissaffi's book and a Swiss ball.

In addition to the exercises listed below, there are many other great midsection exercises. Some, such as lunge, bent-over row, front squat, and reverse hyperextension on a Swiss ball or back machine, may be familiar to you. Others, such as supine leg extension on a Swiss ball or core twister on a Swiss ball, may be unfamiliar.

Since many midsection exercises work more than just one muscle group, the following categories are somewhat arbitrary.

Exercises for the Lower Abs

Horse stance vertical

Pelvic tilt

Alternate leg lift

Leg cycle jointly

Reverse crunch on floor

Reverse crunch on bench

Hanging leg raise

Exercises for the Obliques

Cross crunch

Russian twist: bent knees

Russian twice: straight legs

Side flexion [bend] using resistance (we like a barbell in a power rack)

Swiss ball side flexion [bend]

Horizontal woodchopper using cable

Standing woodchopper using cable

Standing reverse woodchopper using cable

Exercises for the Upper Abs

Floor crunch

Swiss ball crunch

Straight-arm pull-down using cable

Weighted crunch on Swiss ball

Cable crunch

How to Proceed

There are two reasons why it's important to change the exercises in your core routine every month or two.

First, doing so will prevent your body from adapting to the exercises. Results come as your body is adapting to a routine, not after it has adapted to a routine.

Second, it helps to prevent boredom. In one respect, training to strengthen your core is more like fitness exercise than other kinds of strength exercise, namely, it tends to be boring. So keeping it as interesting as possible is important.

To design a satisfactory core routine for yourself, simply pick one exercise from each of the three categories and do them in the order listed. (Of course, use the guidelines provided on the previous page of this section.)

In addition to functional core strength, many trainees want a trim or even chiseled ["cut"] abdomen. Please understand that, even if it is strong, your midsection won't look good if its muscles are covered by a layer of fat.

If improving your appearance is a goal, please use all the other aids provided to you for free here at lasting-weight-loss.com. In particular, eating properly should be a priority, and you may be wise to use a proper dose of cardio as well.

If you'll pay the price, you can have a strong, attractive midsection.

If you are a beginner and eager to get started, see our section on the best ab exercises for beginners.

to Best Ab Exercises for Beginners

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